Big Ups Go To....
My Family-Mom, Pops, Ate, Brutha-Man!
Since I've been tucked away in this lil' suburb of the Twin Cities, ma familia has been so great to take care of my beloved Honda for me. It hasn't been easy, let me tell you. It's been a hassle for my Dad 'cuz every Thursday, he has to move it for street cleaning and then move it back again before the un-neighborly next door neighbors grab our spot. Of course, there was the moment when it just wouldn't start! My Pops had to wait until those darm meter maids came by to insure we wouldn't get a ticket- aiya! He had to get it towed to a garage and back again...major pain in the ass. Mom and Pops have been taking care of the car insurance back home for me while I have been busy looking for a job and working on my Masters. 'Course I'm indebted to them, but they've been really patient and cool (and plus, they do not incur any finance charges or late fees!). Hubby and I have been wanting to get my car shipped over, but it just wasn't happening with all the other stuff we have to take care of, so Mom and Pops offered to take care of that, too. They footed the bill for the shipping and man oh man, I'm hella excited 'cuz it arrives today! Ate and Brutha-Man had to pick up the car from da city and drive to their place across da Bay. Not only did Ate make all the phone calls, but she also made sure most of my kalat from my parents' house was in there, too. Brutha-Man did the whole maintenance check of my car to make sure everything was cool and sure enough, it is. Thanks ma familia for hooking it up for me big time- it's much appreciated! And wow, what a perfect birthday gift!!! Much love!
Randy's Auto Transport
Just wanted to give a shout-out to Randy and Nancy, the husband-wife tag team, for delivering my Honda safely from CA to MN. My car was dirty as hell, but you know what? Ain't nothin' a good carwash can't fix! There's a cool touchless carwash near our place- and hook it up they did! My car is the whitest I've ever seen it...on the real- it's sooooo nice to have my car here with me. MnM is a happy camper. =)
Miss Lily...the soon-to-be Mrs. Chan!
My homegirl from Cornerstone...the newbie that came in whom I had the pleasure of mentoring....the sweet and quiet (NOT!) and youngest of us all....is getting married! Her honey proposed last Sunday, which happened to be their 3rd year anniversary. From what she told me, it was a sweet proposal at Fort Funston in da city. He surprised her with 120 roses AND the prettiest ring! When she told me, it was just one of those moments where I wish I could've congratulated her in person, but AIM will have to do! Although the wedding won't be until she finishes her Masters in Education in a year and a half (you go girl!), I'm truly excited and happy for her. (On a sidenote, Miss Lily is like SuperWoman...this girl went straight with her undergrad studies, then to her teaching credentials, and NOW, to her Masters! She has been non-stop and honestly, I don't know how she's done it! Talk about motivation- I'm proud of you, girl!) Love and congratulations to you and Anthony!
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Monday, March 29, 2004
Spring is Here!
It's hard to believe that the FIVE months of snow is finally done! (It's about fricken' time!) Ain't no more snow on the ground anymore and if there is, it's slowly melting away along with Frosty. The thousands of lakes are almost completely thawed out, but you can still see some birds walkin' on water. I realize that the majority of my weather updates has been full of my bitchin' and complainin' about the cold and whatnot, but y'know what, I'm good now. Just 'cuz spring is here doesn't mean that MN is having perfect weather...on the contrary, people! The temps have still been in the 40's and we've been having rain dumped on us like it's nothin'! But ya'll want to know what tells me that spring is here? --------> da BUGS!!!
They're Back......
It started about 5 days ago. I was awakened not by the alarm clock, but by birds chirping noisily away! The sun was shining and it was just a beautiful day. I want to say that it got up to 70 degrees that day, too. So I'm fixing the bed and I hear this distinct sound...'twas like a squeaky car, but not. I literally had to stand still to try and figure out what was making the noise. Then, I finally realize.....ewwwww, they're bugs! They're back! Nooooooooooooo! With all melting of the snow, it's like these things were suddenly reborn. Specifically, I'm almost sure it's lil' Jimminy crickets, but dude, they are nonstop in their music making! Geez, I thought they only made their presence known mostly at night....shoot, not these lil' buggers. 'Course I could be wrong about them being crickets- I wouldn't be surprised if they were some other bugs unbeknownst to me. I remember when we first moved here, I saw a creepy crawly that I never saw before and it totally freaked me out! These buggers must be trying to make up for their absence during winter time 'cuz they seriously don't shut up! All day and all night, neverending, non-stop....don't these things take a break to even breathe?! It's driving me nuts! But on the real though...as long as I only have to hear them and not see 'em (or shoo 'em, swat 'em, kill 'em, run from them), I'm good to go.
Back to da Bay- Part 3
Ya'll remember the "blog war" that went on sometime last month between a friend and myself? Well, seeing that I was going back to da Bay for a few days, I decided that I wanted all of this nonsense to stop. I emailed Keyopes to ask if she'd be willing to meet up with me while I was in town. She agreed. We were to meet up at Mel's Diner near the Metreon for some din-din. I won't lie, but I was a lil' on the nervous side. Needless to say, we met up, ate, and did a lot of small talking at first. It was cool to catch up on each other's life and it was nice to hear about her many adventures of bein' a mommy of two. After dinner, we decide to find a place to really talk outside Metreon. We finally cleared out our dirty laundry and cleared the air about what was going down in our friendship. There was a point where I got teary-eyed when she mentioned that the spot for ninang for her youngest was still open for me. We delved into lots of personal and sensitive issues and honestly, it was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. Not to say that everything is back to the way it was 'cuz it's hard to make up for lost time, but we're definitely back on track as far as to where our friendship stands. 'Twas just so great to talk to a girlfriend again and I realized it more in those few hours with Keyopes how much I've missed it.
It's amazing to see how much we've grown, how much we've experienced, yet still remain unchanged in so many ways. It's been a long time coming for us to confront this matter...almost 4-5 years, can you believe that? But I am a true believer that all things happen for a reason and that all things happen in due time. It may have been 4-5 years, but it's time to put all that bad sh*t behind us now. Hell, maybe it's 'cuz I'll be turning 30 soon and I've come to realize that life is too short to let pride get in the way of some misunderstandings that happened years ago. I'm so thankful that things turned out the way they did and I'm looking forward to rebuilding the friendships that once were.
It's hard to believe that the FIVE months of snow is finally done! (It's about fricken' time!) Ain't no more snow on the ground anymore and if there is, it's slowly melting away along with Frosty. The thousands of lakes are almost completely thawed out, but you can still see some birds walkin' on water. I realize that the majority of my weather updates has been full of my bitchin' and complainin' about the cold and whatnot, but y'know what, I'm good now. Just 'cuz spring is here doesn't mean that MN is having perfect weather...on the contrary, people! The temps have still been in the 40's and we've been having rain dumped on us like it's nothin'! But ya'll want to know what tells me that spring is here? --------> da BUGS!!!
They're Back......
It started about 5 days ago. I was awakened not by the alarm clock, but by birds chirping noisily away! The sun was shining and it was just a beautiful day. I want to say that it got up to 70 degrees that day, too. So I'm fixing the bed and I hear this distinct sound...'twas like a squeaky car, but not. I literally had to stand still to try and figure out what was making the noise. Then, I finally realize.....ewwwww, they're bugs! They're back! Nooooooooooooo! With all melting of the snow, it's like these things were suddenly reborn. Specifically, I'm almost sure it's lil' Jimminy crickets, but dude, they are nonstop in their music making! Geez, I thought they only made their presence known mostly at night....shoot, not these lil' buggers. 'Course I could be wrong about them being crickets- I wouldn't be surprised if they were some other bugs unbeknownst to me. I remember when we first moved here, I saw a creepy crawly that I never saw before and it totally freaked me out! These buggers must be trying to make up for their absence during winter time 'cuz they seriously don't shut up! All day and all night, neverending, non-stop....don't these things take a break to even breathe?! It's driving me nuts! But on the real though...as long as I only have to hear them and not see 'em (or shoo 'em, swat 'em, kill 'em, run from them), I'm good to go.
Back to da Bay- Part 3
Ya'll remember the "blog war" that went on sometime last month between a friend and myself? Well, seeing that I was going back to da Bay for a few days, I decided that I wanted all of this nonsense to stop. I emailed Keyopes to ask if she'd be willing to meet up with me while I was in town. She agreed. We were to meet up at Mel's Diner near the Metreon for some din-din. I won't lie, but I was a lil' on the nervous side. Needless to say, we met up, ate, and did a lot of small talking at first. It was cool to catch up on each other's life and it was nice to hear about her many adventures of bein' a mommy of two. After dinner, we decide to find a place to really talk outside Metreon. We finally cleared out our dirty laundry and cleared the air about what was going down in our friendship. There was a point where I got teary-eyed when she mentioned that the spot for ninang for her youngest was still open for me. We delved into lots of personal and sensitive issues and honestly, it was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. Not to say that everything is back to the way it was 'cuz it's hard to make up for lost time, but we're definitely back on track as far as to where our friendship stands. 'Twas just so great to talk to a girlfriend again and I realized it more in those few hours with Keyopes how much I've missed it.
It's amazing to see how much we've grown, how much we've experienced, yet still remain unchanged in so many ways. It's been a long time coming for us to confront this matter...almost 4-5 years, can you believe that? But I am a true believer that all things happen for a reason and that all things happen in due time. It may have been 4-5 years, but it's time to put all that bad sh*t behind us now. Hell, maybe it's 'cuz I'll be turning 30 soon and I've come to realize that life is too short to let pride get in the way of some misunderstandings that happened years ago. I'm so thankful that things turned out the way they did and I'm looking forward to rebuilding the friendships that once were.
Saturday, March 27, 2004
Much Props Go Out To....
- Philippine Student Association, PSA, for their 10th Anniversary celebration! Last night was the much awaited annual fashion show- hella people turned up for the event and everyone had a great time, especially the people involved! Now I will be the first to admit that I was turned off and frustrated at the lack of time and organization that went into the planning, but like all things that be, it all worked out in the end. I have to give my shout-outs to my lil' folk dance crew for being so AWESOME! Just for the record, some of the people have never folk danced before and after about two months of Saturday afternoon practices, got their routine down! Since Pandanggo Sa Ilaw/Oasioas was the opening dance, my tummy was full of butterflies for them, but dayamn, they pulled it off! No one tripped, no one stumbled, no glasses slipped, and the guys were DOPE as they balanced the glasses on their foreheads! Okay, so ONE glass broke, but 'twas already inside the bandanas so they were lucky that they didn't have to experience the "if it falls and breaks, keep dancing!!! I don't care if you're bleeding, keep going- the show must go on!" The Bindian and Tinikling were cool, too, but I have to say that the Pandanggo set the tone for the rest of the night. Congrats for a great show- all of your hard work paid off..me so proud!
- MnM! Okay, so there was a bit of drama with costumes (or the lack thereof!) and yes, MnM had many a sleepless night on a sewing marathon! Nevermind that the last time I really sewed was in high school so 'twas a mixture of reacquainting myself with fabrics, threads, needles, and the machine itself. But it's all good...now I've got 5 men's pants, 20 bandanas, and 5 Igorot head pieces....all done from scratch, baby! Not to mention that I also made 5 flower head pieces, too! So yes, this shout-out goes to ME! =)
- Hubby! First of all, hubby bought me my own personal sewing machine! Okay, so some of ya'll might not be jumping up and down to receive such a gift, but I've been wanting one for some time to get back into sewing. So a big SALAMAT goes to hubby for that! Secondly, along with the lack of costumes came a lack of props as well. While I was busy sewing away, hubby was in charge of making the Pandanggo lights. Now this ain't an easy task- especially if you've never made one before! What we DO know is what a pain in the ass it was to make! Making it isn't such a big deal really...it's getting all the necessary materials, the RIGHT batteries, the RIGHT lamp bases, and the RIGHT bulbs. Aiya!!! We basically went to 3 different Radio Shacks and cleaned out their inventory supply! Not only that, but we had to find glasses, too! We basically went from Joann's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and finally everyone's favorite store, Target! 20 glasses, 20 battery thingy-majigs, and 1 patient hubby. Dayamn...big ups to Hubby for all his hard work, all the soddering of wires and connecting to batteries, and for being my personal chauffeur to and from practices...'tis much appreciated- love you baby!
- Chiweb and Puronoys! These two bands are really awesome! I mentioned this before, but I feel we have an "inside track" 'cuz we know both lead singers- whoo hoo! =) They were the opening show and when you hear 'em, you know that these guys have talent! I saw Ibalik and his crew doin' their lil' mosh pit thang while Chiwebs played...oh and yes, Ibalik, we caught your old skool dance moments during your set! Lol! Ibalik got his "wop" and "reebok" on- representing!!! Ya'll are awesome!
PCN Flashbacks
Okay, all of this prep work and all of the practices were almost like a PCN...ALMOST! Whereas PCN's have mini-skits and some kind of dialogue, this was mainly a fashion show. In between the runway action, there were the folk dances, the hip hop and pop dances, a Martin Nivera sounding-piano-playing dude (he was hella dope, too!), some singing, and of course, the emcees with the corny ass jokes. Although everything worked out in the end, it would have made such a difference had everything started much, much earlier. One thing I'll always appreciate about PACE's PCN's is that everyone did their part, made arrangements with their schedules, helped make props, and basically made sacrifices and put hella effort into the show. Going through this process with PSA made me reminisce about my college days. *sigh* I'm getting old, dammit! I was just telling hubby that during one of the first PCN's that I helped out with the folk dancing, I remember how the curtain closed and while everyone was congratulating each other, hugging, kissing, doing high-fives, etc, there was Bonjun (who helped with dances and costumes) folding and putting costumes away. I totally remember that moment! And now, I am in HIS position....oh man... feeling old now... Overall, it was fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again next year...at least next year, I wouldn't have to worry about this Master's Program AND I wouldn't have to worry about the lack of men's pants, Pandanggo lights, and bandanas....
- Philippine Student Association, PSA, for their 10th Anniversary celebration! Last night was the much awaited annual fashion show- hella people turned up for the event and everyone had a great time, especially the people involved! Now I will be the first to admit that I was turned off and frustrated at the lack of time and organization that went into the planning, but like all things that be, it all worked out in the end. I have to give my shout-outs to my lil' folk dance crew for being so AWESOME! Just for the record, some of the people have never folk danced before and after about two months of Saturday afternoon practices, got their routine down! Since Pandanggo Sa Ilaw/Oasioas was the opening dance, my tummy was full of butterflies for them, but dayamn, they pulled it off! No one tripped, no one stumbled, no glasses slipped, and the guys were DOPE as they balanced the glasses on their foreheads! Okay, so ONE glass broke, but 'twas already inside the bandanas so they were lucky that they didn't have to experience the "if it falls and breaks, keep dancing!!! I don't care if you're bleeding, keep going- the show must go on!" The Bindian and Tinikling were cool, too, but I have to say that the Pandanggo set the tone for the rest of the night. Congrats for a great show- all of your hard work paid off..me so proud!
- MnM! Okay, so there was a bit of drama with costumes (or the lack thereof!) and yes, MnM had many a sleepless night on a sewing marathon! Nevermind that the last time I really sewed was in high school so 'twas a mixture of reacquainting myself with fabrics, threads, needles, and the machine itself. But it's all good...now I've got 5 men's pants, 20 bandanas, and 5 Igorot head pieces....all done from scratch, baby! Not to mention that I also made 5 flower head pieces, too! So yes, this shout-out goes to ME! =)
- Hubby! First of all, hubby bought me my own personal sewing machine! Okay, so some of ya'll might not be jumping up and down to receive such a gift, but I've been wanting one for some time to get back into sewing. So a big SALAMAT goes to hubby for that! Secondly, along with the lack of costumes came a lack of props as well. While I was busy sewing away, hubby was in charge of making the Pandanggo lights. Now this ain't an easy task- especially if you've never made one before! What we DO know is what a pain in the ass it was to make! Making it isn't such a big deal really...it's getting all the necessary materials, the RIGHT batteries, the RIGHT lamp bases, and the RIGHT bulbs. Aiya!!! We basically went to 3 different Radio Shacks and cleaned out their inventory supply! Not only that, but we had to find glasses, too! We basically went from Joann's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and finally everyone's favorite store, Target! 20 glasses, 20 battery thingy-majigs, and 1 patient hubby. Dayamn...big ups to Hubby for all his hard work, all the soddering of wires and connecting to batteries, and for being my personal chauffeur to and from practices...'tis much appreciated- love you baby!
- Chiweb and Puronoys! These two bands are really awesome! I mentioned this before, but I feel we have an "inside track" 'cuz we know both lead singers- whoo hoo! =) They were the opening show and when you hear 'em, you know that these guys have talent! I saw Ibalik and his crew doin' their lil' mosh pit thang while Chiwebs played...oh and yes, Ibalik, we caught your old skool dance moments during your set! Lol! Ibalik got his "wop" and "reebok" on- representing!!! Ya'll are awesome!
PCN Flashbacks
Okay, all of this prep work and all of the practices were almost like a PCN...ALMOST! Whereas PCN's have mini-skits and some kind of dialogue, this was mainly a fashion show. In between the runway action, there were the folk dances, the hip hop and pop dances, a Martin Nivera sounding-piano-playing dude (he was hella dope, too!), some singing, and of course, the emcees with the corny ass jokes. Although everything worked out in the end, it would have made such a difference had everything started much, much earlier. One thing I'll always appreciate about PACE's PCN's is that everyone did their part, made arrangements with their schedules, helped make props, and basically made sacrifices and put hella effort into the show. Going through this process with PSA made me reminisce about my college days. *sigh* I'm getting old, dammit! I was just telling hubby that during one of the first PCN's that I helped out with the folk dancing, I remember how the curtain closed and while everyone was congratulating each other, hugging, kissing, doing high-fives, etc, there was Bonjun (who helped with dances and costumes) folding and putting costumes away. I totally remember that moment! And now, I am in HIS position....oh man... feeling old now... Overall, it was fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again next year...at least next year, I wouldn't have to worry about this Master's Program AND I wouldn't have to worry about the lack of men's pants, Pandanggo lights, and bandanas....
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Philippine Day
On Sunday, the Cultural Society of Filipino Americans (CSFA) held the annual Philippine Day. It was held at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. For all you city people, think Civic Center in S.F, but on a smaller scale. It was like a mini-Fiesta Islands. Before we got there, hubby kept telling me to get it outta my mind that it would be anything close to a Filipino fiesta in da city. And he was right. Although I was a bit disappointed , it was alright! They had different organizations and groups tabling, lots of food, an authentic looking sari-sari store, and a stage for performances. This was definitely the most Pinoys/Pinays that I've seen since my trip from CA! Lol!
CSFA performed and had a fashion show- did really well. I was supposed to perform with them, but I didn't make the last practice. There were these two alternative/rock bands that were cool- Chiwebs and Puronoys. Kinda cool sidenote...we know both lead singers! Whoo hoo! Lead singer of Chiwebs happens to be the bass player of the praise band at church and Ibalik, fellow Cutting Edge-r, got his sangin' on with Puronoys. I think out of all the performances that day, they were the best out of the lineup. Pictures to come soon.
Rondalla Filipina has got a new member.....hubby! The father-son pastor at our church have been involved in a rondalla group and damn, are they good! Hubby expressed interest in joining and had his debut performance at Philippine Day! Okay, so he didn't have a barong tagalog....and he only practiced the night before...they were bomb! Now for a rondalla group, one person alone sounds good, but when you put all the instruments together, it really makes for that authentic folk dance sound! Hubby amazes me in so many ways with his musical talent- although he'll be the first to say that he doesn't play well at all. So humble! I'm lookin' forward to seeing his growth in this rondalla group and I know he is, too.
Back to da Bay- Part 2
Since my lil' cuz's cotillion wasn't until the evening, I took the first chance I had to head to the beach. When I woke up, there wasn't a cloud in the sky! I headed to Noah's bagels to get my usual: a toasted chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese. Baskin Robbins was just opening and hell, ya'll know how badly I was feening for a Mocha Blast (without the cinnamon!). With bagel and mocha blast in hand, I drove to Ocean Beach. At 9:30ish in the morning, there was already a small crowd. I ate in my car while I people watched-surfers and body boarders battling the waves, runners and joggers with dogs in tow, couples young and old walking hand in hand... After that yum breakfast, I sat on the wall taking in the sun and the view, seeing peoples scantily dressed, kites flying high, kids playing tag with the waves and honestly, I was almost moved to tears! It was just beautiful and it was just so good to be back.
I head back to my car to escape the potential sunburn (yes, sunburn!) and I jot down the words that come like crazy into my head. By this time, I'm fricken burning up that I'm actually using a/c in the car! I'm about to head home to do some work, when Ms. Penny calls to meet up for lunch. Yay! We end up meeting at El Burrito, but because of the crowds, end up bringing the food back to my parents' house. We had so much catching up to do and it was exciting to hear about plans for her upcoming wedding to Mr. Stud Muffin.
The cotillion itself was a nice, grande affair. I forget exactly how much goes into one of these things! I know that it follows in the tradition of a "coming-out-into-society" deals, but dayamn, it's like a wedding! Although I was in one and attended many during my senior year of high school, I never wanted one for myself. But my lil' cuz's cotillion turned out really nice. She looked beautiful in her gown, the choreography of the waltz and cha-cha were fun, and the chance to dress up and hang out with family was nice. I was part of the candle and rose ceremony. Basically as a candle sponsor, I had to say a lil' speech about her. It was very appropo because as I was telling her what a beautiful person she was inside and out, the background music was Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." Talk about timing! Makes me realize how old I'm getting, considering that I remember when this chick was born 18 years before! What a journey it has been to have seen her grow up and lookit her now....*sigh*.
On Sunday, the Cultural Society of Filipino Americans (CSFA) held the annual Philippine Day. It was held at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. For all you city people, think Civic Center in S.F, but on a smaller scale. It was like a mini-Fiesta Islands. Before we got there, hubby kept telling me to get it outta my mind that it would be anything close to a Filipino fiesta in da city. And he was right. Although I was a bit disappointed , it was alright! They had different organizations and groups tabling, lots of food, an authentic looking sari-sari store, and a stage for performances. This was definitely the most Pinoys/Pinays that I've seen since my trip from CA! Lol!
CSFA performed and had a fashion show- did really well. I was supposed to perform with them, but I didn't make the last practice. There were these two alternative/rock bands that were cool- Chiwebs and Puronoys. Kinda cool sidenote...we know both lead singers! Whoo hoo! Lead singer of Chiwebs happens to be the bass player of the praise band at church and Ibalik, fellow Cutting Edge-r, got his sangin' on with Puronoys. I think out of all the performances that day, they were the best out of the lineup. Pictures to come soon.
Rondalla Filipina has got a new member.....hubby! The father-son pastor at our church have been involved in a rondalla group and damn, are they good! Hubby expressed interest in joining and had his debut performance at Philippine Day! Okay, so he didn't have a barong tagalog....and he only practiced the night before...they were bomb! Now for a rondalla group, one person alone sounds good, but when you put all the instruments together, it really makes for that authentic folk dance sound! Hubby amazes me in so many ways with his musical talent- although he'll be the first to say that he doesn't play well at all. So humble! I'm lookin' forward to seeing his growth in this rondalla group and I know he is, too.
Back to da Bay- Part 2
Since my lil' cuz's cotillion wasn't until the evening, I took the first chance I had to head to the beach. When I woke up, there wasn't a cloud in the sky! I headed to Noah's bagels to get my usual: a toasted chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese. Baskin Robbins was just opening and hell, ya'll know how badly I was feening for a Mocha Blast (without the cinnamon!). With bagel and mocha blast in hand, I drove to Ocean Beach. At 9:30ish in the morning, there was already a small crowd. I ate in my car while I people watched-surfers and body boarders battling the waves, runners and joggers with dogs in tow, couples young and old walking hand in hand... After that yum breakfast, I sat on the wall taking in the sun and the view, seeing peoples scantily dressed, kites flying high, kids playing tag with the waves and honestly, I was almost moved to tears! It was just beautiful and it was just so good to be back.
I head back to my car to escape the potential sunburn (yes, sunburn!) and I jot down the words that come like crazy into my head. By this time, I'm fricken burning up that I'm actually using a/c in the car! I'm about to head home to do some work, when Ms. Penny calls to meet up for lunch. Yay! We end up meeting at El Burrito, but because of the crowds, end up bringing the food back to my parents' house. We had so much catching up to do and it was exciting to hear about plans for her upcoming wedding to Mr. Stud Muffin.
The cotillion itself was a nice, grande affair. I forget exactly how much goes into one of these things! I know that it follows in the tradition of a "coming-out-into-society" deals, but dayamn, it's like a wedding! Although I was in one and attended many during my senior year of high school, I never wanted one for myself. But my lil' cuz's cotillion turned out really nice. She looked beautiful in her gown, the choreography of the waltz and cha-cha were fun, and the chance to dress up and hang out with family was nice. I was part of the candle and rose ceremony. Basically as a candle sponsor, I had to say a lil' speech about her. It was very appropo because as I was telling her what a beautiful person she was inside and out, the background music was Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." Talk about timing! Makes me realize how old I'm getting, considering that I remember when this chick was born 18 years before! What a journey it has been to have seen her grow up and lookit her now....*sigh*.
Saturday, March 20, 2004
Long Time No See!!!
Hello blog world...long time no see!!! Gosh, it's been more than a week since my trip to sunny California and there's so much to share! Honestly, my time schedule was so tight that I rarely had time to go online and needless to say, I couldn't even spare any time to do my schoolwork. 'Tis so bad, ain't it? Let's just say that it's a good thing that my grade was at a 98% for the last 4 weeks, that one week will just have to be my one bad one. Oh well. I don't regret my time away at all! C'mon people- 'twas a nice, almost uncomfortable, but not yet stifling 85 degrees in da city! When you've been hibernating as I have been for the past how many months since October (yes, October!) because of the snow and below zero temps, it's a pleasant surprise and yes, a major shock to my system! Lol! It's all good. CA was just what I needed to reenergize my spirits!
Back in da Bay- Part One
I arrived in da city on hubby's 34th birthday. I actually missed him by about 5 hours! My actual flying day wasn't so bad. I had a layover in Chicago before continuing on to da city. Since there was a delay in Minneapolis, I arrived in Chicago about 20 minutes before my flight and much to my disappointment, didn't have time to grab a bite to eat. Considering that I had an early morning flight out, I've been up and about since 6am with nothing in my tummy. And did you know that many of these airlines no longer feed you??? They say they have a "limited supply" of meals that you can purchase for $5 and all they give you is a drink and a packet of trail mix. First of all, $5?! For what...a turkey wrap, a sandwich, or a caesar salad. Not worth it. I arrived in da city about 5pm. My mom and pops picked me up from the airport and honestly, I had to complain about the heat. It was probably in the high 60's, low 70's, but good Lord! I left MN at 11 degrees!
From the airport, we didn't go straight home (and at this point, I still haven't had anything to eat!). We had to pick up my car at the garage where it was being maintenanced. My baby, my car! Bad news....the old alarm that I have probably drained out the battery and when it was jumped, it wasn't done correctly. Good news....it's a-ok and will be shipped by next week. That means I'll finally have my car! Whoo hoo!
After a quick din-din, I head to the hotel where my cousin is having a rehearsal for the next day's cotillion. I just have to share this lil' tidbit. I poke my head into the ballroom, not knowing if it's the right one or not, when all of a sudden, I hear "NINANG!" and these two little (not so little!) rugrat niece and nephew of mine run up to hug me. Man, I SO miss these kids! Even though I last saw them at Christmas time, Sabrina stands up to my boobs (sorry, just needed a reference!) and Nico is potty trained and madaldal as ever! You can actually have a conversation with Nico and he'll respond with such animation on his face- too adorable! The rest of the night was spent watching these high school friends of my cousin get their waltz and cha-cha on and the whole time, my sis and I are sitting there feeling old. Really old.
Playing Catch-up
I flew back to MN on Wednesday night. I was so pooped! During my entire time in CA, I probably only slept a total of 24 hours, if even that. On the flight home, I couldn't really get comfy and I was just looking forward to a good night's rest on my bed next to hubby. Hubby met me at the airport with some beautiful white tulips- how sweet! After a bomb dinner, I thought I'd crash, but I willed myself to do some homework (which btw: I was at about 250 unread posts...not a good thang...) Turns out, after about an hour, I gave in.
Thursday morning- hubby and I were busy running around doing errands. PSA crew would be coming by at night to practice for their upcoming show...next week. Aiya. Since we don't have all the costumes and props, I took it upon myself to sew and hubby has taken on the job of making the Pandanggo lights. Not an easy task, I tell you. Y'know, if all the prep work started way earlier, say in October or November, we wouldn't be stuck doing all this last minute crap. I don't mind doing this, on the real, but the timing couldn't be worse. Not only do we have to get all the lights and all the electronical wires, we had to get glasses, batteries, fabric, thread, velcro, and hell- hubby even bought me a sewing machine! Now I know I said that I don't mind doing this. It's all for a good cause and I'm down to school some peoples with our Philippine culture through dance...BUT, with me being behind in my schoolwork and me seriously thinking that this should've been done earlier, I'm now faced with all this unnecessary stress. Plus, we ain't asking to be reimbursed for anything either! It's cool that after this show, I will have my personal collection of Pandanggo Sa Ilaw lights, candles, bandanas, and men's pants, BUT... I wasn't planning on putting money into this just yet. They're definitely something I'm going to keep, but 'twasn't in our budget for right now. An inside joke between hubby and me: we'll be poor and broke, but hey, we've got Pandanggo lights!
By the time we finish up our errands, there's only time to clean up house. I still haven't done my homework (which is still at 250 posts and rising!). Kids come over, we practice, we eat, and everyone hangs out. It was cool- hubby and I rarely have visitors over so it was nice to have people in our place, BUT... hahah, gosh, does this sound like a venting session or what?! Well, I still haven't had a good night's sleep, I had HELLA homework to catch up on and a lesson plan due that night, and hubby had work to do, too. Had it been a weekend, hell, they could've stayed all night! But it wasn't. I honestly wasn't planning for them to stay that long, but man, I was so tired! Maybe it's just my age catching up with me...shiet. After they left, I was exhausted and crashed. Didn't do my homework. Didn't finish cleaning. Didn't do jack. I'm so screwed.
Friday- surprisingly woke up at 9:30am and started doing schoolwork. Didn't leave my computer, except for bathroom breaks, until 4:30pm. That's 7 straight fricken hours!!! My eyes were strained from trying to speed read through almost 300 unread posts, my fingers tired from typing nonstop, my neck and back all stiff, and I wouldn't be surprised if I developed carpal tunnel. Good news...I got down to 10 posts before I passed out. Literally. I think it's safe to say that I finally caught up. Never again do I want to do that. Ever.
Hello blog world...long time no see!!! Gosh, it's been more than a week since my trip to sunny California and there's so much to share! Honestly, my time schedule was so tight that I rarely had time to go online and needless to say, I couldn't even spare any time to do my schoolwork. 'Tis so bad, ain't it? Let's just say that it's a good thing that my grade was at a 98% for the last 4 weeks, that one week will just have to be my one bad one. Oh well. I don't regret my time away at all! C'mon people- 'twas a nice, almost uncomfortable, but not yet stifling 85 degrees in da city! When you've been hibernating as I have been for the past how many months since October (yes, October!) because of the snow and below zero temps, it's a pleasant surprise and yes, a major shock to my system! Lol! It's all good. CA was just what I needed to reenergize my spirits!
Back in da Bay- Part One
I arrived in da city on hubby's 34th birthday. I actually missed him by about 5 hours! My actual flying day wasn't so bad. I had a layover in Chicago before continuing on to da city. Since there was a delay in Minneapolis, I arrived in Chicago about 20 minutes before my flight and much to my disappointment, didn't have time to grab a bite to eat. Considering that I had an early morning flight out, I've been up and about since 6am with nothing in my tummy. And did you know that many of these airlines no longer feed you??? They say they have a "limited supply" of meals that you can purchase for $5 and all they give you is a drink and a packet of trail mix. First of all, $5?! For what...a turkey wrap, a sandwich, or a caesar salad. Not worth it. I arrived in da city about 5pm. My mom and pops picked me up from the airport and honestly, I had to complain about the heat. It was probably in the high 60's, low 70's, but good Lord! I left MN at 11 degrees!
From the airport, we didn't go straight home (and at this point, I still haven't had anything to eat!). We had to pick up my car at the garage where it was being maintenanced. My baby, my car! Bad news....the old alarm that I have probably drained out the battery and when it was jumped, it wasn't done correctly. Good news....it's a-ok and will be shipped by next week. That means I'll finally have my car! Whoo hoo!
After a quick din-din, I head to the hotel where my cousin is having a rehearsal for the next day's cotillion. I just have to share this lil' tidbit. I poke my head into the ballroom, not knowing if it's the right one or not, when all of a sudden, I hear "NINANG!" and these two little (not so little!) rugrat niece and nephew of mine run up to hug me. Man, I SO miss these kids! Even though I last saw them at Christmas time, Sabrina stands up to my boobs (sorry, just needed a reference!) and Nico is potty trained and madaldal as ever! You can actually have a conversation with Nico and he'll respond with such animation on his face- too adorable! The rest of the night was spent watching these high school friends of my cousin get their waltz and cha-cha on and the whole time, my sis and I are sitting there feeling old. Really old.
Playing Catch-up
I flew back to MN on Wednesday night. I was so pooped! During my entire time in CA, I probably only slept a total of 24 hours, if even that. On the flight home, I couldn't really get comfy and I was just looking forward to a good night's rest on my bed next to hubby. Hubby met me at the airport with some beautiful white tulips- how sweet! After a bomb dinner, I thought I'd crash, but I willed myself to do some homework (which btw: I was at about 250 unread posts...not a good thang...) Turns out, after about an hour, I gave in.
Thursday morning- hubby and I were busy running around doing errands. PSA crew would be coming by at night to practice for their upcoming show...next week. Aiya. Since we don't have all the costumes and props, I took it upon myself to sew and hubby has taken on the job of making the Pandanggo lights. Not an easy task, I tell you. Y'know, if all the prep work started way earlier, say in October or November, we wouldn't be stuck doing all this last minute crap. I don't mind doing this, on the real, but the timing couldn't be worse. Not only do we have to get all the lights and all the electronical wires, we had to get glasses, batteries, fabric, thread, velcro, and hell- hubby even bought me a sewing machine! Now I know I said that I don't mind doing this. It's all for a good cause and I'm down to school some peoples with our Philippine culture through dance...BUT, with me being behind in my schoolwork and me seriously thinking that this should've been done earlier, I'm now faced with all this unnecessary stress. Plus, we ain't asking to be reimbursed for anything either! It's cool that after this show, I will have my personal collection of Pandanggo Sa Ilaw lights, candles, bandanas, and men's pants, BUT... I wasn't planning on putting money into this just yet. They're definitely something I'm going to keep, but 'twasn't in our budget for right now. An inside joke between hubby and me: we'll be poor and broke, but hey, we've got Pandanggo lights!
By the time we finish up our errands, there's only time to clean up house. I still haven't done my homework (which is still at 250 posts and rising!). Kids come over, we practice, we eat, and everyone hangs out. It was cool- hubby and I rarely have visitors over so it was nice to have people in our place, BUT... hahah, gosh, does this sound like a venting session or what?! Well, I still haven't had a good night's sleep, I had HELLA homework to catch up on and a lesson plan due that night, and hubby had work to do, too. Had it been a weekend, hell, they could've stayed all night! But it wasn't. I honestly wasn't planning for them to stay that long, but man, I was so tired! Maybe it's just my age catching up with me...shiet. After they left, I was exhausted and crashed. Didn't do my homework. Didn't finish cleaning. Didn't do jack. I'm so screwed.
Friday- surprisingly woke up at 9:30am and started doing schoolwork. Didn't leave my computer, except for bathroom breaks, until 4:30pm. That's 7 straight fricken hours!!! My eyes were strained from trying to speed read through almost 300 unread posts, my fingers tired from typing nonstop, my neck and back all stiff, and I wouldn't be surprised if I developed carpal tunnel. Good news...I got down to 10 posts before I passed out. Literally. I think it's safe to say that I finally caught up. Never again do I want to do that. Ever.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Busy, Busy, Busy!
I've got a lesson plan on phonics due today, a Family Literacy plan due tomorrow, discussion questions due on Saturday, a group project due on Sunday AND Monday, I've still got to finish packing, clean house, run some last minute errands, and manage to get myself out of bed at fricken 6:30ish or 7am tomorrow in order to catch my flight to da city. I'm a tad bit stressed considering that I'm half awake as I write this. Yah, so what if it's 10:30am...I just closed my eyes but five hours ago. Don't ask. Screwed up schedule. There seriously isn't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I have to do!
Other Thoughts
Recently bought Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts. Loved it. It takes place in the 1950's at the all women's college, Wellsley. It follows the lives of all these different gals and the choices they make. 'Course this was the time where the woman's place was in the home and her sole responsibility was to have kids, cook, clean, and "be a good wife." Hmmm...it was hard to watch some of these characters "settling" for that kind of life when they really could've gone to become much more. But see, that's the "liberal" way of thinking...the "subversive," as they called it in the movie. Then here comes Californian Julia Roberts "ruffling everyone's feathers." She challenges these women to think for themselves and being that this was set in the 50's, that was a huge thing. Ah yes, another movie about the choices that women make. Major theme in my life lately, eh? If and when you see this, stick around for the credits. They've got all these old skool ads from the 50's and a really cool featurette comparing then and now. Quick example, back in the 50's, only 40% of women went after graduation to get a full-time job. Today, it's 95%! Whoo hoo- go women! This chick flick is a thinking, make you feel good kinda movie. AND, it makes the teaching profession definitely challenging, but worth it all in the end.
Hubby has been gone this entire week for training. While he's trying to catch his breath and deal with the change of altitude, he missed a mild snowstorm here in MN. And goodness gracious me, it has been windy! All throughout the night, er, morning, the windows were rattling in that freakish, creepy kinda way. Does it help to see that commercial of the new Johnny Depp movie or that damned Dawn of the Dead? Nope. Plus, the other day, I was curious to watch the premiere series of "Mad, Mad House." Is that the correct title? This is, surprise surprise, another reality show. This is more like a Real World type of show, 'cept that you get these "normal" people trying to live with these "freaks." Freaks, as in a witch, a vampire, a voodoo priestess, a naturalist, and a primitive dude. Now, it can very well be that they're highly paid actors, but vampire dude....um, too freaky for me. Definitely not something that I want to be dreaming about! 'Course that didn't help in putting me to sleep. I refused to watch Insomniac Theater or After Hours, so I watched the early morning news on CNN. Have you heard of that blast in Madrid yet? Some terrorist group decided to bomb these commuter railway cars in the middle of rush hour this morning. Fricken sucks. Sometimes I can't believe all the bad sh*t that happens in our world.
I don't have a straight flight into da city tomorrow. Boo. Lucky me gets to spend about 2 hours in Chicago...is there time to see Oprah??? Can't say that I've been to the windy city before, but here's my chance to get a magnet to prove it.
Incredibly excited to be going home. I was just talking to my sis last night and it really got me missing my godkids. From what I hear, it's shorts weather! Um, gosh, this body of mine ain't ready to see the sun just yet. Can I just say that I've got the whitest legs?! Lol! Yes, I'm in definite need of some sun...note to self: must hit the beach. As for my beloved Honda update, it has now been towed. Hope the car doctor gets 'er up and running by this weekend.
Tomorrow is hubby's birthday! Whoo hoo! The major thing that sucks is that I won't even get to see him until next week. As it turns out, I leave tomorrow morning and he comes back in the evening. We miss each other by about 10 hours! 'Tis a sacrifice this time, but hopefully we won't be separated on special days like this. Miss you much, baby...
I've got a lesson plan on phonics due today, a Family Literacy plan due tomorrow, discussion questions due on Saturday, a group project due on Sunday AND Monday, I've still got to finish packing, clean house, run some last minute errands, and manage to get myself out of bed at fricken 6:30ish or 7am tomorrow in order to catch my flight to da city. I'm a tad bit stressed considering that I'm half awake as I write this. Yah, so what if it's 10:30am...I just closed my eyes but five hours ago. Don't ask. Screwed up schedule. There seriously isn't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I have to do!
Other Thoughts
Recently bought Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts. Loved it. It takes place in the 1950's at the all women's college, Wellsley. It follows the lives of all these different gals and the choices they make. 'Course this was the time where the woman's place was in the home and her sole responsibility was to have kids, cook, clean, and "be a good wife." Hmmm...it was hard to watch some of these characters "settling" for that kind of life when they really could've gone to become much more. But see, that's the "liberal" way of thinking...the "subversive," as they called it in the movie. Then here comes Californian Julia Roberts "ruffling everyone's feathers." She challenges these women to think for themselves and being that this was set in the 50's, that was a huge thing. Ah yes, another movie about the choices that women make. Major theme in my life lately, eh? If and when you see this, stick around for the credits. They've got all these old skool ads from the 50's and a really cool featurette comparing then and now. Quick example, back in the 50's, only 40% of women went after graduation to get a full-time job. Today, it's 95%! Whoo hoo- go women! This chick flick is a thinking, make you feel good kinda movie. AND, it makes the teaching profession definitely challenging, but worth it all in the end.
Hubby has been gone this entire week for training. While he's trying to catch his breath and deal with the change of altitude, he missed a mild snowstorm here in MN. And goodness gracious me, it has been windy! All throughout the night, er, morning, the windows were rattling in that freakish, creepy kinda way. Does it help to see that commercial of the new Johnny Depp movie or that damned Dawn of the Dead? Nope. Plus, the other day, I was curious to watch the premiere series of "Mad, Mad House." Is that the correct title? This is, surprise surprise, another reality show. This is more like a Real World type of show, 'cept that you get these "normal" people trying to live with these "freaks." Freaks, as in a witch, a vampire, a voodoo priestess, a naturalist, and a primitive dude. Now, it can very well be that they're highly paid actors, but vampire dude....um, too freaky for me. Definitely not something that I want to be dreaming about! 'Course that didn't help in putting me to sleep. I refused to watch Insomniac Theater or After Hours, so I watched the early morning news on CNN. Have you heard of that blast in Madrid yet? Some terrorist group decided to bomb these commuter railway cars in the middle of rush hour this morning. Fricken sucks. Sometimes I can't believe all the bad sh*t that happens in our world.
I don't have a straight flight into da city tomorrow. Boo. Lucky me gets to spend about 2 hours in Chicago...is there time to see Oprah??? Can't say that I've been to the windy city before, but here's my chance to get a magnet to prove it.
Incredibly excited to be going home. I was just talking to my sis last night and it really got me missing my godkids. From what I hear, it's shorts weather! Um, gosh, this body of mine ain't ready to see the sun just yet. Can I just say that I've got the whitest legs?! Lol! Yes, I'm in definite need of some sun...note to self: must hit the beach. As for my beloved Honda update, it has now been towed. Hope the car doctor gets 'er up and running by this weekend.
Tomorrow is hubby's birthday! Whoo hoo! The major thing that sucks is that I won't even get to see him until next week. As it turns out, I leave tomorrow morning and he comes back in the evening. We miss each other by about 10 hours! 'Tis a sacrifice this time, but hopefully we won't be separated on special days like this. Miss you much, baby...
Monday, March 08, 2004
Excuse Me?!
Yesterday, hubby and I went to Applebee's for lunch. Since he was about to leave for his training class, we didn't feel like cooking before his flight. As always, we ordered mozzarella sticks for our appetizer-yum! We passed the time by watching a basketball ball game on TV and continued to make some comments about lil' things we hear here and there from unsuspecting patrons. Not that we're eavesdropping on anyone's conversation...hey, it's not my fault that these people talk so fricken loud! Anyways, our food comes and the waiter guy turns to me and says, "You must be having the Oriental salad." In a second that disappeared as quickly as it came, I thought, "Any WHY must I be having this Oriental salad?! Is it because you're calling me an "Oriental?!" But before any words of regret and anger could pass my lips, waiter guy saves himself by saying, "This dish is so popular with the ladies." Yah, uh huh. So what, just 'cuz I'm a lady, it wouldn't be possible for me to have ordered the steak and shrimp combo that hubby had? Well, I don't think I would've ordered that anyways, but still! After waiter guy left, hubby and I had a good laugh about that 'cuz he said that he had thought about the same exact thing! I guess I'm very much in that PC-mode where I just don't think we should be calling anyone of Asian descent "Oriental." You can have an oriental rug or take a vacation to the Orient, but you just don't call anyone "Oriental" anymore. It's like calling Native Americans "Indians." 'Tisn't PC to do so.
MOA...again...
I already mentioned my lil' cuz, Natassia, who just celebrated her 18th birthday. Her cotillion is this Saturday and I'm excited to be flying home for a few days. Hubby and I had braved MOA again to find me a dress, but as my luck would have it, I never seem to find anything when I need it the most. It's always like that. When I'm not shopping for anything in particular, all of these clothes start shouting, "Buy me! Buy me!" Plus, I just don't have that shopper's patience and determination to go through every single thing on the rack. I was actually wishing my mom was here 'cuz she has a knack for finding nice buys. In any case, we did find this huge dress shirt sale for hubby at ExpressMen! Since HIS birthday is quickly approaching, we decided to splurge a bit. (haha, 'tis a good thang hubby worked hella OT hours!) Since I felt "left out" at not buying anything for me (what a brat!), we headed to Macy's 'cuz Clinique was having one of those promotional sales where you buy something for $19.50 + and you get a free gift. My sis and I are notorious for getting those free gifts! Lol! This latest one is really cute....it's lavander-purplish makeup bag and it's smaller compared to the past ones. Not to mention all the free products you get with the bag! While I was doin' that, hubby was browsing around the cologne section. I seriously cannot stand any perfume, cologne areas of the mall 'cuz they get me sneezing. But hubby found a new scent, Albert Sung's Paradise, and bought that, too. What was supposed to be a shopping trip for me turned out to be a birthday spree for hubby- it's all good!
Goin' Back to Cali
For a true Californian like myself, I actually HATE it when people refer to CA as "Cali." Sure, everyone loved it when LL sang it, but honestly, it's just like San Francisco...don't call it "Frisco." In any case, I'm excited to be seeing my family again, even if for a few days. According to my mom, the weather has been in the 70's since last week-wow! I think I've forgotten what hot feels like! I was just telling my mom today that I watched the forecast for MN just last night and it said it'd start warming up. After that freak snowstorm the other day, that's definitely good news to hear. But, as I woke up this morning, everything was white once again. Damn those meteorologists....they lied.
Mom was also bearer of bad news regarding my car. Ya'll remember the last time I went back? I was so pumped to see and drive my car only to find that the battery was dead? Well, something apparently is wrong with it again! Is this a sign of some sort? Is my Honda upset that I've been away too long and this is her (yes, it's a girl Honda...) way of getting back at me? My dad is going to try to fix 'er up before I arrive, God bless him, and if things go smoothly, I may have my beloved with me in MN by next month. *crossing my fingers*
I'm looking forward to seeing my family, my godkids, my car, the beach...and yes, in that order. Plans are also in the making of meeting up with some friends as well. I will definitely try to mess up Firemarshall J and get him to eat rice (insert evil laugh here) and I'm excited to finally meet his Pualena, RhoRho. I'm hoping to have an E Komo Mai luncheon fest with Ms. Penny and another lunch with Mr. Outback manager bud, Josemryosp. There's really so much I'd like to do, but of course, I'm going to be spending time with my family, too. It seems like the routine is that I get to see them about every 3-4 months. It works out 'cuz it's we don't get to miss each other TOO much. Because of my tight schedule, I probably won't even have time to pass by my old school to say hello to the kiddies, but we'll see. In any case, it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to it. I don't have to bring my snowshoes?! Dope!
Birthday Shout-Outs
March is definitely a birthday filled month! First off, just wanted to wish Ms. Penny a wonderful 29th birthday. We have this ongoing joke about how we're the same age for about a few weeks. Ms. Penny and Mr. Stud Muffin are in the middle of planning their upcoming wedding this November and I gotta say, it's all very exciting! I'm more than happy, more than thrilled that these two are finally tying the knot. Needless to say, I'm going to be needing lots of tissue on that day...like no one ever saw that coming! Lol! Happy 29th Birthday, Ms. Penny! (time for oingo-boingo now!!!)
The DeJesus fam celebrated two birthdays this week-Pare and panganay, Charley. My lil' bro's lady Sharmila celebrated her 26th, too. Plus, had two relatives on my mom's side celebrated a 30th and a 44th birthday...much love! Also wanted to send anniversary wishes to old friend of mine, Eddie and his wife, Teresa. Happy 7th wedding anniversary! Love and God bless always.
Yesterday, hubby and I went to Applebee's for lunch. Since he was about to leave for his training class, we didn't feel like cooking before his flight. As always, we ordered mozzarella sticks for our appetizer-yum! We passed the time by watching a basketball ball game on TV and continued to make some comments about lil' things we hear here and there from unsuspecting patrons. Not that we're eavesdropping on anyone's conversation...hey, it's not my fault that these people talk so fricken loud! Anyways, our food comes and the waiter guy turns to me and says, "You must be having the Oriental salad." In a second that disappeared as quickly as it came, I thought, "Any WHY must I be having this Oriental salad?! Is it because you're calling me an "Oriental?!" But before any words of regret and anger could pass my lips, waiter guy saves himself by saying, "This dish is so popular with the ladies." Yah, uh huh. So what, just 'cuz I'm a lady, it wouldn't be possible for me to have ordered the steak and shrimp combo that hubby had? Well, I don't think I would've ordered that anyways, but still! After waiter guy left, hubby and I had a good laugh about that 'cuz he said that he had thought about the same exact thing! I guess I'm very much in that PC-mode where I just don't think we should be calling anyone of Asian descent "Oriental." You can have an oriental rug or take a vacation to the Orient, but you just don't call anyone "Oriental" anymore. It's like calling Native Americans "Indians." 'Tisn't PC to do so.
MOA...again...
I already mentioned my lil' cuz, Natassia, who just celebrated her 18th birthday. Her cotillion is this Saturday and I'm excited to be flying home for a few days. Hubby and I had braved MOA again to find me a dress, but as my luck would have it, I never seem to find anything when I need it the most. It's always like that. When I'm not shopping for anything in particular, all of these clothes start shouting, "Buy me! Buy me!" Plus, I just don't have that shopper's patience and determination to go through every single thing on the rack. I was actually wishing my mom was here 'cuz she has a knack for finding nice buys. In any case, we did find this huge dress shirt sale for hubby at ExpressMen! Since HIS birthday is quickly approaching, we decided to splurge a bit. (haha, 'tis a good thang hubby worked hella OT hours!) Since I felt "left out" at not buying anything for me (what a brat!), we headed to Macy's 'cuz Clinique was having one of those promotional sales where you buy something for $19.50 + and you get a free gift. My sis and I are notorious for getting those free gifts! Lol! This latest one is really cute....it's lavander-purplish makeup bag and it's smaller compared to the past ones. Not to mention all the free products you get with the bag! While I was doin' that, hubby was browsing around the cologne section. I seriously cannot stand any perfume, cologne areas of the mall 'cuz they get me sneezing. But hubby found a new scent, Albert Sung's Paradise, and bought that, too. What was supposed to be a shopping trip for me turned out to be a birthday spree for hubby- it's all good!
Goin' Back to Cali
For a true Californian like myself, I actually HATE it when people refer to CA as "Cali." Sure, everyone loved it when LL sang it, but honestly, it's just like San Francisco...don't call it "Frisco." In any case, I'm excited to be seeing my family again, even if for a few days. According to my mom, the weather has been in the 70's since last week-wow! I think I've forgotten what hot feels like! I was just telling my mom today that I watched the forecast for MN just last night and it said it'd start warming up. After that freak snowstorm the other day, that's definitely good news to hear. But, as I woke up this morning, everything was white once again. Damn those meteorologists....they lied.
Mom was also bearer of bad news regarding my car. Ya'll remember the last time I went back? I was so pumped to see and drive my car only to find that the battery was dead? Well, something apparently is wrong with it again! Is this a sign of some sort? Is my Honda upset that I've been away too long and this is her (yes, it's a girl Honda...) way of getting back at me? My dad is going to try to fix 'er up before I arrive, God bless him, and if things go smoothly, I may have my beloved with me in MN by next month. *crossing my fingers*
I'm looking forward to seeing my family, my godkids, my car, the beach...and yes, in that order. Plans are also in the making of meeting up with some friends as well. I will definitely try to mess up Firemarshall J and get him to eat rice (insert evil laugh here) and I'm excited to finally meet his Pualena, RhoRho. I'm hoping to have an E Komo Mai luncheon fest with Ms. Penny and another lunch with Mr. Outback manager bud, Josemryosp. There's really so much I'd like to do, but of course, I'm going to be spending time with my family, too. It seems like the routine is that I get to see them about every 3-4 months. It works out 'cuz it's we don't get to miss each other TOO much. Because of my tight schedule, I probably won't even have time to pass by my old school to say hello to the kiddies, but we'll see. In any case, it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to it. I don't have to bring my snowshoes?! Dope!
Birthday Shout-Outs
March is definitely a birthday filled month! First off, just wanted to wish Ms. Penny a wonderful 29th birthday. We have this ongoing joke about how we're the same age for about a few weeks. Ms. Penny and Mr. Stud Muffin are in the middle of planning their upcoming wedding this November and I gotta say, it's all very exciting! I'm more than happy, more than thrilled that these two are finally tying the knot. Needless to say, I'm going to be needing lots of tissue on that day...like no one ever saw that coming! Lol! Happy 29th Birthday, Ms. Penny! (time for oingo-boingo now!!!)
The DeJesus fam celebrated two birthdays this week-Pare and panganay, Charley. My lil' bro's lady Sharmila celebrated her 26th, too. Plus, had two relatives on my mom's side celebrated a 30th and a 44th birthday...much love! Also wanted to send anniversary wishes to old friend of mine, Eddie and his wife, Teresa. Happy 7th wedding anniversary! Love and God bless always.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Winter Storm Warning In Effect Until Noon...
*taken from weatherbug
"Expect a slow commute this morning. Heavy wet snow will continue to accumulate at rates of around an inch an hour through mid morning in south central into east central Minnesota. Heavy snow could linger into the early afternoon in western Wisconsin. Thundersnow will be possible early this morning from the Albert Lea area to Red Wing then toward Durand and Eau Claire. Snow could briefly fall at rates of 2 Inches an hour in these areas. Visibility will drop to around a half mile in the heavier bands of snow.
Total snow accumulations are forecast to range from 5 To 8 Inches.
Slushy... Wet... Slippery snow will greet morning commuters. Drivers are strongly urged to allow extra time and care if traveling. Northeast winds gusting to 35 mph will contribute to low visibility in falling snow."
**Can someone please tell me what "thundersnow" is???
If ya'll want to imagine how heavy the snow was at around 1:30am this morning, think New Year's Eve after the ball drops in Times Square in New York...y'know the thickness of all that floating confetti??? That was last night. Yes, 'twas like a New Year's celebration New York style...
*taken from weatherbug
"Expect a slow commute this morning. Heavy wet snow will continue to accumulate at rates of around an inch an hour through mid morning in south central into east central Minnesota. Heavy snow could linger into the early afternoon in western Wisconsin. Thundersnow will be possible early this morning from the Albert Lea area to Red Wing then toward Durand and Eau Claire. Snow could briefly fall at rates of 2 Inches an hour in these areas. Visibility will drop to around a half mile in the heavier bands of snow.
Total snow accumulations are forecast to range from 5 To 8 Inches.
Slushy... Wet... Slippery snow will greet morning commuters. Drivers are strongly urged to allow extra time and care if traveling. Northeast winds gusting to 35 mph will contribute to low visibility in falling snow."
**Can someone please tell me what "thundersnow" is???
If ya'll want to imagine how heavy the snow was at around 1:30am this morning, think New Year's Eve after the ball drops in Times Square in New York...y'know the thickness of all that floating confetti??? That was last night. Yes, 'twas like a New Year's celebration New York style...
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
One Last Hurrah
Quick weather update. I know, I know. Everytime I give MnM's forecast, it's always full of bitching and complaining about the snow and negative temps. But honestly, for the past week or two, it's been warm. Warm means that the temps have been in the high 30's and low 40's consistently! Yes, this is WARM! So the sun has been shining...nice. I actually sit in front of our balcony windows to warm myself up. With these warm temps being a pleasant surprise, much of the snow has been melting- YAY! Yay 'cuz to me that is a sure sign that winter is ending, but NAY 'cuz now everything outside is slushy, wet, muddy, and the air has a stale smell to it. Needless to say, all of them fools are no longer on the frozen lakes 'cuz hellloooooo, it's not cold anymore. Sun=melting ice. You'd think, right? Wrong! Just last night in the news, there was a fatality somewhere 'cuz someone was dumb enough to ride their snowmobile out onto a lake. Now as sorry as I am for that tragedy, dammit people, it's fricken common sense! As we drive along the freeway aside all these once frozen lakes, you can very plainly see the water....w-a-t-e-r, not ice.
I'm looking outside my window and all I see are puddles galore. Not to mention all the ugly, dead, and muddy grass that was once my lil' playground for making snow angels. The trees are brown, the grass is sickly greenish, brownish, and everything just looks blah. I am so ready for spring to come.....come spring, come sun, come green grass, come blossoming flowers! (i'm such a dork!) lol!
BUT....the forecast for tomorrow is calling for "significant accumulations of snow" tomorrow. What the...???? I do believe, and yes even locals are validating this, that this snowstorm will basically be the "last hurrah" for winter. Well I sure as hell hope so! I'm tired of all this snow! No more, no more! Mother Nature, this is one sick, cruel lil' joke....bah!
Quick weather update. I know, I know. Everytime I give MnM's forecast, it's always full of bitching and complaining about the snow and negative temps. But honestly, for the past week or two, it's been warm. Warm means that the temps have been in the high 30's and low 40's consistently! Yes, this is WARM! So the sun has been shining...nice. I actually sit in front of our balcony windows to warm myself up. With these warm temps being a pleasant surprise, much of the snow has been melting- YAY! Yay 'cuz to me that is a sure sign that winter is ending, but NAY 'cuz now everything outside is slushy, wet, muddy, and the air has a stale smell to it. Needless to say, all of them fools are no longer on the frozen lakes 'cuz hellloooooo, it's not cold anymore. Sun=melting ice. You'd think, right? Wrong! Just last night in the news, there was a fatality somewhere 'cuz someone was dumb enough to ride their snowmobile out onto a lake. Now as sorry as I am for that tragedy, dammit people, it's fricken common sense! As we drive along the freeway aside all these once frozen lakes, you can very plainly see the water....w-a-t-e-r, not ice.
I'm looking outside my window and all I see are puddles galore. Not to mention all the ugly, dead, and muddy grass that was once my lil' playground for making snow angels. The trees are brown, the grass is sickly greenish, brownish, and everything just looks blah. I am so ready for spring to come.....come spring, come sun, come green grass, come blossoming flowers! (i'm such a dork!) lol!
BUT....the forecast for tomorrow is calling for "significant accumulations of snow" tomorrow. What the...???? I do believe, and yes even locals are validating this, that this snowstorm will basically be the "last hurrah" for winter. Well I sure as hell hope so! I'm tired of all this snow! No more, no more! Mother Nature, this is one sick, cruel lil' joke....bah!
Monday, March 01, 2004
Homerun Derby
Whenever I hear the word "derby," I think horse....as in Seabiscuit horse race. But today on Sports Center, they showed the Baseball Homerun Derby between the American and National Leagues. I had been telling hubby just a few weeks ago that I can't wait for baseball season to start up again. What a coink-a-dink that the season starts up around my birthday.....hmm....would make a great gift, don't you think? Baseball tickets to Pac Bell Park??? Well, I got to see Barry duke it out for most homeruns scored, but unfortunately, it wasn't his day. Don't get me wrong, he had a handful of homers that went hella far, but the real crowd pleaser had to be Jason Giambi. In the first round, he got into a zone where he hit 12 homers in practically the same exact spot! That crack of the bat sound just kept crackin'! Sammy Sosa was in there, too, and 'twas so funny 'cuz everytime he was interviewed for his up at bat, he was so damn serious! They kept commenting that "Sammy sure is serious about this...I think he really wants to win!" Well win he didn't- Lol! And old Giants manager Dusty Baker was there with his adorable lil' son. Ya'll remember how J.T. Snow had to "rescue" him out of harms way? Haha, I do believe that I have that newspaper photo somewhere! He's so cute.....oh, and lil' Dusty Baker Jr. is the cutest, too!
btw: speaking of Giants, a new SF Giant was featured in our local paper today. Why? 'Cuz he's a former Minnesota Twin! A.J. Pierzynski is one of the new catchers for the Giants. Y'know, I must've missed it, but when did they get rid of Rich Aurelia??? Booooo, he was such a cutie! ;-) (and yes, a GOOD shortstop, too!)(and don't you go thinking that I only like these players 'cuz they're good lookin....)
Birthday Shout-Outs
Just wanted to wish my dear lil' cuz Sha a Happy 18th Birthday! She'll actually be having a cotillion in a couple of weeks which I'm excited to be a part of. No waltzes or cha cha's for me, thank you. I'm one of the candle people which means, I have to prepare a short lil' speech about her. Hmmm...do I embarrass her in front of all our family and friends??? Tempting. This reminds me of all the cotillions that I went to back in high school and believe me, there were A LOT! Seemed like every week or almost every month, there was a cotillion to go to during my senior year. Happily, I didn't have one. Honestly, I didn't want one. Too much fanfare for my taste, but it sure was fun attending them. Sha is one of the first in our family to have a cotillion. She gives me the perfect excuse to go buy a dress! I was discussing this with my sis that gosh, she's already 18...goodness, we remember when she was born, ya'll know that kind of conversation. Her and I are going to be one of the "old" cousins there! I mean, yes, we ARE one of the older cousins, but really, we're getting OLD! *sigh* Anyways, Happy 18th, Natassia! Much love to you....
Whenever I hear the word "derby," I think horse....as in Seabiscuit horse race. But today on Sports Center, they showed the Baseball Homerun Derby between the American and National Leagues. I had been telling hubby just a few weeks ago that I can't wait for baseball season to start up again. What a coink-a-dink that the season starts up around my birthday.....hmm....would make a great gift, don't you think? Baseball tickets to Pac Bell Park??? Well, I got to see Barry duke it out for most homeruns scored, but unfortunately, it wasn't his day. Don't get me wrong, he had a handful of homers that went hella far, but the real crowd pleaser had to be Jason Giambi. In the first round, he got into a zone where he hit 12 homers in practically the same exact spot! That crack of the bat sound just kept crackin'! Sammy Sosa was in there, too, and 'twas so funny 'cuz everytime he was interviewed for his up at bat, he was so damn serious! They kept commenting that "Sammy sure is serious about this...I think he really wants to win!" Well win he didn't- Lol! And old Giants manager Dusty Baker was there with his adorable lil' son. Ya'll remember how J.T. Snow had to "rescue" him out of harms way? Haha, I do believe that I have that newspaper photo somewhere! He's so cute.....oh, and lil' Dusty Baker Jr. is the cutest, too!
btw: speaking of Giants, a new SF Giant was featured in our local paper today. Why? 'Cuz he's a former Minnesota Twin! A.J. Pierzynski is one of the new catchers for the Giants. Y'know, I must've missed it, but when did they get rid of Rich Aurelia??? Booooo, he was such a cutie! ;-) (and yes, a GOOD shortstop, too!)(and don't you go thinking that I only like these players 'cuz they're good lookin....)
Birthday Shout-Outs
Just wanted to wish my dear lil' cuz Sha a Happy 18th Birthday! She'll actually be having a cotillion in a couple of weeks which I'm excited to be a part of. No waltzes or cha cha's for me, thank you. I'm one of the candle people which means, I have to prepare a short lil' speech about her. Hmmm...do I embarrass her in front of all our family and friends??? Tempting. This reminds me of all the cotillions that I went to back in high school and believe me, there were A LOT! Seemed like every week or almost every month, there was a cotillion to go to during my senior year. Happily, I didn't have one. Honestly, I didn't want one. Too much fanfare for my taste, but it sure was fun attending them. Sha is one of the first in our family to have a cotillion. She gives me the perfect excuse to go buy a dress! I was discussing this with my sis that gosh, she's already 18...goodness, we remember when she was born, ya'll know that kind of conversation. Her and I are going to be one of the "old" cousins there! I mean, yes, we ARE one of the older cousins, but really, we're getting OLD! *sigh* Anyways, Happy 18th, Natassia! Much love to you....
Proud To Be
I'm proud to be a native San Franciscan. I always like to spout that piece of information 'cuz honestly, native city gals like myself are far and few between unless you're white. Growing up in San Francisco has opened my eyes and mind to so many things, specifically areas concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. In the past few weeks, San Francisco has been a hot topic in the news because of all the same sex marriages happening at City Hall. Well, it's about fricken time! Now I'm not one to be so articulate in these matters of debate, but I truly believe that this is long overdue. If two people love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together, why shouldn't they be joined as one? I'm really tired of all the conservatives who are so close minded in this matter that two people of the same sex cannot be married. On one hand, I can respect other people's opinions who are not so accepting of this. I understand that some are just so old skool in their thinking, that they are not comfortable with change, that they are completely happy with things staying the same, etc. Fine. That is their beliefs and one cannot expect someone to change that overnight. But because of someone's sexual preference, these people have the right to say what is acceptable or not? I don't think so! What ever happened to everyone's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?"
This has been a topic of discussion during the sermons at church as well. Even growing up in the Catholic church, there were always some issues that I didn't quite agree with. It didn't sit well with me to think that churches, no matter what denomination or faith, thought and still strongly believe that homosexuality is a sin. How can these holier than thou people of God say, "You need Jesus in your life!" when they're also preaching that they cannot be accepted because of who and what they are? Are they saying that by accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will heal them of their homosexuality and they'll no longer be gay? I don't think so. Now this is one of my personal struggles with church in general. I was taught to believe that God is the all knowing, all loving, and all accepting God. Am I supposed to believe that God only loves certain people? I actually begin to feel queasy when preachers or priests talk about the institution of marriage being ONLY between a man and a woman. Here is the part where my arguments come to a brick wall...how are you supposed to argue against what the Bible says? It's God's word! Some people like to argue that although we are reading God's words, it was still written by man. Their interpretation and their biases may have come into play. But for the most part, many will interpret the Bible word for word and in all literal senses.
I am torn. As a newly born again Christian, my relationship with Jesus has only deepened and has become even more meaningful compared to what it was growing up. Again, not that I'm regretting my Catholic upbringing, I'm just saying that I feel more spiritually connected now. The foundation that has been set before has helped me on my journey and personal walk with God. In many ways, I always thought that I wasn't a good enough Catholic and now, not a good enough Christian. In both instances, the church had laid out their beliefs and to be a follower of either, you have to give up your old beliefs and take up the new. For me, I felt like I could pick and choose. I believed this, but not this. I didn't and couldn't say that I believed and agreed with everything 100%. Many would probably frown upon this. I could keep quiet about it and appear to agree, but hey, God knows the truth in my inner thoughts and feelings. I could be vocal about my beliefs, but I would then be ostracized by the very community that I want to be a part of. In all things, nothing is so black and white- there's always a middle gray area that many people, myself included, end up in. Does that make me any more or less Christian? I really don't know.
In any case, I'm excited that many people in the LGBT community are getting married and I'm proud that San Francisco has finally stepped up as a city to allow these unions. I know that da City is getting a lot of heat for this, but I am hopeful. It will be a long time coming for the rest of the country to follow suit. Honestly, I do not see it happening in the near future and that makes me sad. For the greatest country on Earth, sometimes I really wonder what makes the U.S. so wonderful. There's so much hate, bigotry, prejudice, racism, and so much more that makes the country divided. Funny...I thought we were the UNITED states of America...
I'm proud to be a native San Franciscan. I always like to spout that piece of information 'cuz honestly, native city gals like myself are far and few between unless you're white. Growing up in San Francisco has opened my eyes and mind to so many things, specifically areas concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. In the past few weeks, San Francisco has been a hot topic in the news because of all the same sex marriages happening at City Hall. Well, it's about fricken time! Now I'm not one to be so articulate in these matters of debate, but I truly believe that this is long overdue. If two people love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together, why shouldn't they be joined as one? I'm really tired of all the conservatives who are so close minded in this matter that two people of the same sex cannot be married. On one hand, I can respect other people's opinions who are not so accepting of this. I understand that some are just so old skool in their thinking, that they are not comfortable with change, that they are completely happy with things staying the same, etc. Fine. That is their beliefs and one cannot expect someone to change that overnight. But because of someone's sexual preference, these people have the right to say what is acceptable or not? I don't think so! What ever happened to everyone's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?"
This has been a topic of discussion during the sermons at church as well. Even growing up in the Catholic church, there were always some issues that I didn't quite agree with. It didn't sit well with me to think that churches, no matter what denomination or faith, thought and still strongly believe that homosexuality is a sin. How can these holier than thou people of God say, "You need Jesus in your life!" when they're also preaching that they cannot be accepted because of who and what they are? Are they saying that by accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will heal them of their homosexuality and they'll no longer be gay? I don't think so. Now this is one of my personal struggles with church in general. I was taught to believe that God is the all knowing, all loving, and all accepting God. Am I supposed to believe that God only loves certain people? I actually begin to feel queasy when preachers or priests talk about the institution of marriage being ONLY between a man and a woman. Here is the part where my arguments come to a brick wall...how are you supposed to argue against what the Bible says? It's God's word! Some people like to argue that although we are reading God's words, it was still written by man. Their interpretation and their biases may have come into play. But for the most part, many will interpret the Bible word for word and in all literal senses.
I am torn. As a newly born again Christian, my relationship with Jesus has only deepened and has become even more meaningful compared to what it was growing up. Again, not that I'm regretting my Catholic upbringing, I'm just saying that I feel more spiritually connected now. The foundation that has been set before has helped me on my journey and personal walk with God. In many ways, I always thought that I wasn't a good enough Catholic and now, not a good enough Christian. In both instances, the church had laid out their beliefs and to be a follower of either, you have to give up your old beliefs and take up the new. For me, I felt like I could pick and choose. I believed this, but not this. I didn't and couldn't say that I believed and agreed with everything 100%. Many would probably frown upon this. I could keep quiet about it and appear to agree, but hey, God knows the truth in my inner thoughts and feelings. I could be vocal about my beliefs, but I would then be ostracized by the very community that I want to be a part of. In all things, nothing is so black and white- there's always a middle gray area that many people, myself included, end up in. Does that make me any more or less Christian? I really don't know.
In any case, I'm excited that many people in the LGBT community are getting married and I'm proud that San Francisco has finally stepped up as a city to allow these unions. I know that da City is getting a lot of heat for this, but I am hopeful. It will be a long time coming for the rest of the country to follow suit. Honestly, I do not see it happening in the near future and that makes me sad. For the greatest country on Earth, sometimes I really wonder what makes the U.S. so wonderful. There's so much hate, bigotry, prejudice, racism, and so much more that makes the country divided. Funny...I thought we were the UNITED states of America...
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