ramblings


Sometimes the feeling of loss comes over me
Not knowing where to go and what to do
At the fork in the road
Hating the confusion taking over
Disrupting the natural order and flow of life
As it should be
And how I'd like it to be


The days have gone
And the nights have slipped away
Into tomorrow without my knowledge
Surprising me that it has already been a week that has passed
That reality came knocking on our door
Unwelcome
But here to stay

I Finally Did It


I finally went and registered my beloved Honda for the state of MN. According to MN law, new residents have up to sixty days to register a car. Tsk! Tsk! So what that it took me 10 months...I ain't trying to pay any fees for not having done so and no one ain't getting hurt by it either. I did it. It's done. So there.


Can I be melodramatic for a moment? As I was signing the papers, a part of me got sad. With my California plates still on my car, I felt like that was the last thing of the da Bay that I could hold on. My car was the signature white Honda with the California plates. These plates were my idenfication. It made me stand out from the others. It made people stop and turn. It made people say, "What the hell is that Cali girl doing here?" or "Go back to where you came from, California!" It gives them permission to tailgate my ass as I drive simply because I'm from out-of-state (bastards! all of 'em!). But as of yesterday, I was forced to give into the dark side. I was forced to join the ranks of having that blue "Land of 10,000 Lakes" license plate on the back of my very Bay Area car. I no longer stand out for I was forced to conform to the greater majority. *sigh* Oh yah, plus, my car registration was due and I ain't trying to get my car taken away! LOL!


Okay, melodramatic moment over. LOL! On the real, I'm actually quite excited because as I was registering my car, I already knew that I wanted to get my plates personalized. I've always wanted to do that! (Back in the day, way before I even got my license, I really wanted to get "SMMRGRL." For all ya'll old schoolers, it's as in the 80's hit "Summer Girl" by Dino! Plus, I was picturing me driving around in my white Volkswagon Cabriolet with the top down, too! LOL! Okay...flashback over. Back to reality.) As the lady was filling out the paperwork, she asks me to write what I wanted on the plates so she could look it up in the computer to check the possibility of anyone else having it. I whispered to hubby, "I could tell you right now lady, ain't no one gonna have those plates!" Sure enough, she said it was a go. Yay! (I told you so!) So in about a few weeks time, people might be turning their heads wondering what the hell "SFPINAY" stands for! WERD!


Did Anyone See???


...the 5,000 couples who lined the streets in Manila to simultaneously kiss for the duration of 10 seconds??? Apparently, they broke the world record! Chile had 4,445 couples and the Pinoys & Pinays outdid them! With school and all, I tend to be a couple days behind in reading the paper. As I opened up the front page section, there's always a section dubbed, "Did Anyone See?" There, in black and white, was a picture of couples smooching their significant others with the headline, "Filipinos Smooching" That blew me away! C'mon...it ain't everyday that I see Filipinos in the news! I thought that was cute. I wish I had the picture. If anyone finds it, let me know!


*Here it 'tis c/o my girl, Rho! Much salam! Check out the kiss.*

Girly-girl


Just for the record, MnM is NOT a girly-girl. I simply refuse to be one. So what's the big deal if my favorite colors include pink and red now?! So what if I enjoyed my hair being curled after my haircut yesterday? And so what if I got a free mini-makeover at the Shiseido counter today! (the key word being FREE, people!)


Today's events are not even close to an admission of being a girly-girl. The way I see it, I'm just finally learning to take care of my skin. That's right. At 30 years old (proud to be, yes I am!), I decided that it was time to up my beauty regimen to ensure my skin keeps that healthy glow. Yes, yes, our skin does age more gracefully than other people, but still, it was time to give up the Noxema.


Noxema. Remember how back in the day it was used to help treat sunburns? Remember how it used to sting your face, but you just convinced yourself that it was just how it worked to clean your face? Well, I've been using that facial cream ever since I can remember! It's got to be over 15 years...egads. Okay, so I was still sticking to the routine that I used in high school. Why fix something that ain't broke, right? WRONG. Last month, I wandered around the beauty counters of Marshall Fields (think Macy's) because I saw an ad in the paper that they were offering free consultations and whatnot. I figured that since I don't know much about makeup stuff, why not. My first inclination was to go by the Clinique counter because they've always got some good deals with some type of free gift if you purchase something. When I got there, there was a much older lady with, I hate to say, hideous-looking-trying-to-recapture-her-youth makeup on. I figure, she's going to try to sell me products that she herself wears and let me tell you, I've never ever wanted to look like a clown! So I mosey down to the next counter which happens to be the Shiseido counter. A young Asian looking lady greets me and I figure, yes, she could probably help me better. Turns out that the chick is Pinay and we get into this friendly ole' conversation about this and that. She continues to tell me about the Shiseido line and I tell her that I've used them before. In fact, when I was dancing with Larawan, our director introduced us to Shiseido. Although it was expensive, that became our stage makeup. I'm not really a stranger to Shiseido, but at the same time, I've never really learned how to apply anything myself.

So we're talking about skin and she's asking what I'm currently using, etc. After about a half hour, she had convinced me to try a new facial regimen. Her instructions: no more Noxema. I gotta tell you, after only a few days of using the perscribed cleansing foams and cleaner, my skin was different...in a good way! It used to get easily dried out after washing with Noxema, but now it doesn't. Cool! I realy like how my skin feels...more hydrated and healthier. After spending too much than I should've (but remember, this is for healthier looking skin now!), I think I found something that actually works. Yay!


Pinay chick invited me to come to a free "seminar." In other words, a free makeover. I already had so many questions on how to apply this and that, which colors would match my skin tone, and whether or not they had SPF anything in them. I was prepared, people! Just my luck, I got an older lady. For a split second, she reminded me of the clown from Clinique, but after a bit of talking, I felt that she was cool. The makeover itself was cool. I'm not totally into makeup in the first place and I stressed that I was looking for the natural look. Suprisingly, the lady pulled through. Okay, so we had a few bumps when she wanted to put blue and gold eyeshadow on me and yes, she did apply the mascara on a bit too thick. I did take a peek at her eyelashes and wouldn't you know it? Clumpy as hell- LOL! Other than that, she chose neutral colors that I was happy with. Yes, so happy that I ended up taking some of them home with me. Aiya! I didn't go crazy and again, I was never into makeup and caking shiet on my face, but it was cool. It's nice to be pampered and done up like that once in a while. And I think that it's about time that I learn to do things for myself makeup-wise, eh?


So again, let me stress to ya'll that MnM is NOT, I repeat NOT, a girly-girl. I have not been brainwashed to "the dark side." Everyone got that? Is that settled? Good.


I'll catch up with ya'll later. Gotta make that appointment for my manicure! =)

The Notebook


My latest obsession. Wait, scratch that. My latest obsession revisited. I know that I've mentioned that my favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. His novels are a guarantee to pull at your heart strings and have you sobbing at the last page. Typical MnM style would probably keep me sobbing for a good 5-10 minutes! Sparks' other novels that made it to the big screen include "Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk To Remember." If you've seen any of these and if you're prone to busting out the kleenex (like me!), then you know how sweet and romantic these stories are. So imagine my excitement when I heard that his novel The Notebook was coming out in movie theaters!


Hubby and I went to watch it when it first came out. I have to admit, though, that I did leave the theaters a tad bit disappointed. It stuck close to the story, but of course with creative freedom of the director, it was different in its own rite. It was still good though. I knew that I had to watch it again to really feel the story and the message that it sent about love. Corny, yes I know. But you must realize, me being the HUGE Nicholas Sparks fan there is, I have read The Notebook countless times and it never fails to bring me to uncontrollable tears.


It wasn't a question of IF we'd get it. By all means, we were going to add that to our DVD collection. I watched it the other day and boy oh boy, let me tell you! My handy dandy lil' kleenex box did its job. It was definitely better watching it the second time around. Now it may not be one of those blockbuster films, but sometimes when you're in the mood for some make-you-feel-good romance or if you're in need of a good cry, this is THE movie to watch.


Of course there are so many aspects of a movie that make it so great. The story in itself is about love, pure and simple. It's something that everyone can relate to whether or not you've been in love, wondered about love, or have had your heart broken by love. The actors, too, must be able to portray the characters in a way that we'll fall in love with their story and in this case, they do. Then, take the backdrop and location of the story. In the book, it really takes place in North Carolina, but for location and filming purposes, they chose South Carolina. It's just as beautiful. Finally, there's the musical score. Since the story takes place in the 1940's, there's a lot of oldies, but goodies. And the instrumentals? Simply haunting. The selection was just right for the movie. It makes for the perfect package. So, as hubby and I were at Best Buy today, I just HAD to get the soundtrack too!


If you have yet to see it, I give it a two thumbs up. It's definitely a date movie, or like I said, it's good for those moments when you want to have a good cry. Plus, if you like the sounds of Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington, you'll enjoy the soundtrack, too. Now if you're just a book lover like myself and in need of a new novel to check out, read The Notebook. But if you do, don't forget the kleenex.


Other News


- It snowed yet again. We got about five inches I'm guessing. If you can believe it, we had almost a week of "warm" weather. Warm being high 40's, dipping into the 50's for a day or two. I accompanied hubby downtown on Sunday night to a client site and on the way home, the roads were just so slick. Hubby decided to take an earlier exit to avoid any accidents. At around 1:30am-ish, there ain't nothing but big rigs. Scary. We exited and ended up on semi-empty roads. Cool. Cool, yet slippery as hell. The snow plows had not come thru and the roads were literally untouched. In fact, the snow was coming down thick sideways and all the street signs were unreadable. Forget about seeing the lines on the road, too! As we approached a red light, I could feel hubby start to break...but the Lex wouldn't stop! We were far enough from the intersection and we also noticed a car on our left waiting its turn to go. As much as hubby tried, we had to, yes HAD to, run the light. We had no choice. The Lex wouldn't stop...thankfully, the other car didn't budge. I'm pretty sure he could see our lil' problem because as we slid through the intersection, we even skidded. Geez Louise. In all honestly, it wasn't scary. If anything, it was funny! I say this only because it happened on an almost empty road and there weren't other cars or people to run into. Thank goodness!


Well, after our long and slick ride home, we had to deal with yet another obstacle...getting into the driveway! We had to bust out the shovel and clear a path for the Lex, which btw, was not cooperating. What can I say? The Lex just wasn't built for snow. So after all of that excitement for the night, just when we thought we were done, we decided to make a snowman. Yes, two grown adults rolling huge balls of snow up and down the driveway- LOL! Not having made too many in my lifetime, I have to say, it's a lot of work! We had a bit of fun with it, adding rocks for the eyes and nose, and even wrapped my scarf and put hubby's cap on for Kodak purposes! I'll have to see if I can post the pic one of these days!

New Resident Meeting


Last night was the Gilmore Girl-esque meeting. Okay, so I may have exaggerated a bit about what to expect. The meeting last night was nothing more than informational. We were told things we already knew about our town and from the two hours that we sat there, probably only got a few things out of it...other than finding out that our facilitator likes pizza and had to go to the E.R. for kidney stones. If you ask me, that's a little bit too much information I'd like to know. There were four other people in attendance- one lady from New York, one from Wisconsin, and a retired couple from northern MN. Miss New York had tons of questions, thus explaining why the meeting ran two hours +. Miss facilitator lady was a bit too jovial for me...so peppy, so eager, so involved. My goodness, this lady must be a member on practically every board there is for the city. As she was naming them off, I lost track. Miss New York and Miss Wisconsin inquired about a Toaster's Club, Women's Club, Rotary Club, and other blah-blah-blah clubs. Hubby, who was taking notes on his phone, typed a message to me, "This is SO puti!" Yup, you got that right! I mean, I ain't never seen any Filipinos trying to get involved in things like this. Why? Because of all the damn politics. Here is a typical scenario of a reelection process for any one Filipino organization:


1) Two people will run for the office of president
2) Only one person will win
3) The loser will become so enraged at the loss (aka: sore loser) that he will leave the organization, but not without cursing them out and taking some loyal friends with him/her
4) Loser will start their own organization and be president. Organization will have a fancier name and hold similar events, but with better food.
5) An election will take place and the results will unanimously be in favor of the president. Why? Because no one else had the balls to run against current president.
6) Said president will reign for the next 3-5 years or so.
7) Upon reelection after the 3-5 years, someone will step up and challenge the president.
8) Challenger will win the election.
9) See #3 as the cycle begins again.


As unfortunate and silly as this may seem, this is the pattern of Filipino politics. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just telling it like it is. In any case, that's why there wouldn't be any Pinoys/Pinays up in shi-shi organizations like that. I mean, there may be a few, but ultimately, not very many.


ANYWAYS, a few things we got out of the meeting:

- There are only a handful of mailboxes in the city. Miss facilitator lady named them off. Wow. I never realized it until she mentioned it. Sure enough, there ain't any on the corners like you'd see back in da Bay. Interesting. I'd say, there are probably about five total. Most opt to go to the post office or put their outgoing mail in their mailboxes.


- The highest crime is MN is identity theft. Of course, there is crime everywhere, but this is a biggie out here. Apparently, there are these "mail crime rings" that are out to get people via their mail. Those who put outgoing mail in their mailboxes are the top of the list. Plus, there is said to be some crooked mail carriers, too! Ain't that a bitch?


- Cats need to be on a leash. Not that this is of any importance to me, but pets need to be kept on a leash, cats included. Now, I don't know how doable this is since cats have their own agenda on any given day. I suppose the best thing to do is to keep them indoors, but heck, once they're out, who knows what they do, right? Again, no significance to me, but interesting nevertheless.


- Hoses are NOT allowed on the lawn. 'Tis a city ordinance. In order to preserve water, you can't be out watering your plants with a hose on any given day from 12pm-5pm. You can use a watering can, but if there's a hose out, you can very well get fined. $25 for the 1st offense, $50 for the second, and a court date for the third. Miss facilitator lady mentioned that washing cars is permittable...and if it so happens that your plants are in the vicinity of the car, well, by all means, give them a spray or two.


- We got a couple of national parks in our city. The way she was describing it, it's like Golden Gate Park minus the museums. In lieu of buffalo, there are deer and probably other critters that run rampant nearby. There are also camping grounds, too, which I thought was neat. I mean, as close as it is, you could basically camp out and if you forget something or just want to handle your business in a regular bathroom, home ain't too far away. Y'know, that's what I'm saying! To hell with all the nature and camp lovers out there who say that's not really roughing it in the wild!


- There ARE tornadoes. The last one to hit our city was in 1997. Other than that, nothing serious has blown are way. The Wood is said to have big wind though. For example, Miss facilitator lady described one wind storm where the contents of her garage were basically sucked out, blown across the street over a pond, and into her neighbors house. Although it wasn't considered a tornado, it was enough for her and her husband to hide out in the crawlspace of her home! WTF?! Things being sucked out of her garage? That ain't no regular wind storm, lady. If there's damage like that, man, I sure as hell hope that there isn't any wind storms like that in our area. But yes, tornadoes. Remember that bit I wrote about living in the boonies? I wonder if that ups our chances of being hit? Shiet.


Other than that, that's it. It was basically a waste of two hours. And just for the record- there WEREN'T any refreshments! What's up with that?! LOL!


Anyways, wishing ya'll a Happy Friday and a slammin' weekend! Peace out...

Birthday Shout-Out


Just wanted to wish my girl,Rho a belated 28th birthday! If ya'll know me well, you know that I'm not one to forget birthdays and special days. So I had to wrack my brain and try to figure out exactly how come I wasn't aware of her special day. Well lo and behold, I figured it out and all fingers pointed to her main squeeze, J. Apparently after they started dating, I recall asking J when her bday was and for the life of him, he couldn't remember! DOH! Well, no worries Rho...I'll just credit it to his being lovestruck and his neverending ride on cloud #9.


It's a funny thing about Rho and myself. For two people who've only met not even a handful of times, I feel that we've known each other much longer. Through emails, blogs, and a few phone calls, I consider Rho a great friend. I still think it trips J out just how well we get along and how we think along the same lines. Great minds think alike, eh Rho? ;-) Well girlfriend, even though I missed the actual day, I just wanted to greet you a Happy Happy 28th. Hope all of your wishes come true and may you have many more birthdays to come! Love and hugs!!!


So come out to Minnesota already so we can celebrate!!!

Christian One-Liners


I got this forwarded to me from my pops. Though some of them may make you laugh and snicker, it's really meant for ya'll to think about. Don't see it as preaching from the pulpit, see it as food for thought, if you will. Hope ya'll have a good Monday!


Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as a basket case.


Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited - until you try to sit in their pews.


Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.


It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.


The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes and sand gnats come close.


When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.


People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.


Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.


Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.


If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.


God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?


Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.


Peace starts with a smile.


I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which
one you stay home from?


A lot of church members who are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.


We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.


Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.


Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.


Don't put a question mark where God put a period.


Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.


Forbidden fruits create many jams.


God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.


God grades on the cross, not the curve.


God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"


God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.


He who angers you, controls you!


If God is your Copilot - swap seats!


Prayer: Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!


The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.


The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.


We don't change the message, the message changes us.


You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to ....... discourage him.


The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Animal Planet


I was channel surfing today after the usual WB lineup. Sad to say, I wasn't too interested in hearing the state of the union address. I got caught up on Animal Planet when hubby noticed that the Animal Care & Control officer on TV had a San Francisco badge. Ohhhh....I am always up for watching anything taking place in da city! Everytime there's a show, documentary, or anything else like that on, I'm always watching out for people I might recognize or places that I've been to. Yes, it's a crazy thing that I do.


The program was called Animal Cops: San Francisco. The first few incidents involved 25 feral cats in an apartment (which was a tad hilarious to watch...they used huge nets to catch 'em!), two dogs named Jack and Jill who had apparently been trained to fight (which is illegal!), and a lost love bird. It was hard to distinguish where exactly these incidents were taking place 'cuz they never showed the street signs. In any case, my ears totally perked up when I heard McClaren Park. Why? Because those are my old stomping grounds and the place where I grew up. This has GOT to be good.


Get this: it involved a feisty rooster locked in a cage who was "probably" being trained to fight. Goodness me, doesn't that sound too much like "sabong" (cock fighting)? When the ACC officers go to the suspected house, who but a little tiny Lola answers the door. Aw man....those peeps are Filipino! The officer guy is asking all these questions and Lola tells him that the rooster belongs to her grandson. Age of grandson? 10 years old. The kid's mom comes home and is told that the rooster and duck (yes, there was a duck) had to be surrendered over to him, but she was refusing. She said that the animals belonged to her son..."those are his pets. You have to come back and talk to him about it." It was kinda embarrassing to hear the officer basically lecture Remy (the mom) that she ultimately has the responsibility to have these "pets" taken away despite what the kid says. After convincing her that if she would be fined and possibly be taken to court for refusing, she consented. So officer guy takes the duck and the rooster, but not without getting bitten or cut by the sabong wannabe fighter. Here Lola is following officer guy and even saying how good of a fighter the rooster is. Officer guy agrees and shows his minor injury to which Lola exclaims (in a thick Pinay accent while hitting officer guy in the arm), "Oh my God! That's like me, my hand bleeding, too!" Too cute, Lola.


Just when I thought it was done, it gets better. Officer guy is sharing his thoughts outside the house when I notice that directly behind him is noneother than Cornerstone Academy! Holy crap- LOL! I saw the gym, the school building, the parking lot, the gate...there was no mistake. Man...what I would've given to see that go down live!


Of All Places!


American Idol. Ya'll know you're watching it, too! The last stop to search for the potential American Idol took place in da city by the Bay, San Francisco! Whoo hoo! In the last few weeks when they mentioned that S.F. would be its final stop, I automatically assumed that the auditions would be somewhere downtown- Civic Center, Convention Center... But lo and behold, they were held at the Cow Palace! Can it BE any closer to my old neighborhood??? They say a record number showed up, but my question is, how come I never heard about it?! A whole grip of people at the Cow Palace...in the hood. Wow. That's cool, but shame on my family and friends for not mentioning this to me! This is the lil' stuff that I crave to hear about, people! LOL! Well, sad to say, I didn't see any familiar faces this time around, but it was a treat to see different parts of the city during the show. *sigh*


And of course, it wouldn't have been complete if someone didn't sing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." =)


I don't know about you, but I was disappointed that I didn't see any Pinoy bruthas and sistas up in there. It may be up to that chick from Vegas!



Lastly...


It's Groundshog Day today. It's not a day that I usually have etched in my mind for any particular reason, but I learned that this is not the case the Midwest. Apparently, it is a HUGE day of celebration...or not. I wish I were kidding when I say that people liken that lil' rodent to a king. Well, I've gotten the whole shadow thing completely mixed up. I originally thought that if the lil' bugger came out of its hole and saw its shadow, it meant that spring was on its way. Nope. 'Tis the other way around. If it sees its shadow, it means that winter will extend its stay for another six or more weeks.


Just our luck...the damn thing saw its shadow. DOH!

Home Improvement Question


Is wallpaper a DO or a DON'T?


*Trading Spaces and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy have differing opinions.


Welcome To The Neighborhood


We've been receiving so many of these "Welcome to the neighborhood" flyers and coupons since we've moved here. It's pretty cool actually. Yesterday I got a free filter and oil change for my car. Nice. Hubby actually found a welcome packet on our driveway. There were a whole bunch of flyers and magnets from local businesses and discount coupons from stores like Bed Bath and Beyond to the neighboring pizzarias. There was even an invitation to attend the town meeting.


Town meeting. Maybe it's because I spent the ENTIRE weekend glued to the TV watching Gilmore Girls season 2, but when I hear the words "town meeting," the first thoughts that run through my head is of a room full of bizarre characters discussing bizarre issues. Are we going to have the town fanatic complain about the specific height that grass should be? Will there be a crazed environmentalist rallying to save a certain bush? Will we find that we actually have a town troubadour? Perhaps I am exaggerating a tad. The Wood may not be Stars Hollow, but again, this is what goes through my mind when I hear "town meeting."


In any case, hubby and I are seriously considering going to one. For me, it's simply out of curiousity. Sure, this is a great opportunity to meet and greet our neighbors, but my main question is....will there be free refreshments? LOL! Considering that our town is booming, it'll be interesting to see what the town demographics are...yah, in other words, are there any other Pinoys/Pinays up in our area! LOL! Stay tuned...