Ready To Go
I'm almost done packing. I've got about three hours before I need to be at the airport and I've already packed and re-packed my luggage twice. I wasn't quite prepared to be home for an extra week and so there were loads of laundry to be done, last minute cleaning, etc. Now, instead of packing for one week, I've had to hurriedly pack for two. No major complaints though. I'm glad that I'll be home to help out my mom and of course, to see my family, too. Although it was the first week of December 2004 that I last saw my fam, it does seem much longer than four months.
In any case, I've decided not to bring my laptop with me (horrors!). Hahaha, I was giving it some major thought last night whether I should lug it around. Thankfully I don't have any classes and homework to worry about! I figure, how much time will I really have to get online anyways, y'know? And when I do, I'll just have a longer blog than usual to catch up on what's been goin' on. So there you have it, MnM is on her way to da city by da Bay- whoo hoo! Hubby will be joining me shortly, but in the meantime, I'll miss him lots. Pray that I have a safe flight and hopefully I'll be seeing some of you real soon. Ciao!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Sympathy Pains
I distinctly remember the day when my sister had knee surgery. She had busted it playing volleyball at UC Berkeley. I was still in high school at the time. I may not be able to tell you what class I was in or where on campus I was hanging out, but I can tell you this. Around the time of my sister's surgery, I was feeling some sharp pains in the exact same knee that she was having surgery on. I don't recall thinking it weird and if anyone had pointed it out for me, but I'm 100% sure that what I was feeling was my sister's pain.
Sympathy pains are not unusual. I've heard that it happens to people who have a really tight bond. After she got pregnant with her first child, we used to joke about this a lot. Half kidding and half wishing that it wouldn't happen, I used to pray that I wouldn't have sympathy pains during her labor. Egads, can you imagine? Thankfully and perhaps because I was too distracted to see HER pain during labor, I didn't feel a thing...with the exception of her squeezing my hand unbelievably tight!
The other day, I was feeling nauseous. I have already been trying to deal with these damn allergies- runny nose, itchy throat, and continuous sneezing. The feeling in my tummy wasn't pleasant at all. Sure I felt like yakking, but it was a different sort of stomach pain. I do recall, though, looking at the time for reference sake. It was 3:30pm. Later, I find out that my mom, who's still in the hospital, had an episode after trying to eat real food for the first time. What time did that happen? 1:30pm PST. Now call it coincidence or what, but I have a sneaking suspicion that what I felt wasn't mere stomach pains.
First my sister...then my mom. THANK THE GOOD LORD that I didn't feel anything when my dad had his quadruple bypass surgery!!! Have I felt anything when hubby has gotten sick? I sure have...but then again, we just may be getting hit with the same thing! Man. Don't get me wrong, I love that there's a strong connection with my family and all, but I think I can do without the sympathy pains.
Believe It Or Not
We're finally in the midst of spring. The cold and white of winter has been happily and quickly forgotten. I've mentioned that sandal season has arrived. In fact, I just went and got myself a nice pedicure today! Yes, we've been getting drenched by these April showers, but like the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers." But not today. Today, we had some snow. S-N-O-W! Unfreakinbelievable! Although it didn't stick and there's no accumulation on the ground, to see those cottony looking wisps in the air was shocking. I don't know why the temps have suddenly dropped in the mid-30's, but let me tell you, it totally sucks! While I don't believe we'll be getting any snow storms anytime soon (*keep your fingers crossed 'cuz the other parts of the Midwest HAS been!), I sure as hell am NOT ready- physically, emotionally, and mentally- for anymore snow. Hell no!
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some birthday shout-outs to Mrs. Lori at Cornerstone and to my niece/goddaughter Alyssa on her 10th birthday. A wedding anniversary shout-out goes out to E&M Santos for their 3rd year and going strong. They're also expecting kid #2 this December, so a congratulations are in order for their soon-to-be newest addition.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to keep my mom in your prayers. I don't know how long she'll be in the hospital. Her prognosis looks good, but she has not eaten any real food. Until she can do that without losing it, she'll remain a tad longer. Also, please keep hubby's family in your prayers. Yesterday, a cousin of his that has been battling cancer passed away. Lastly, please pray for my trip to da Bay this Friday. Thanks all- never underestimate the power of prayer!
I distinctly remember the day when my sister had knee surgery. She had busted it playing volleyball at UC Berkeley. I was still in high school at the time. I may not be able to tell you what class I was in or where on campus I was hanging out, but I can tell you this. Around the time of my sister's surgery, I was feeling some sharp pains in the exact same knee that she was having surgery on. I don't recall thinking it weird and if anyone had pointed it out for me, but I'm 100% sure that what I was feeling was my sister's pain.
Sympathy pains are not unusual. I've heard that it happens to people who have a really tight bond. After she got pregnant with her first child, we used to joke about this a lot. Half kidding and half wishing that it wouldn't happen, I used to pray that I wouldn't have sympathy pains during her labor. Egads, can you imagine? Thankfully and perhaps because I was too distracted to see HER pain during labor, I didn't feel a thing...with the exception of her squeezing my hand unbelievably tight!
The other day, I was feeling nauseous. I have already been trying to deal with these damn allergies- runny nose, itchy throat, and continuous sneezing. The feeling in my tummy wasn't pleasant at all. Sure I felt like yakking, but it was a different sort of stomach pain. I do recall, though, looking at the time for reference sake. It was 3:30pm. Later, I find out that my mom, who's still in the hospital, had an episode after trying to eat real food for the first time. What time did that happen? 1:30pm PST. Now call it coincidence or what, but I have a sneaking suspicion that what I felt wasn't mere stomach pains.
First my sister...then my mom. THANK THE GOOD LORD that I didn't feel anything when my dad had his quadruple bypass surgery!!! Have I felt anything when hubby has gotten sick? I sure have...but then again, we just may be getting hit with the same thing! Man. Don't get me wrong, I love that there's a strong connection with my family and all, but I think I can do without the sympathy pains.
Believe It Or Not
We're finally in the midst of spring. The cold and white of winter has been happily and quickly forgotten. I've mentioned that sandal season has arrived. In fact, I just went and got myself a nice pedicure today! Yes, we've been getting drenched by these April showers, but like the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers." But not today. Today, we had some snow. S-N-O-W! Unfreakinbelievable! Although it didn't stick and there's no accumulation on the ground, to see those cottony looking wisps in the air was shocking. I don't know why the temps have suddenly dropped in the mid-30's, but let me tell you, it totally sucks! While I don't believe we'll be getting any snow storms anytime soon (*keep your fingers crossed 'cuz the other parts of the Midwest HAS been!), I sure as hell am NOT ready- physically, emotionally, and mentally- for anymore snow. Hell no!
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some birthday shout-outs to Mrs. Lori at Cornerstone and to my niece/goddaughter Alyssa on her 10th birthday. A wedding anniversary shout-out goes out to E&M Santos for their 3rd year and going strong. They're also expecting kid #2 this December, so a congratulations are in order for their soon-to-be newest addition.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to keep my mom in your prayers. I don't know how long she'll be in the hospital. Her prognosis looks good, but she has not eaten any real food. Until she can do that without losing it, she'll remain a tad longer. Also, please keep hubby's family in your prayers. Yesterday, a cousin of his that has been battling cancer passed away. Lastly, please pray for my trip to da Bay this Friday. Thanks all- never underestimate the power of prayer!
Monday, April 25, 2005
Surprising and Pleasant
These two adjectives pretty much sum up my DMV experience today. I've been procrastinating on getting my MN license for too long now, but because some of my school paperwork requires fingerprints, I can only get them done if I'm a resident of the state. As you can imagine, I've been putting this off for over a year now. Thankfully, I only had to take the written examination.
There were no long lines and impatient customers to listen to bitch and whine. The DMV employees were not acting their usual disgruntled selves; in fact, they all seemed to be in a good mood...for a Monday! When I registered in, the Asian dude that helped me happened to be originally from Sacramento...as always, the question as to why I made the move to Minnesota came up. As much as hubby has responded, "...to escape the California winters...", I continue to love watching people's reactions to that statement. On a good day, people will get the joke; other days, it's just silence. (*tapping the mike..."is this thing on?")
Fortunately, I passed the test successfully. And although I'm a tad embarrassed about the fact and because I can laugh about it now, I did NOT pass the written test the first time- aiya! Go ahead, snicker and snort all you want, but hey, ya'll gotta be careful when you're reading tests like that! The tests are computerized so there's no paper test, but going into it the first time, I was too overly confident. I mean, it's all common sense, right? When the results flashed onto the screen, I remember sitting there and staring at it for a second thinking, "You're sh*tting me, right? I didn't pass?!" Hubby took the test on the same day and when I told him, he gave me this look and said, "You're sh*tting me, right?" LOL! Yes, I can laugh about it now, but boy oh boy, if I didn't pass this time around, I would've seriously had to hide under a rock! I DID miss a handful though...they're just trying to trick people, it's a conspiracy, I tell you! HA!
I didn't bother to really "fix myself up" for the license picture today. Not that I was expecting to fail! Part of it was due to the fact that we were rushing in fear that it might be packed, but mostly, I didn't really care. Of course, I'll probably change my mind once I see the actual picture- LOL! For a Monday at the DMV, I got away with a surprisingly pleasant experience. Nice.
Blown Away
As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, my newest obsession has been "The DaVinci Code." Almost immediately after I finished that, I had to buy his earlier book "Angels and Demons." TDC is not really a sequel to "Angels and Demons," but it's the first time the main character is introduced and I wanted to get a better feel of what he was all about. In any case, "Angels and Demons" was just as intense and riveting as the first one! Although the premise is fictional, it has succeeded in forcing me to really think about what is true, what is perceived to be true, and what may be altogether false. The author Dan Brown is a great writer- from his style, choice of words, to the way he reels you into the mysterious plot until the very last page- and doesn't make it possible to put the book down. Anyone looking for an intelligent read, Dan Brown can deliver. Go buy it, people!
Unexpected Plan
Hubby and I were scheduled to visit the city by the Bay in a couple of weeks, but due to my mom's surgery, it was decided that I would fly ahead to spend some extra time with my mom. She should be getting out sometime this week and I'll be there to help out with the normal regular things that she's not able to do just yet. Thankfully my sis has been driving into the city every day despite the long commute and the extra hand will definitely be appreciated. When hubby comes, things will go as originally planned, but for now, I've got to prepare for my upcoming trip this week. My mom continues to recover slowly and I'd appreciate all the prayers for an even faster one.
Birthday Shout-Out
Just wanted to send some birthday love to my O.G. Kumare, Wena, on her 33rd birthday! This girl has been with me for as long as I can remember. From the school dances at El Camino High that she dragged me to hooking me up with my first job at Wells Fargo- it's funny to look back and see how my parents thought that she was a bad influence on me! Hahah, that party girl! Together with the other kids, we formed our own dance group, early-generation mind you, Cutting Edge. We weren't anything like the hip-hop crazed groups nowadays, but we did look tight in our matching vests, pegged pants, and shiny black shoes with the chiffon white laces! With our hairs pumped up to the sky, we danced to routines like Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl," Heavy D's "Now That We Found Love," and "At The Playground" by that kid group ABC. Omigosh, that brings back so many memories! I was a part of her cotillion entourage when she turned 18 years old and later, was a part of her wedding as well. Although we don't keep in touch as often as we'd like, we're still not only kumares, we're practically sisters! Happy 33rd Birthday girlfriend!
These two adjectives pretty much sum up my DMV experience today. I've been procrastinating on getting my MN license for too long now, but because some of my school paperwork requires fingerprints, I can only get them done if I'm a resident of the state. As you can imagine, I've been putting this off for over a year now. Thankfully, I only had to take the written examination.
There were no long lines and impatient customers to listen to bitch and whine. The DMV employees were not acting their usual disgruntled selves; in fact, they all seemed to be in a good mood...for a Monday! When I registered in, the Asian dude that helped me happened to be originally from Sacramento...as always, the question as to why I made the move to Minnesota came up. As much as hubby has responded, "...to escape the California winters...", I continue to love watching people's reactions to that statement. On a good day, people will get the joke; other days, it's just silence. (*tapping the mike..."is this thing on?")
Fortunately, I passed the test successfully. And although I'm a tad embarrassed about the fact and because I can laugh about it now, I did NOT pass the written test the first time- aiya! Go ahead, snicker and snort all you want, but hey, ya'll gotta be careful when you're reading tests like that! The tests are computerized so there's no paper test, but going into it the first time, I was too overly confident. I mean, it's all common sense, right? When the results flashed onto the screen, I remember sitting there and staring at it for a second thinking, "You're sh*tting me, right? I didn't pass?!" Hubby took the test on the same day and when I told him, he gave me this look and said, "You're sh*tting me, right?" LOL! Yes, I can laugh about it now, but boy oh boy, if I didn't pass this time around, I would've seriously had to hide under a rock! I DID miss a handful though...they're just trying to trick people, it's a conspiracy, I tell you! HA!
I didn't bother to really "fix myself up" for the license picture today. Not that I was expecting to fail! Part of it was due to the fact that we were rushing in fear that it might be packed, but mostly, I didn't really care. Of course, I'll probably change my mind once I see the actual picture- LOL! For a Monday at the DMV, I got away with a surprisingly pleasant experience. Nice.
Blown Away
As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, my newest obsession has been "The DaVinci Code." Almost immediately after I finished that, I had to buy his earlier book "Angels and Demons." TDC is not really a sequel to "Angels and Demons," but it's the first time the main character is introduced and I wanted to get a better feel of what he was all about. In any case, "Angels and Demons" was just as intense and riveting as the first one! Although the premise is fictional, it has succeeded in forcing me to really think about what is true, what is perceived to be true, and what may be altogether false. The author Dan Brown is a great writer- from his style, choice of words, to the way he reels you into the mysterious plot until the very last page- and doesn't make it possible to put the book down. Anyone looking for an intelligent read, Dan Brown can deliver. Go buy it, people!
Unexpected Plan
Hubby and I were scheduled to visit the city by the Bay in a couple of weeks, but due to my mom's surgery, it was decided that I would fly ahead to spend some extra time with my mom. She should be getting out sometime this week and I'll be there to help out with the normal regular things that she's not able to do just yet. Thankfully my sis has been driving into the city every day despite the long commute and the extra hand will definitely be appreciated. When hubby comes, things will go as originally planned, but for now, I've got to prepare for my upcoming trip this week. My mom continues to recover slowly and I'd appreciate all the prayers for an even faster one.
Birthday Shout-Out
Just wanted to send some birthday love to my O.G. Kumare, Wena, on her 33rd birthday! This girl has been with me for as long as I can remember. From the school dances at El Camino High that she dragged me to hooking me up with my first job at Wells Fargo- it's funny to look back and see how my parents thought that she was a bad influence on me! Hahah, that party girl! Together with the other kids, we formed our own dance group, early-generation mind you, Cutting Edge. We weren't anything like the hip-hop crazed groups nowadays, but we did look tight in our matching vests, pegged pants, and shiny black shoes with the chiffon white laces! With our hairs pumped up to the sky, we danced to routines like Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl," Heavy D's "Now That We Found Love," and "At The Playground" by that kid group ABC. Omigosh, that brings back so many memories! I was a part of her cotillion entourage when she turned 18 years old and later, was a part of her wedding as well. Although we don't keep in touch as often as we'd like, we're still not only kumares, we're practically sisters! Happy 33rd Birthday girlfriend!
Friday, April 22, 2005
From The When-You-Know-You-re-Getting-Older Dept.
*bit this off of Pare Stp's style of blogging!
- In preparation for our upcoming trip to da city by da Bay, we went and bought ourselves some new luggage. Not only was there a phat discount, but they're really NICE! I was all excited 'cause this is probably the second piece of luggage that I actually own myself. We had a choice of red or blue of the same style and decided to buy one of each. It was one of those 5-piece all in one deals...y'know, like those lil' Russian dolls where you open one only to find a smaller doll inside...and when you open that one, there's yet another one. It may not be namebrand Samsonite (which btw, are HELLA expensive for our budget!), but it's new, rugged, and durable. We even bought matching flourescent name tags to easily spot our bags at the baggage claim. So yes, we've now got blue and red matching luggage with matching tags. We're such dorks!
- If anyone out there is an eczema sufferer like I am (or are prone to skin rashes of any sort), listen up. I have THE skin and body lotion for you. (Egads, I'm sounding like a television ad!) Now, I was born with eczema and unfortunately, I am going to die with eczema, but that doesn't mean that I have to suffer for the rest of my life. I've tried different types of lotions, creams, ointments, etc, in hopes of easing my instinctual need to scratch the hell out of my skin 'til it bleeds. In fact, some years back, Mrs. Voodoo gave me a sample size of this lotion that her dermatologist recommended and I think at the time, it wasn't on the market just yet. I had totally forgotten about it until last night when hubby and I had to drive to the 24-hour Walgreens to get my some cortizone for my almost raw skin. Browsing through the lotion aisle, I saw the bottle- Eucerin. This has to be, by far, the best thing for uncontrollable itchy skin! Trust me, I've tried so many different brands. This one is like soaking your body in an oatmeal bath...although I've never done that myself, but hear that it works wonders. It's non-greasy, fragrance free, and works practically immediately on contact. Gone are the days when my mom had to sew satin patches on the inside of my school uniforms to hopefully make the itching subside. Haha, wasn't my mom so cool to do that for me? (btw: she's recovering well from her surgery! Funny thing...while they were operating to snip that flap of skin, the doctor also decided to take out her appendix. Not that it was in any way ready to burst or anything, but just a precaution to avoid such mishaps in the future...in any case, she's doing fine. Thank God and thanks for the prayers!) ANYWAYS...if you're tired of trying lotions that don't do its job, try Eucerin. It works wonders!
*By the way, Happy Earth Day, ya'll! Do your part to take care of the environment!*
*bit this off of Pare Stp's style of blogging!
- In preparation for our upcoming trip to da city by da Bay, we went and bought ourselves some new luggage. Not only was there a phat discount, but they're really NICE! I was all excited 'cause this is probably the second piece of luggage that I actually own myself. We had a choice of red or blue of the same style and decided to buy one of each. It was one of those 5-piece all in one deals...y'know, like those lil' Russian dolls where you open one only to find a smaller doll inside...and when you open that one, there's yet another one. It may not be namebrand Samsonite (which btw, are HELLA expensive for our budget!), but it's new, rugged, and durable. We even bought matching flourescent name tags to easily spot our bags at the baggage claim. So yes, we've now got blue and red matching luggage with matching tags. We're such dorks!
- If anyone out there is an eczema sufferer like I am (or are prone to skin rashes of any sort), listen up. I have THE skin and body lotion for you. (Egads, I'm sounding like a television ad!) Now, I was born with eczema and unfortunately, I am going to die with eczema, but that doesn't mean that I have to suffer for the rest of my life. I've tried different types of lotions, creams, ointments, etc, in hopes of easing my instinctual need to scratch the hell out of my skin 'til it bleeds. In fact, some years back, Mrs. Voodoo gave me a sample size of this lotion that her dermatologist recommended and I think at the time, it wasn't on the market just yet. I had totally forgotten about it until last night when hubby and I had to drive to the 24-hour Walgreens to get my some cortizone for my almost raw skin. Browsing through the lotion aisle, I saw the bottle- Eucerin. This has to be, by far, the best thing for uncontrollable itchy skin! Trust me, I've tried so many different brands. This one is like soaking your body in an oatmeal bath...although I've never done that myself, but hear that it works wonders. It's non-greasy, fragrance free, and works practically immediately on contact. Gone are the days when my mom had to sew satin patches on the inside of my school uniforms to hopefully make the itching subside. Haha, wasn't my mom so cool to do that for me? (btw: she's recovering well from her surgery! Funny thing...while they were operating to snip that flap of skin, the doctor also decided to take out her appendix. Not that it was in any way ready to burst or anything, but just a precaution to avoid such mishaps in the future...in any case, she's doing fine. Thank God and thanks for the prayers!) ANYWAYS...if you're tired of trying lotions that don't do its job, try Eucerin. It works wonders!
*By the way, Happy Earth Day, ya'll! Do your part to take care of the environment!*
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Late Night Phone Calls
I dread these so much. They're rarely to relay good news. Back in the day before both my sister and I were married and still living at home, we had some relatives who passed away. It eerily happened around the same time each year for a few years, usually in the beginning few months of January or February, and we would get the call in the early hours of the morning around 4am. I consider myself a light sleeper and whenever the phone would ring, my sister or I would race to the phone before the ringing would wake up my parents. When we noticed the coincidence of these kinds of calls during these hours, I personally stopped jumping out of bed to reach the phone first. I left that up to my sister...after all, she was the oldest.
After years of sharing a room with my sis, she finally moved downstairs. The basement was located directly below our bedroom. The heater vent could basically act as an intercom because you were able to hear everything that was going on downstairs- the TV, the radio, and the phone. In fact, whenever we used the phone downstairs, we'd unwrap the cord and drag it into the closet for extra privacy. If she answered the phone and it was for me, instead of calling me from the bottom of the stairs, she'd walk under the heating vent instead.
When the phone would ring in the middle of the night, my eyes would automatically check the time of the call on my clock. During the 4am calls, I'd purposefully let the phone ring so that my sister could pick up downstairs. Of course at night, the house is so quiet that you could hear everything. I'd lie in bed, listen to the phone ring, hear my sister's bed creak as she gets out of bed, sleepily answer the phone in a hushed voice, hear her tell the caller to hold on, hear the click of the door open and my sister climbing the stairwell, creak open the door at the top of the stairs, and finally hear her knock on my parents' door to relay the message. All this time, I'm lying in bed wondering who the call was about. Through the years, I've come to really dread late phone calls. Again like I mentioned before, they're rarely to relay good news. Rarely.
So I got a phone call from my sis yesterday evening, 12:30am-ish MN time. Caller id told me that it was my sister, but my heart started pounding because she rarely calls me this late. Bad news. Her voice was calm as she tells me that my mom is in the hospital. Abdominal pains...perhaps due to food poisoning. She hadn't been able to keep anything down since the day before and she was experiencing major stomach pains. Turns that that my dad took her to the doctor when it started and was prescribed some medication, but it didn't do jack for my mom. As the pain continued and increased, they ended up going to the E.R.
As it turns out, it's not food poisoning; rather, her pains stem from a blockage in her intestines. The doctor said that this was common in hysterectomy patients. In my mind I'm thinking, "Her surgery was back in 1991!" Goodness gracious...so all this time, a leftover flap of skin has been the cause of a blockage that perhaps has been building up. Her prior bouts of what we originally believed to be food poisoning was probably due to this. Now that they've confirmed this (through scans and x-rays), it was decided that she would need surgery.
Well, as I write this, my mom should be in the resting in the recovery room. According to my sister, the surgery involves a simple procedure. I will spare the details of tubes and catheters, but the doctor did confirm that there was nothing else wrong with my mom...a very good sign. As much as I miss my family, friends, and CA in general, it's times like these that make me wish I was only a hop, skip, jump, and a quick drive away. It sucks not being able to be there. I'm glad that it's only a couple more weeks until hubby and I make the trip out there.
Thankfully, the phone call this morning wasn't so serious. I mean, it could've definitely been worse, but hey, let's not even go there. I'll hear more news on mom tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'll be saying my prayers and I'd appreciate if you could add my mom in yours, too.
I dread these so much. They're rarely to relay good news. Back in the day before both my sister and I were married and still living at home, we had some relatives who passed away. It eerily happened around the same time each year for a few years, usually in the beginning few months of January or February, and we would get the call in the early hours of the morning around 4am. I consider myself a light sleeper and whenever the phone would ring, my sister or I would race to the phone before the ringing would wake up my parents. When we noticed the coincidence of these kinds of calls during these hours, I personally stopped jumping out of bed to reach the phone first. I left that up to my sister...after all, she was the oldest.
After years of sharing a room with my sis, she finally moved downstairs. The basement was located directly below our bedroom. The heater vent could basically act as an intercom because you were able to hear everything that was going on downstairs- the TV, the radio, and the phone. In fact, whenever we used the phone downstairs, we'd unwrap the cord and drag it into the closet for extra privacy. If she answered the phone and it was for me, instead of calling me from the bottom of the stairs, she'd walk under the heating vent instead.
When the phone would ring in the middle of the night, my eyes would automatically check the time of the call on my clock. During the 4am calls, I'd purposefully let the phone ring so that my sister could pick up downstairs. Of course at night, the house is so quiet that you could hear everything. I'd lie in bed, listen to the phone ring, hear my sister's bed creak as she gets out of bed, sleepily answer the phone in a hushed voice, hear her tell the caller to hold on, hear the click of the door open and my sister climbing the stairwell, creak open the door at the top of the stairs, and finally hear her knock on my parents' door to relay the message. All this time, I'm lying in bed wondering who the call was about. Through the years, I've come to really dread late phone calls. Again like I mentioned before, they're rarely to relay good news. Rarely.
So I got a phone call from my sis yesterday evening, 12:30am-ish MN time. Caller id told me that it was my sister, but my heart started pounding because she rarely calls me this late. Bad news. Her voice was calm as she tells me that my mom is in the hospital. Abdominal pains...perhaps due to food poisoning. She hadn't been able to keep anything down since the day before and she was experiencing major stomach pains. Turns that that my dad took her to the doctor when it started and was prescribed some medication, but it didn't do jack for my mom. As the pain continued and increased, they ended up going to the E.R.
As it turns out, it's not food poisoning; rather, her pains stem from a blockage in her intestines. The doctor said that this was common in hysterectomy patients. In my mind I'm thinking, "Her surgery was back in 1991!" Goodness gracious...so all this time, a leftover flap of skin has been the cause of a blockage that perhaps has been building up. Her prior bouts of what we originally believed to be food poisoning was probably due to this. Now that they've confirmed this (through scans and x-rays), it was decided that she would need surgery.
Well, as I write this, my mom should be in the resting in the recovery room. According to my sister, the surgery involves a simple procedure. I will spare the details of tubes and catheters, but the doctor did confirm that there was nothing else wrong with my mom...a very good sign. As much as I miss my family, friends, and CA in general, it's times like these that make me wish I was only a hop, skip, jump, and a quick drive away. It sucks not being able to be there. I'm glad that it's only a couple more weeks until hubby and I make the trip out there.
Thankfully, the phone call this morning wasn't so serious. I mean, it could've definitely been worse, but hey, let's not even go there. I'll hear more news on mom tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'll be saying my prayers and I'd appreciate if you could add my mom in yours, too.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Currently listening to: Avril Lavigne's Under My Skin
Standing Out
A funny thing happened to me today. I went to Target to drop off some film at the one-hour processing. The girl behind the counter filled out the envelope for me which included asking me how to spell my last name. A couple hours later, I head back to pick them up. The line is short, but I'm not helped right away. When the same gal gets to me, I'm expecting the whole "Can I help you?" bit, but turns out that she already got my pictures and tells me the total. Hmmmm...either that girl has a good memory of her customers or maybe, just maybe, it's easy to remember the brown girl with the funky-hard-to-pronounce-even-though-it's-phonetic-last-name. It kinda caught me off-guard, but whatever.
That happened last week when hubby and I went to get our taxes done. We went to an actual accountant-I know, whoa, huh? After being seated in his office, accountant dude asks our names and again, asks us to spell our last name. He looked up from his writing pad and says, "I take it you guys aren't from Iowa." EH?! Later I told hubby that his comment could've been taken in a totally inappropriate way, but again, whatever...as long as he does our taxes and doesn't jack us, right? A couple of days later, we return to sign off on everything and right when we walk into the office, the secretary automatically pulls from the pile OUR file. No "And your name is?" or "You're the so-and-so family, correct?" None of that. Hubby and I joked that we're probably his only non-white clients...and if that were the case, I wouldn't be surprised.
I knew once we moved here that we would stand out, but it's unnerving sometimes. I think it would be different if, say, we were regulars at a restaurant and we were on a first-name basis with the wait staff. But that's not the case. We're easily remembered because we're probably one of the few minority people that they deal with. And yah, it's all good, but there's often that puti mentality that seeps in that bugs the crap out of me. I mean, was it a coincidence today that while I was at Barnes & Nobles, that the cash register guy was less than cordial with me? Hey, forget about all the other customers that he was overly friendly and gung-ho with, who also just happened to be white. And why was that one worker lurking when I was near the back corner? Did they think I was going to steal something? Coincidence? I think not.
The Midwest is a totally different world. Okay, so it's not as backwards as I thought it would be...LOL, I didn't know what to think! For all I knew before we moved here was that we'd be in boonyville. Oh wait! We ARE in boonyville! On the real, and I've discussed this with hubby countless times since our move here, that had we been born and raised here, we would 100% think differently than we do now. But the fact that we're CA born and raised, our mentality about almost everything clashes with the MN mentality and way of life. Depending on which way you look at it, it could be a good thing or not. I will admit to the pride I tend to boast about coming from and being raised in an openminded and culturally rich society such as da Bay. Albeit MN is culturally diverse people-wise, but it doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is so accepting...civil, yes, but accepting? Hmmmm... 'Tis just a different world here in our neck of the woods is all...
Overexposure
Yesterday's temps was up in the 70's. It was so nice that I decided to finish reading "The Da Vinci Code" outside on our patio. I wore shorts, a tank top, and headed out with a bottle of tanning oil. A couple hours later, I have this awkward tan line across my thighs, but I'm stoked because I have color. Yay! Later on in the day, I scratch my shoulder and immediately feel a sting of pain. I glimpse in the mirror and notice that holy crap, I'm red! After seeing the red skin, the need to rub and scratch takes over. By the time I go to bed, my body is covered and is still covered by these red, itchy, bumpy welts. I had gone and given myself the hives or something! I think that because it's been so long that I haven't had any exposure to the sun that my body couldn't take it. Sunburn so sucks...but once it all heals, I'll be out and about again. LOL!
Standing Out
A funny thing happened to me today. I went to Target to drop off some film at the one-hour processing. The girl behind the counter filled out the envelope for me which included asking me how to spell my last name. A couple hours later, I head back to pick them up. The line is short, but I'm not helped right away. When the same gal gets to me, I'm expecting the whole "Can I help you?" bit, but turns out that she already got my pictures and tells me the total. Hmmmm...either that girl has a good memory of her customers or maybe, just maybe, it's easy to remember the brown girl with the funky-hard-to-pronounce-even-though-it's-phonetic-last-name. It kinda caught me off-guard, but whatever.
That happened last week when hubby and I went to get our taxes done. We went to an actual accountant-I know, whoa, huh? After being seated in his office, accountant dude asks our names and again, asks us to spell our last name. He looked up from his writing pad and says, "I take it you guys aren't from Iowa." EH?! Later I told hubby that his comment could've been taken in a totally inappropriate way, but again, whatever...as long as he does our taxes and doesn't jack us, right? A couple of days later, we return to sign off on everything and right when we walk into the office, the secretary automatically pulls from the pile OUR file. No "And your name is?" or "You're the so-and-so family, correct?" None of that. Hubby and I joked that we're probably his only non-white clients...and if that were the case, I wouldn't be surprised.
I knew once we moved here that we would stand out, but it's unnerving sometimes. I think it would be different if, say, we were regulars at a restaurant and we were on a first-name basis with the wait staff. But that's not the case. We're easily remembered because we're probably one of the few minority people that they deal with. And yah, it's all good, but there's often that puti mentality that seeps in that bugs the crap out of me. I mean, was it a coincidence today that while I was at Barnes & Nobles, that the cash register guy was less than cordial with me? Hey, forget about all the other customers that he was overly friendly and gung-ho with, who also just happened to be white. And why was that one worker lurking when I was near the back corner? Did they think I was going to steal something? Coincidence? I think not.
The Midwest is a totally different world. Okay, so it's not as backwards as I thought it would be...LOL, I didn't know what to think! For all I knew before we moved here was that we'd be in boonyville. Oh wait! We ARE in boonyville! On the real, and I've discussed this with hubby countless times since our move here, that had we been born and raised here, we would 100% think differently than we do now. But the fact that we're CA born and raised, our mentality about almost everything clashes with the MN mentality and way of life. Depending on which way you look at it, it could be a good thing or not. I will admit to the pride I tend to boast about coming from and being raised in an openminded and culturally rich society such as da Bay. Albeit MN is culturally diverse people-wise, but it doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is so accepting...civil, yes, but accepting? Hmmmm... 'Tis just a different world here in our neck of the woods is all...
Overexposure
Yesterday's temps was up in the 70's. It was so nice that I decided to finish reading "The Da Vinci Code" outside on our patio. I wore shorts, a tank top, and headed out with a bottle of tanning oil. A couple hours later, I have this awkward tan line across my thighs, but I'm stoked because I have color. Yay! Later on in the day, I scratch my shoulder and immediately feel a sting of pain. I glimpse in the mirror and notice that holy crap, I'm red! After seeing the red skin, the need to rub and scratch takes over. By the time I go to bed, my body is covered and is still covered by these red, itchy, bumpy welts. I had gone and given myself the hives or something! I think that because it's been so long that I haven't had any exposure to the sun that my body couldn't take it. Sunburn so sucks...but once it all heals, I'll be out and about again. LOL!
Monday, April 18, 2005
My Latest Obsession
I have a new book and author to add to my favorites. First off, let me just say that when this book first came out, I did not allow myself to get caught up in the hoopla of it all. I was only a tad knowledgable of what the plot was about. My sister had tried to convince me to drop everything else to read this, but for some reason, I wasn't interested. I did know, however, that it was a book that I would want to eventually read and add to my own library. This past Christmas, it was one of the gifts I received from hubby and since then, has been sitting all nicely between Judy Blume and Alexandre Dumas...until Saturday.
Just a sidenote on my love for books. I am one of those people that could spend an entire day at Barnes & Nobles and/or Borders. In fact, I always try and make sure that hubby is in the mood to actually browse around because I don't like the feeling of being rushed to browse myself. I make a point to pick through the sales items because there is ALWAYS something there. I am strictly a lover of fiction, although I do tend to glimpse at the nonfiction once in a while. I'm not totally closed to that genre; it just so happens that most of the books I buy are fiction. I have my favorites and lately, I am set on getting hardbacks for the books I already have OR I am attempting to immerse myself back into the classics. Classics, as in, books that I was forced to read in high school and never really understood, enjoyed, or appreciated. Reading Shakespeare or Fitzgerald today is a totally different experience. Even though I know I have read it before, it is as if I'm reading it for the very first time. Also, as I browse and walk, walk and browse through stacks and stacks of books, I have the tendancy to buy on impulse. The impulse is so strong that I could very well have a pile of books that have yet to be read for years. Whenever I have to choose a new book to read, I actually scan through all of the titles as I run my fingers down the spine of the books. There are some titles that I have repeatedly tried to read, but have never gone past the first chapter. At the same time, there are books that I have read over and over again. Something has to compell me to read a book, whether it is a feeling or mood...and for whatever reason, something drove me to finally pick up The Da Vinci Code.
From the moment I picked it up, it was a task in itself to put it back down...even to sleep. After the first few pages, the momentum of the story keeps building and building. Plus, this mystery thriller just blows me away. Its historically research based and the reality of secret societies and theories of clues left behind in paintings is overwhelmingly eerie. It got me thinking of what the "truth" really is.
In any case, if you haven't read this book already, GO GET IT! I've already handed it over to speedreader hubby who is practically halfway done. For those who have read it, I can only wonder if you went Da Vinci Code crazy afterwards. (Must get Angels and Demons now!)
Here are some of the sites that are fun to browse and practice your cryptology skills...surprisingly, I'm not too shabby!
Dan Brown
Uncover the Code1
Uncover the Code2
Da Vinci Code Research Guide
I have a new book and author to add to my favorites. First off, let me just say that when this book first came out, I did not allow myself to get caught up in the hoopla of it all. I was only a tad knowledgable of what the plot was about. My sister had tried to convince me to drop everything else to read this, but for some reason, I wasn't interested. I did know, however, that it was a book that I would want to eventually read and add to my own library. This past Christmas, it was one of the gifts I received from hubby and since then, has been sitting all nicely between Judy Blume and Alexandre Dumas...until Saturday.
Just a sidenote on my love for books. I am one of those people that could spend an entire day at Barnes & Nobles and/or Borders. In fact, I always try and make sure that hubby is in the mood to actually browse around because I don't like the feeling of being rushed to browse myself. I make a point to pick through the sales items because there is ALWAYS something there. I am strictly a lover of fiction, although I do tend to glimpse at the nonfiction once in a while. I'm not totally closed to that genre; it just so happens that most of the books I buy are fiction. I have my favorites and lately, I am set on getting hardbacks for the books I already have OR I am attempting to immerse myself back into the classics. Classics, as in, books that I was forced to read in high school and never really understood, enjoyed, or appreciated. Reading Shakespeare or Fitzgerald today is a totally different experience. Even though I know I have read it before, it is as if I'm reading it for the very first time. Also, as I browse and walk, walk and browse through stacks and stacks of books, I have the tendancy to buy on impulse. The impulse is so strong that I could very well have a pile of books that have yet to be read for years. Whenever I have to choose a new book to read, I actually scan through all of the titles as I run my fingers down the spine of the books. There are some titles that I have repeatedly tried to read, but have never gone past the first chapter. At the same time, there are books that I have read over and over again. Something has to compell me to read a book, whether it is a feeling or mood...and for whatever reason, something drove me to finally pick up The Da Vinci Code.
From the moment I picked it up, it was a task in itself to put it back down...even to sleep. After the first few pages, the momentum of the story keeps building and building. Plus, this mystery thriller just blows me away. Its historically research based and the reality of secret societies and theories of clues left behind in paintings is overwhelmingly eerie. It got me thinking of what the "truth" really is.
In any case, if you haven't read this book already, GO GET IT! I've already handed it over to speedreader hubby who is practically halfway done. For those who have read it, I can only wonder if you went Da Vinci Code crazy afterwards. (Must get Angels and Demons now!)
Here are some of the sites that are fun to browse and practice your cryptology skills...surprisingly, I'm not too shabby!
Dan Brown
Uncover the Code1
Uncover the Code2
Da Vinci Code Research Guide
Friday, April 15, 2005
April 15 Deadline
I'm assuming ya'll did your taxes already.
I had another sort of deadline today. Still riding the high of miraculously passing those teacher prep tests, I came across an ad in the paper for a job opening. The Catholic elementary school just down the street from where we live have openings for a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher. Like I mentioned before, failing those tests would've been the sign telling me that teaching wasn't for me. But the tables have turned now. How two test scores could somehow instill hope in pursuing this profession is beyond me! In any case, since I learned of the job openings, I've been working on getting my cover letter, resume, and recommendation letters together. Today was the deadline to turn everything in. We took the less-than-two-minutes-by-car drive to the school so I could drop it off. (How dope would that commute be?!) As I walked in the front door, a class in single file line passed me by. It was too cute...all of them decked out in the uniforms...brought back a lot of memories.
Hopefully they'll call to set up an interview. Keep your fingers crossed...I'll keep ya'll posted!
Birthday Shout-Outs
Sending some birthday love and hugs to my #1 Roomie of all time, Heidi! Homegirl and I met back in the summer of 1990 during our trip to the former U.S.S.R. Her Connecticut crew and my San Francisco gang partnered up for this three-week student exchange/ambassador trip through People to People Caravan. Students across the U.S. are chosen, sent to Washington D.C. for a few days where you meet the group that you will travel with throughout the entire 3 weeks, flown to Moscow, and from there, begin a three-week adventure of visiting student camps, schools, cities, ambassadors, and staying with various families. When we were shacked up in a hotel, Heidi and I were usually partnered up and that's why I refer to her as my roomie. After that trip, we wrote letters ALL THE TIME. She even came to visit da City once. Slowly but surely, letters began trickling in once a month, every few months, and then settled on birthdays and Christmas. There were a couple of years that we totally lost contact. We then reestablished correspondance and hubby and I even went to visit her in CT. After all this time and distance, we remain good close friends. I have a lot of great memories of Heidi from that trip...after all, it was with her that I had my first real drink! LOL! On the real, I could probably go on and on about Heidi. She celebrates her 32nd tomorrow- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Oh! And let's not forget Ibalik's 32nd birthday bash tomorrow, too! That fool has up and left us behind in the Midwest for the hot desert sun of Vegas. Boo...we miss you! Anyways, hope you have a good one...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARE!
I'm assuming ya'll did your taxes already.
I had another sort of deadline today. Still riding the high of miraculously passing those teacher prep tests, I came across an ad in the paper for a job opening. The Catholic elementary school just down the street from where we live have openings for a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher. Like I mentioned before, failing those tests would've been the sign telling me that teaching wasn't for me. But the tables have turned now. How two test scores could somehow instill hope in pursuing this profession is beyond me! In any case, since I learned of the job openings, I've been working on getting my cover letter, resume, and recommendation letters together. Today was the deadline to turn everything in. We took the less-than-two-minutes-by-car drive to the school so I could drop it off. (How dope would that commute be?!) As I walked in the front door, a class in single file line passed me by. It was too cute...all of them decked out in the uniforms...brought back a lot of memories.
Hopefully they'll call to set up an interview. Keep your fingers crossed...I'll keep ya'll posted!
Birthday Shout-Outs
Sending some birthday love and hugs to my #1 Roomie of all time, Heidi! Homegirl and I met back in the summer of 1990 during our trip to the former U.S.S.R. Her Connecticut crew and my San Francisco gang partnered up for this three-week student exchange/ambassador trip through People to People Caravan. Students across the U.S. are chosen, sent to Washington D.C. for a few days where you meet the group that you will travel with throughout the entire 3 weeks, flown to Moscow, and from there, begin a three-week adventure of visiting student camps, schools, cities, ambassadors, and staying with various families. When we were shacked up in a hotel, Heidi and I were usually partnered up and that's why I refer to her as my roomie. After that trip, we wrote letters ALL THE TIME. She even came to visit da City once. Slowly but surely, letters began trickling in once a month, every few months, and then settled on birthdays and Christmas. There were a couple of years that we totally lost contact. We then reestablished correspondance and hubby and I even went to visit her in CT. After all this time and distance, we remain good close friends. I have a lot of great memories of Heidi from that trip...after all, it was with her that I had my first real drink! LOL! On the real, I could probably go on and on about Heidi. She celebrates her 32nd tomorrow- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Oh! And let's not forget Ibalik's 32nd birthday bash tomorrow, too! That fool has up and left us behind in the Midwest for the hot desert sun of Vegas. Boo...we miss you! Anyways, hope you have a good one...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARE!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Live Aid
"It's Christmas time. There's no need to be afraid. At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade. And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy. Put your arms around the world, it's Christmas time..."
Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was the talk of the town back in '84. The world was introduced to the realities of starving third world countries in Africa. The famine. The drought. The devastation. Lack of food. Lack of medicine. And displaced thousands of sick and dying. It was probably one of the first times that we ever saw just how destitute countries like Ethiopia was. Images of flies buzzing around the faces of young children with enlarged heads and tiny skeletal bodies would haunt us forever. People were so nalnourished that their bodies were consuming themselves to death. Bob Geldof would organize "the day rock and roll changed the world." His idea to raise money by holding an all-day concert on two continents featuring the hottest bands and musicians came to fruition. The day that would go down in rock and roll history was July 13, 1985.
I got a package from Amazon.com the other day. Seeing that neither hubby or I had ordered anything lately, I thought there might be some mistake. I opened the box to find the LiveAid dvd! Ya'll can't imagine my excitement! I've been wanting to get this since it came out, but we just never got around to it. Turns out that Mommy Hernandez sent it as a birthday gift! Seeing that we were both HUGE fans of the same bands back in elementary school, the gift seemed most fitting to come from her. In her little note, she wrote, "Wish I could be there to watch it with you and reminisce about the good old days. Thank you for being my friend since before Live Aid was even filmed!" Wow...just another reminder of how old I am! LOL! Thanks for the awesome gift, Mommy Hernandez!
In any case, if you're a fellow Generation X-er, I guarantee that this will be one of the best additions to your DVD collection. It will send you down memory lane dancing old skool moves and singing lyrics word for word that have been committed in your brain for all time. Overall, it's a piece of history that I'm positive you'll want to have.
"It's Christmas time. There's no need to be afraid. At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade. And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy. Put your arms around the world, it's Christmas time..."
Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was the talk of the town back in '84. The world was introduced to the realities of starving third world countries in Africa. The famine. The drought. The devastation. Lack of food. Lack of medicine. And displaced thousands of sick and dying. It was probably one of the first times that we ever saw just how destitute countries like Ethiopia was. Images of flies buzzing around the faces of young children with enlarged heads and tiny skeletal bodies would haunt us forever. People were so nalnourished that their bodies were consuming themselves to death. Bob Geldof would organize "the day rock and roll changed the world." His idea to raise money by holding an all-day concert on two continents featuring the hottest bands and musicians came to fruition. The day that would go down in rock and roll history was July 13, 1985.
I got a package from Amazon.com the other day. Seeing that neither hubby or I had ordered anything lately, I thought there might be some mistake. I opened the box to find the LiveAid dvd! Ya'll can't imagine my excitement! I've been wanting to get this since it came out, but we just never got around to it. Turns out that Mommy Hernandez sent it as a birthday gift! Seeing that we were both HUGE fans of the same bands back in elementary school, the gift seemed most fitting to come from her. In her little note, she wrote, "Wish I could be there to watch it with you and reminisce about the good old days. Thank you for being my friend since before Live Aid was even filmed!" Wow...just another reminder of how old I am! LOL! Thanks for the awesome gift, Mommy Hernandez!
In any case, if you're a fellow Generation X-er, I guarantee that this will be one of the best additions to your DVD collection. It will send you down memory lane dancing old skool moves and singing lyrics word for word that have been committed in your brain for all time. Overall, it's a piece of history that I'm positive you'll want to have.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Test Results
I just HAVE to share. Rewind to last month when I had to take two teacher prep courses. I was studying my ass off because it was imperative that I pass these on the first try. Then as Murphy's Law would have it, I scrubbed on the slippery sidewalk. Not only did my backside hurt like a muther, but I was left bloodied as I took the tests. I was sure that this was somehow a sign that I wasn't meant to pass and become a teacher. I was sure that some force was telling me that I had to start looking for another career. As I took the tests, I found myself guessing and at best, trying to see how many times I could spell D-A-D and other simple three-letter words. If worst came to worst, ya'll know that I would've went with Cs all the way down. The multiple choice was difficult. The short answer test required 12 written responses and I only completed 9. Needless to say, I was sure that I failed.
Fast forward to yesterday. The letter came in the mail. Although it was one of the first things hubby saw in the pile, I automatically put it on the bottom and continued to open up everything else, even credit card applications. I was scared and nervous. I KNEW in my heart that I had failed, but to see the score itself would've been like stamping a big fat red FAILED across my forehead. I was just postponing the inevitable.
On the Elementary Ed: Content Knowledge test, I scored a 157.
The passing score was 140.
On the Principles of Learning & Teaching, I scored a 170.
The passing score was 152.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I FREAKIN' PASSED MY TESTS!
In all honesty, I don't know HOW the heck that happened. All I know is that Someone was watching out for me that day. Amen to the big guy upstairs- whoo hoo!
Okay...I just had to share that bit of good news. I'm going to go treat myself to some ice cream now. Peace out!
I just HAVE to share. Rewind to last month when I had to take two teacher prep courses. I was studying my ass off because it was imperative that I pass these on the first try. Then as Murphy's Law would have it, I scrubbed on the slippery sidewalk. Not only did my backside hurt like a muther, but I was left bloodied as I took the tests. I was sure that this was somehow a sign that I wasn't meant to pass and become a teacher. I was sure that some force was telling me that I had to start looking for another career. As I took the tests, I found myself guessing and at best, trying to see how many times I could spell D-A-D and other simple three-letter words. If worst came to worst, ya'll know that I would've went with Cs all the way down. The multiple choice was difficult. The short answer test required 12 written responses and I only completed 9. Needless to say, I was sure that I failed.
Fast forward to yesterday. The letter came in the mail. Although it was one of the first things hubby saw in the pile, I automatically put it on the bottom and continued to open up everything else, even credit card applications. I was scared and nervous. I KNEW in my heart that I had failed, but to see the score itself would've been like stamping a big fat red FAILED across my forehead. I was just postponing the inevitable.
On the Elementary Ed: Content Knowledge test, I scored a 157.
The passing score was 140.
On the Principles of Learning & Teaching, I scored a 170.
The passing score was 152.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I FREAKIN' PASSED MY TESTS!
In all honesty, I don't know HOW the heck that happened. All I know is that Someone was watching out for me that day. Amen to the big guy upstairs- whoo hoo!
Okay...I just had to share that bit of good news. I'm going to go treat myself to some ice cream now. Peace out!
Monday, April 11, 2005
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Fever Pitch
Watched this baseball/romantic comedy last night with hubby- it was too cute! I love Drew Barrymore playing these types of characters and I have to say, I now see Jimmy Fallon in a different light. He plays a teacher in the movie and his quirks and characteristics are totally endearing making him, in my eyes, even cute. He's still hilarious, but not his usual over-the-top. With baseball season just beginning (Yay!), this movie will help get you in baseball mode. Or, if you just want another flick to bring your significant other, this one will do just fine as well.
Hubby and I are stoked that the SF Giants and San Diego Padres are headed to the Twin Cities. We even got Eastbay planning a trip from CA to watch with us! Any other takers? Ya'll are invited to help us cheer the Giants and Padres on!
Go watch Fever Pitch- we give it a two thumbs up!
Watched this baseball/romantic comedy last night with hubby- it was too cute! I love Drew Barrymore playing these types of characters and I have to say, I now see Jimmy Fallon in a different light. He plays a teacher in the movie and his quirks and characteristics are totally endearing making him, in my eyes, even cute. He's still hilarious, but not his usual over-the-top. With baseball season just beginning (Yay!), this movie will help get you in baseball mode. Or, if you just want another flick to bring your significant other, this one will do just fine as well.
Hubby and I are stoked that the SF Giants and San Diego Padres are headed to the Twin Cities. We even got Eastbay planning a trip from CA to watch with us! Any other takers? Ya'll are invited to help us cheer the Giants and Padres on!
Go watch Fever Pitch- we give it a two thumbs up!
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Belated Birthday Recap
For my birthday, I decided that I wanted to go to the zoo. Perhaps it was inspiration from J & Rho, who knows. Hubby had taken the day off so that we could play tourist for the day. We headed to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. Not only did we go because we thought we were living next to some lil' known treasure spot, but also because it was free. And yes people, free is good.
The day was mildly nippy compared to the beautiful weather we just had for Easter. Thank goodness the temps have been steadily rising- as more clothes shed from hibernation-tired bodies, the more I am convinced that I need a tan- LOL! FYI to those who are interested in a trip out here in the near future- the temps have been a comfortable 60s with gentle breezes. It dips into the 40s/50s in the evenings, but by late afternoons, it's reached the mid-70s. We're just having nice weather all around and it should continue well into mid-September. Okay...that's my plug!
We visited the conservatory first. Two words: breathtakingly beautiful. Okay, perhaps that's a bit too complimentary, but after having seen white snow everywhere for winter and now dead, sh*t-brown grass, any other color is pleasantly inviting to the senses. There was one particular garden room that I wanted to see. This pic on the website was pretty, but in-person, it was 10x moreso. Right when you walk in, you find yourself on a mini-terrace that overlooks a long rectangular pool with a fountain. A few steps down, you're literally enveloped by an entire room filled with flowers of every color. The fragrance, surprisingly, wasn't as overpowering as I would have assumed. In fact, for lack of a better adjective, it just smelled pretty. My favorites were the tulips. I still can't decide whether they're prettier closed or in bloom! There were bunches in yellows, reds, pinks, and purples...simply beautiful. There were so many other types of flowers as well, but those stood out the most. The other gardens weren't too impressive, although in the "plants from around the world" garden, we did find a calamansi tree from PI! The smell all but took me back to my parents' backyard where our very own calamansi tree towers above everything else. I had to take a couple of good whiffs before moving on.
From there, we headed outside to the zoo area. Compared to the San Francisco Zoo, this one was very small. One of the first things that we noticed as we began walking around was how empty the place was. Not empty in terms of people...empty in terms of animals. Where were they? We walked up to an outside exhibit and there was a sign that said something like, "The winters have been cold. Come visit us inside!" Wow. I had never given it much thought until that day that these poor animals would not be able to survive the MN winters. We went to all the "houses"- large cat, monkey, hoofed animals....ugh, the hoofed animal house. Can I just say "foul smelling?" The animals in question were the zebras and the giraffes. These poor animals' temporary homes were a basic white room with a large fencing perimeter (think Jurassic Park-like for the T-Rex), food on the floors, and feces everywhere. The stench was too much that hubby couldn't even take a foot inside the room for fear of yakking. You can't help but feel sorry for them. The rooms are bare and don't leave much walking space either. Poor things. One of cutest things that I saw and I totally wished I had taken a picture of was in the monkey house. There was a big group watching the chimpanzees doing their thing- swinging from the ropes, grooming themselves, and carrying their babies on their backs. There were some monkeys that walked right up to the glass partition and basically stared at the people staring at them. There were some lil' kids waving and knocking on the window (even though it clearly says not to knock on the windows). One of the little girls had simply placed her hand flat out on the window when one of the monkeys, about her size, came up and did the same. It was as if they were touching hands! It probably wasn't even a full-minute, and in all corniness, I think there was a "connection." It was the most adorable thing!
After spending time at the zoo (all one hour and a half!), we headed to Mall of America. It was a last minute decision to head to Underwater Adventures Aquarium. Hubby kept insisting, but I wasn't sure that the hiked up fee would be worth it. Honestly, it was okay. During the "walk" in the tunnel, there were tons of fish to gape at and stories that I found pretty interesting. For example, there's an exhibit that held the different species of fish and animals that could be found in the Mississippi River. Let's just say that the Mississippi ain't a place to go swimming...there's just way too many critters down under that won't make for a pleasant encounter. There was also a tidepool for the lil' kiddies to stick their hands and touch, but unlike the usual starfish or crabs, there were baby sharks, eels, and stingrays. After hearing all the how-to and don't-do directions, I have to admit that I was too chickensh*t to touch anything. I was hyping myself to get the sticker that says, "I touched a shark!", but couldn't do it. Oh well...those lil' 5 year-olds got more balls than I do!
When we were buying tickets to the Underwater Adventures, we got suckered into buying a Behind the Scenes tour as well. This was, I thought, very cool. We were taken to the fridge area where we got to see what gets fed what on what day and how much. Not that it's any interest to ya'll, but the food included other types of fish to live crickets to frozen mice. Ewww. Gave me the willies. We were taken to a lab where we were shown different specimens in formaldehyde filled jars, told how they do autopsies, and how they perform various tests on everything. Quite informational. The highlight was taking us above the water tanks where you could literally see the tunnel in which we just walked through. I wasn't too thrilled at the idea of seeing a shark that close, but we were told that they don't like to surface much. We did see other fish though and even got to throw in some cut up clams to feed them. For the extra $5.95, I thought it was cool to see a lot of the stuff that others normally wouldn't.
Lastly, and this is probably because we had just seen so much fish, we had dinner at Bubba Gumps. It was a nice way to celebrate my birthday, especially after having been pampered with a new haircut and color at the salon the day before.
Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes, egreetings, and phonecalls! I survived the day with only ONE April Fool's joke c/o my sister...and just for the record, she is NOT PREGNANT! LOL! Thanks to hubby for taking the day off and making the day special. Love and hugs to you all!
For my birthday, I decided that I wanted to go to the zoo. Perhaps it was inspiration from J & Rho, who knows. Hubby had taken the day off so that we could play tourist for the day. We headed to Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. Not only did we go because we thought we were living next to some lil' known treasure spot, but also because it was free. And yes people, free is good.
The day was mildly nippy compared to the beautiful weather we just had for Easter. Thank goodness the temps have been steadily rising- as more clothes shed from hibernation-tired bodies, the more I am convinced that I need a tan- LOL! FYI to those who are interested in a trip out here in the near future- the temps have been a comfortable 60s with gentle breezes. It dips into the 40s/50s in the evenings, but by late afternoons, it's reached the mid-70s. We're just having nice weather all around and it should continue well into mid-September. Okay...that's my plug!
We visited the conservatory first. Two words: breathtakingly beautiful. Okay, perhaps that's a bit too complimentary, but after having seen white snow everywhere for winter and now dead, sh*t-brown grass, any other color is pleasantly inviting to the senses. There was one particular garden room that I wanted to see. This pic on the website was pretty, but in-person, it was 10x moreso. Right when you walk in, you find yourself on a mini-terrace that overlooks a long rectangular pool with a fountain. A few steps down, you're literally enveloped by an entire room filled with flowers of every color. The fragrance, surprisingly, wasn't as overpowering as I would have assumed. In fact, for lack of a better adjective, it just smelled pretty. My favorites were the tulips. I still can't decide whether they're prettier closed or in bloom! There were bunches in yellows, reds, pinks, and purples...simply beautiful. There were so many other types of flowers as well, but those stood out the most. The other gardens weren't too impressive, although in the "plants from around the world" garden, we did find a calamansi tree from PI! The smell all but took me back to my parents' backyard where our very own calamansi tree towers above everything else. I had to take a couple of good whiffs before moving on.
From there, we headed outside to the zoo area. Compared to the San Francisco Zoo, this one was very small. One of the first things that we noticed as we began walking around was how empty the place was. Not empty in terms of people...empty in terms of animals. Where were they? We walked up to an outside exhibit and there was a sign that said something like, "The winters have been cold. Come visit us inside!" Wow. I had never given it much thought until that day that these poor animals would not be able to survive the MN winters. We went to all the "houses"- large cat, monkey, hoofed animals....ugh, the hoofed animal house. Can I just say "foul smelling?" The animals in question were the zebras and the giraffes. These poor animals' temporary homes were a basic white room with a large fencing perimeter (think Jurassic Park-like for the T-Rex), food on the floors, and feces everywhere. The stench was too much that hubby couldn't even take a foot inside the room for fear of yakking. You can't help but feel sorry for them. The rooms are bare and don't leave much walking space either. Poor things. One of cutest things that I saw and I totally wished I had taken a picture of was in the monkey house. There was a big group watching the chimpanzees doing their thing- swinging from the ropes, grooming themselves, and carrying their babies on their backs. There were some monkeys that walked right up to the glass partition and basically stared at the people staring at them. There were some lil' kids waving and knocking on the window (even though it clearly says not to knock on the windows). One of the little girls had simply placed her hand flat out on the window when one of the monkeys, about her size, came up and did the same. It was as if they were touching hands! It probably wasn't even a full-minute, and in all corniness, I think there was a "connection." It was the most adorable thing!
After spending time at the zoo (all one hour and a half!), we headed to Mall of America. It was a last minute decision to head to Underwater Adventures Aquarium. Hubby kept insisting, but I wasn't sure that the hiked up fee would be worth it. Honestly, it was okay. During the "walk" in the tunnel, there were tons of fish to gape at and stories that I found pretty interesting. For example, there's an exhibit that held the different species of fish and animals that could be found in the Mississippi River. Let's just say that the Mississippi ain't a place to go swimming...there's just way too many critters down under that won't make for a pleasant encounter. There was also a tidepool for the lil' kiddies to stick their hands and touch, but unlike the usual starfish or crabs, there were baby sharks, eels, and stingrays. After hearing all the how-to and don't-do directions, I have to admit that I was too chickensh*t to touch anything. I was hyping myself to get the sticker that says, "I touched a shark!", but couldn't do it. Oh well...those lil' 5 year-olds got more balls than I do!
When we were buying tickets to the Underwater Adventures, we got suckered into buying a Behind the Scenes tour as well. This was, I thought, very cool. We were taken to the fridge area where we got to see what gets fed what on what day and how much. Not that it's any interest to ya'll, but the food included other types of fish to live crickets to frozen mice. Ewww. Gave me the willies. We were taken to a lab where we were shown different specimens in formaldehyde filled jars, told how they do autopsies, and how they perform various tests on everything. Quite informational. The highlight was taking us above the water tanks where you could literally see the tunnel in which we just walked through. I wasn't too thrilled at the idea of seeing a shark that close, but we were told that they don't like to surface much. We did see other fish though and even got to throw in some cut up clams to feed them. For the extra $5.95, I thought it was cool to see a lot of the stuff that others normally wouldn't.
Lastly, and this is probably because we had just seen so much fish, we had dinner at Bubba Gumps. It was a nice way to celebrate my birthday, especially after having been pampered with a new haircut and color at the salon the day before.
Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes, egreetings, and phonecalls! I survived the day with only ONE April Fool's joke c/o my sister...and just for the record, she is NOT PREGNANT! LOL! Thanks to hubby for taking the day off and making the day special. Love and hugs to you all!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
An April Fool's Reflections
Turning 31 has somehow made me feel my age...and I'm okay with that. They say that your 30s are the best years of your life. It's funny because I have probably heard that phrase referring to almost every decade from the teens on up.
Looking back 20 years ago ('cuz egads, I can actually do that!), all I had to worry about was going to school, doing my homework, and making sure that I did my chores around the house. Okay, hold up, let me be real. Those weren't the only worries I had. Being an 11-year old 6th grader was pretty awesome for me. In the beginning of 6th grade, I was seated next to a new student who would eventually become one of my best friends. Sure, we were put together by way of alphabetical order seating, but since day one, we became inseparable. D moved from New York. Even though she was a teeny tiny Pinay, she was one tough chick. She just so happened to be cousins with Vic, the son of one of my mom's friends from PI. I've had the (unfortunate) luck of having to sit next to him for the past couple of years before D came...damn that alphabetical order! Anyways, shortly after, D was at my house constantly. Since we hung out so much, we decided to "explore" the city after school. Explore, meaning, pretend that we were at the library studying when we were really taking BART or MUNI to Pier 39 or hanging out down Mission at Round Table with the rest of the gang. As long as we made it home before my parents got home, it was cool. During the many times I didn't make it home on time, D always saved my butt. My parents loved her 'cuz she spoke Tagalog and for some odd reason, that was enough to trust her. She'd do her cutesy smile and indulge them in conversation and all would be well in the world. But, she didn't do it just to save my butt, she honestly liked my parents as her own.
As frightening as it is to think about NOW, 6th grade was when everyone starting "going" with someone else. Going where, you ask? Hahaha, yes, going out with a boy or girl...as in, going steady. It sounds so old-fashioned, but the whole puberty and hormonal changes were working overtime. Of course, I don't really count any of the "boyfriends" I had in elementary school, but at the time, the drama that came was HUGE! "Couples" would last all of a week, a month, and very surprisingly, a year. Those that ended a week later were sure to "rebound" with another one shortly afterward. It was almost like an episode of Melrose Place...just without all of the sex stuff. Whenever I reminisce about my grade school days, I liken them somehow to the movie Porky's....again, just without all of the sex stuff! It's more towards the group of friends I had back then. In high school, sure I had my girlfriends, but the friends I had in grade school really stuck up for each other. We all had each other's back. It was as if there wasn't anything that we wouldn't do for each other bach then...as young as we were, those were the best kinds of friendships I've had.
Looking back 10 years ago, I would have definitely said that the 20s were the best years of my life. I was a college student living it up. I can honestly say that I had way too much fun in college. In fact, I can only vaguely remember my classes and can vividly recall my PACE years. Sure there were demonstrations and rallies to attend, papers to write, notes to copy, classes to snooze in, and classes to cut, but what I take from my college years is all the friendships I've made and yes, even lost. After graduation, my girlfriends and I would hit the clubs on the weekends. There was a point in time where I felt that we were going almost every week! Egads...I don't think I'd be able to do that anymore. I am pretty much content with spending a quiet evening at home, popping a DVD in, and snuggling next to my hubby. Whereas I would stay out until the wee hours of the morning, I now get sleepy around 10:30pm. And although I haven't consumed much alcohol as of late, I believe that I could still hold my own. The 20s were fun and liberating times. It was in my 20s where my relationships with my family went to hell and back. It was where I went from wanting a relationship with a guy to wanting a relationship with myself. It was where I found so much about the person I used to be, the person I was, and the person that I wanted to become. We always talked about coming "full circle" in everything that we did and looking back, we did.
As I embark another year into the 30s, life hasn't been the greatest...yet. I'm a believer that people have to experience some really bad shit in their lives to prepare for all of the good stuff that is to come. Everyone has had their share of ups and downs, hell, it's a part of life. It ain't called "growing pains" for nothing. Personally, I have touched rock bottom. It wasn't a happy place. It was a dark, gloomy, lonely, and scary place...but I overcame that black hole in my life. From here on out, I can't go anywhere else but up. And as ironic as it may sound, I'm thankful for everything that has happened. I'm also a believer that all things happen for a reason. All of the things that I've experienced in my life thus far has led me to where I am today. It may not be where I originally thought I would end up, but it is here nonetheless. I feel that I've had a hand from above to help me each step of the way and that there's a purpose for each and every little thing that's transpired. Again I say, I'm okay with that.
At one point in a person's life, they have uttered the mantra of "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." I've heard it at graduation and I heard it on my wedding day. But when I say it today, it has a different meaning as, I'm sure, it does to each person at different times. I feel that I'm looking at life with brand new eyes...in fact, I HAVE to in order to move forward in my life. There were times when it seemed impossible and I couldn't, wouldn't allow myself to step away.
One of the things that I love about my birthday (and no, it doesn't involve any April Fool's jokes...I'm SO done with those!), is that it falls around the time of Easter. What an inspiration! The symbolism of being born again to new life...I'm reminded of the science experiment I'd do with my 3rd graders involving the "death" of the caterpillar and how it is later "reborn" into a butterfly. To me, it's all about starting over and being given a second chance.
31 is going to be THE year for me. To do what? I'm not exactly sure, but I'm positive that I'll be led "there" somehow.
Sad Goodbyes
So many deaths in so little time...it's such a sad time in our world today. The passing of Pope John Paul II was overwhelmingly sad. For many like myself, he's the only Pope that we've known. I may not have agreed with all of his philosophies of what the Roman Catholic church should believe in, but he was still a great man. He was called a lot of things, but out of all of them, "peace maker" stands out the most to me. It was sad to see his health deteriorate, but how apropos that he passed during the Easter season. He had a kind and gentle spirit about him and watching all of the news programs and clips of his life brought me to tears. I'm glad that his suffering is done and that he's home now.
Pope John Paul II. Terri Shiavo. It's just heartbreaking really. I also just found out that one of the teachers I worked with at Cornerstone recently passed away, too. I'm glad that I was able to see her the last time I was in CA. Miss Shirley looked so frail from her cancer treatments and yet, there she was working amid all them rugrats over there. I spoke to her about her health and told her that I'd keep her in my prayers, but it's always a shock to learn of someone's passing no matter how expected it is. Miss Shirley worked with my class for the two years out of my three and I was proud of the fact that she said that my classes were good and well-behaved. I'm really going to miss her.
Birthday Shout-Outs
April is just full of birthdays! Just wanted to wish hubby's bro, Kuya G, a happy 41st and dad-in-law celebrated his 69th yesterday, too! VirgoCapri's daughter, Kai, turned 5 last Saturday and my homegirl, Sharon, turns the big 3-0 tomorrow! Welcome to da club, girlfriend!
Oh yah, and last but not least, a Happy Birthday shout-out goes to ME! =)
Turning 31 has somehow made me feel my age...and I'm okay with that. They say that your 30s are the best years of your life. It's funny because I have probably heard that phrase referring to almost every decade from the teens on up.
Looking back 20 years ago ('cuz egads, I can actually do that!), all I had to worry about was going to school, doing my homework, and making sure that I did my chores around the house. Okay, hold up, let me be real. Those weren't the only worries I had. Being an 11-year old 6th grader was pretty awesome for me. In the beginning of 6th grade, I was seated next to a new student who would eventually become one of my best friends. Sure, we were put together by way of alphabetical order seating, but since day one, we became inseparable. D moved from New York. Even though she was a teeny tiny Pinay, she was one tough chick. She just so happened to be cousins with Vic, the son of one of my mom's friends from PI. I've had the (unfortunate) luck of having to sit next to him for the past couple of years before D came...damn that alphabetical order! Anyways, shortly after, D was at my house constantly. Since we hung out so much, we decided to "explore" the city after school. Explore, meaning, pretend that we were at the library studying when we were really taking BART or MUNI to Pier 39 or hanging out down Mission at Round Table with the rest of the gang. As long as we made it home before my parents got home, it was cool. During the many times I didn't make it home on time, D always saved my butt. My parents loved her 'cuz she spoke Tagalog and for some odd reason, that was enough to trust her. She'd do her cutesy smile and indulge them in conversation and all would be well in the world. But, she didn't do it just to save my butt, she honestly liked my parents as her own.
As frightening as it is to think about NOW, 6th grade was when everyone starting "going" with someone else. Going where, you ask? Hahaha, yes, going out with a boy or girl...as in, going steady. It sounds so old-fashioned, but the whole puberty and hormonal changes were working overtime. Of course, I don't really count any of the "boyfriends" I had in elementary school, but at the time, the drama that came was HUGE! "Couples" would last all of a week, a month, and very surprisingly, a year. Those that ended a week later were sure to "rebound" with another one shortly afterward. It was almost like an episode of Melrose Place...just without all of the sex stuff. Whenever I reminisce about my grade school days, I liken them somehow to the movie Porky's....again, just without all of the sex stuff! It's more towards the group of friends I had back then. In high school, sure I had my girlfriends, but the friends I had in grade school really stuck up for each other. We all had each other's back. It was as if there wasn't anything that we wouldn't do for each other bach then...as young as we were, those were the best kinds of friendships I've had.
Looking back 10 years ago, I would have definitely said that the 20s were the best years of my life. I was a college student living it up. I can honestly say that I had way too much fun in college. In fact, I can only vaguely remember my classes and can vividly recall my PACE years. Sure there were demonstrations and rallies to attend, papers to write, notes to copy, classes to snooze in, and classes to cut, but what I take from my college years is all the friendships I've made and yes, even lost. After graduation, my girlfriends and I would hit the clubs on the weekends. There was a point in time where I felt that we were going almost every week! Egads...I don't think I'd be able to do that anymore. I am pretty much content with spending a quiet evening at home, popping a DVD in, and snuggling next to my hubby. Whereas I would stay out until the wee hours of the morning, I now get sleepy around 10:30pm. And although I haven't consumed much alcohol as of late, I believe that I could still hold my own. The 20s were fun and liberating times. It was in my 20s where my relationships with my family went to hell and back. It was where I went from wanting a relationship with a guy to wanting a relationship with myself. It was where I found so much about the person I used to be, the person I was, and the person that I wanted to become. We always talked about coming "full circle" in everything that we did and looking back, we did.
As I embark another year into the 30s, life hasn't been the greatest...yet. I'm a believer that people have to experience some really bad shit in their lives to prepare for all of the good stuff that is to come. Everyone has had their share of ups and downs, hell, it's a part of life. It ain't called "growing pains" for nothing. Personally, I have touched rock bottom. It wasn't a happy place. It was a dark, gloomy, lonely, and scary place...but I overcame that black hole in my life. From here on out, I can't go anywhere else but up. And as ironic as it may sound, I'm thankful for everything that has happened. I'm also a believer that all things happen for a reason. All of the things that I've experienced in my life thus far has led me to where I am today. It may not be where I originally thought I would end up, but it is here nonetheless. I feel that I've had a hand from above to help me each step of the way and that there's a purpose for each and every little thing that's transpired. Again I say, I'm okay with that.
At one point in a person's life, they have uttered the mantra of "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." I've heard it at graduation and I heard it on my wedding day. But when I say it today, it has a different meaning as, I'm sure, it does to each person at different times. I feel that I'm looking at life with brand new eyes...in fact, I HAVE to in order to move forward in my life. There were times when it seemed impossible and I couldn't, wouldn't allow myself to step away.
One of the things that I love about my birthday (and no, it doesn't involve any April Fool's jokes...I'm SO done with those!), is that it falls around the time of Easter. What an inspiration! The symbolism of being born again to new life...I'm reminded of the science experiment I'd do with my 3rd graders involving the "death" of the caterpillar and how it is later "reborn" into a butterfly. To me, it's all about starting over and being given a second chance.
31 is going to be THE year for me. To do what? I'm not exactly sure, but I'm positive that I'll be led "there" somehow.
Sad Goodbyes
So many deaths in so little time...it's such a sad time in our world today. The passing of Pope John Paul II was overwhelmingly sad. For many like myself, he's the only Pope that we've known. I may not have agreed with all of his philosophies of what the Roman Catholic church should believe in, but he was still a great man. He was called a lot of things, but out of all of them, "peace maker" stands out the most to me. It was sad to see his health deteriorate, but how apropos that he passed during the Easter season. He had a kind and gentle spirit about him and watching all of the news programs and clips of his life brought me to tears. I'm glad that his suffering is done and that he's home now.
Pope John Paul II. Terri Shiavo. It's just heartbreaking really. I also just found out that one of the teachers I worked with at Cornerstone recently passed away, too. I'm glad that I was able to see her the last time I was in CA. Miss Shirley looked so frail from her cancer treatments and yet, there she was working amid all them rugrats over there. I spoke to her about her health and told her that I'd keep her in my prayers, but it's always a shock to learn of someone's passing no matter how expected it is. Miss Shirley worked with my class for the two years out of my three and I was proud of the fact that she said that my classes were good and well-behaved. I'm really going to miss her.
Birthday Shout-Outs
April is just full of birthdays! Just wanted to wish hubby's bro, Kuya G, a happy 41st and dad-in-law celebrated his 69th yesterday, too! VirgoCapri's daughter, Kai, turned 5 last Saturday and my homegirl, Sharon, turns the big 3-0 tomorrow! Welcome to da club, girlfriend!
Oh yah, and last but not least, a Happy Birthday shout-out goes to ME! =)
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