Discombobulated
There ain't nothing worse than when Target ups and changes its floor plan. Hubby and I walked went to Target today to buy a few essentials and what we found was a maze of lost people trying to find things in their usual places. It was crazy! Where the house plants used to be, there are now children's toys; where the candies used to be, there is now dental care; home improvement items were in the weirdest places, and it was only by chance that I got a glimpse of where the Q-tips were! While we were in our confused and irritated state of minds ('cuz it REALLY bothered me!), I was glad that we were not alone. We heard a number of people complain, too.
C'mon Target, what's the deal? No one likes to be confused when they're shopping...egads, do we need a map?! Do I need to boycott you guys for a while???
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Take Cover Now!
Okay, when you hear crap like this on the news, it's some pretty scary shit.
It had nothing to do with "War of the Worlds" (thank God!), but rather, it had to do with the weather. I swear, it never ends! You would think that this being my third summer here that I would be somewhat used to Midwest storms. I've honestly come to enjoy lightning storms because they give an awesome night show. Thunder still creeps me out. I never liked it and it was evident during tonight's storm as I almost dropped the plates I was washing when it cracked out of nowhere.
Tonight's storm was a biggie. On TV, it is not unusual to have continuous updates about the weather. There is usually a ticker on the bottom of the screen informing which counties of MN are going to get hit with severe weather. When they feel it necessary, whatever program you are watching will be interrupted and we'll get a live update, too. Again, this is not unusual. But as we were watching "Lost" tonight, the updates were popping on the screen every few minutes! Now I don't usually watch "Lost." I've actually always wanted to, but unfortunately it coincided with "Smallville" and well, WB rules. Here we are trying to get into the story, but we kept getting interrupted and of course, it happens during the most crucial scenes! What the heck!
We basically miss out on "Lost" and when the news finally comes on, it's just a continuation of weather alerts. They're talking that tonight's weather has created major damage in some parts of the state and that it might even be worse than winter weather! There's reports of hydroplaning, dangerous especially if you're near a lake, rising creeks and rivers, flash floods, fires caused by lightning, and my fave, tornadoes.
Remember how I said that this storm was a biggie? They show a map of where tornadoes are possible to form and also show parts of the state that have been hit hard. Well tonight's storm covered the entire state! But when the meteorologists discuss how unusual it is for this time of year, etc, or how bizarre they think it is to have so many tornado sightings and warnings, well heck, it's enough to raise my blood pressure! Oh yes, and the kicker. For those in areas where tornadoes may touch down and in case there is no basement in the house, take cover now! When you see the concern and seriousness of their tone, it freaks me out. While the storm has seemed to pass over, there is still a tornado watch until 3am.
I guess I ain't going to bed until 3am....just in case. Damn these Midwest storms!
Okay, when you hear crap like this on the news, it's some pretty scary shit.
It had nothing to do with "War of the Worlds" (thank God!), but rather, it had to do with the weather. I swear, it never ends! You would think that this being my third summer here that I would be somewhat used to Midwest storms. I've honestly come to enjoy lightning storms because they give an awesome night show. Thunder still creeps me out. I never liked it and it was evident during tonight's storm as I almost dropped the plates I was washing when it cracked out of nowhere.
Tonight's storm was a biggie. On TV, it is not unusual to have continuous updates about the weather. There is usually a ticker on the bottom of the screen informing which counties of MN are going to get hit with severe weather. When they feel it necessary, whatever program you are watching will be interrupted and we'll get a live update, too. Again, this is not unusual. But as we were watching "Lost" tonight, the updates were popping on the screen every few minutes! Now I don't usually watch "Lost." I've actually always wanted to, but unfortunately it coincided with "Smallville" and well, WB rules. Here we are trying to get into the story, but we kept getting interrupted and of course, it happens during the most crucial scenes! What the heck!
We basically miss out on "Lost" and when the news finally comes on, it's just a continuation of weather alerts. They're talking that tonight's weather has created major damage in some parts of the state and that it might even be worse than winter weather! There's reports of hydroplaning, dangerous especially if you're near a lake, rising creeks and rivers, flash floods, fires caused by lightning, and my fave, tornadoes.
Remember how I said that this storm was a biggie? They show a map of where tornadoes are possible to form and also show parts of the state that have been hit hard. Well tonight's storm covered the entire state! But when the meteorologists discuss how unusual it is for this time of year, etc, or how bizarre they think it is to have so many tornado sightings and warnings, well heck, it's enough to raise my blood pressure! Oh yes, and the kicker. For those in areas where tornadoes may touch down and in case there is no basement in the house, take cover now! When you see the concern and seriousness of their tone, it freaks me out. While the storm has seemed to pass over, there is still a tornado watch until 3am.
I guess I ain't going to bed until 3am....just in case. Damn these Midwest storms!
Summer Blockbuster
We just got back from watching Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds." If I had to describe this movie, there's just one word: INTENSE! Now just for the record, I've never read the book, although I intend to now, so I really did not know what to expect. All I know is that the world is being taken over by aliens. Hubby and I have this habit of watching movies on opening day. So while I do not want to spoil anything for anybody, I will tell you this. In the newspaper review about the Tom Cruise movie, it stated that it was very reminiscent of the 9/11 tragedy. And boy, they were not kidding. It's downright freaky, scary, sad, and overwhelming at the same time. If and when you see it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I found myself muttering "Oh my God, Oh my God" too many times and at the end of the movie, my whole body was tense. The last time I felt this was after watching "The Day After Tomorrow." I will say this though...I will never look at lightning storms the same after this!
Oh, and can I just say this one thing about lil' Dakota Fanning? I've always been in awe over kid actors- they never cease to amaze me with their ability. But this girl is good. And boy, can she scream or what? Plus, for a 11-year old, (I think that's how old she is), she's had such great opportunities to work with such big name actors and actresses. There was Denzel Washington in "Man On Fire," Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in "I Am Sam," Mike Myers in "The Cat in the Cat," and now Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds." For someone so young, she's been in quite a few movies and already her resume keeps growing. I just googled her to see what else she's done and it turns out that one of her earliest gigs was on my fave shows, Ally McBeal, where she portrays Ally as a 5-year old. Such a talented lil' lady this girl is! Out of all the kid actors/actresses out there right now, she's definitely one of my top faves.
We just got back from watching Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds." If I had to describe this movie, there's just one word: INTENSE! Now just for the record, I've never read the book, although I intend to now, so I really did not know what to expect. All I know is that the world is being taken over by aliens. Hubby and I have this habit of watching movies on opening day. So while I do not want to spoil anything for anybody, I will tell you this. In the newspaper review about the Tom Cruise movie, it stated that it was very reminiscent of the 9/11 tragedy. And boy, they were not kidding. It's downright freaky, scary, sad, and overwhelming at the same time. If and when you see it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I found myself muttering "Oh my God, Oh my God" too many times and at the end of the movie, my whole body was tense. The last time I felt this was after watching "The Day After Tomorrow." I will say this though...I will never look at lightning storms the same after this!
Oh, and can I just say this one thing about lil' Dakota Fanning? I've always been in awe over kid actors- they never cease to amaze me with their ability. But this girl is good. And boy, can she scream or what? Plus, for a 11-year old, (I think that's how old she is), she's had such great opportunities to work with such big name actors and actresses. There was Denzel Washington in "Man On Fire," Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in "I Am Sam," Mike Myers in "The Cat in the Cat," and now Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds." For someone so young, she's been in quite a few movies and already her resume keeps growing. I just googled her to see what else she's done and it turns out that one of her earliest gigs was on my fave shows, Ally McBeal, where she portrays Ally as a 5-year old. Such a talented lil' lady this girl is! Out of all the kid actors/actresses out there right now, she's definitely one of my top faves.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
"In life, God doesn't give you people that you want. Instead, He gives you the people you need to teach you, to hurt you, to love you and to make you exactly the way you should be."
Lately there have been so many questions about faith, love, and life in general. As I was browsing blogs, I came upon this quote- not sure if it's an original thought by the writer or whatnot. The logic behind these words further confirms all that we should already know...that God has a plan for each and every one of us and that people come in and out of our lives for a reason beyond our own comprehension. We may not understand it, we may not agree with it, we may even hate it, but despite it all, we just have to trust Him that we'll be taken care of and that the path laid out before us at that moment is exactly where we need to be.
It's tough, though, to accept what life throws our way, isn't it? Death, for example, is something that seems to creep up on people unexpectedly. Loved ones are taken, from what we believe, too soon. In reality, I believe that they are being called home because their job here on Earth is done and they're given another assignment, so to speak. For those left behind, it's all tears and sadness. There's always an unspoken grief that hangs in our hearts that nothing but time can heal. But healing comes and we move forward...life must go on.
It's the same with love, right?
Back in the day, I never thought about it this way. I automatically thought that I had Ally McBeal syndrome and that I was doomed to be alone. Why was it that I was attracted to the wrong guys? There was a running joke among some girlfriends where we said that we must have this huge signs on our foreheads that read, "Assholes welcome here!" When some relationships didn't work out, I believed that it was because whoever it was I was with at the time got bored with me. Ha, talk about low self-esteem! It occurred to me (much later on!) that all the jerks in my life were there for a reason. Yes, to be "that jerk," but to also teach me what kind of guys NOT to pursue and whatnot. Yes, I did get hurt, but I also grew strong and I learned to deal with heartbreak. It's funny how there always seems to be a lesson in everything that we do, isn't it? As Mrs. Voodoo mentioned in her blog, everything runs in circles. You've heard the phrase "We've come full circle" many times, but what resonates with me because of its truth is that "the world presents you with opportunities to close that circle and move on to new ones- and will give you opportunities over and over again until you figure it out. This is why we find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over again." Direct quote from Mrs. VDC herself, never failing to let us see what it is we don't want to see and telling us like it is.
No one's life is without purpose. This goes beyond what we believe, what we do for a living, and what we're called to do. The mark that we leave and the impact we make in someone's life may go unnoticed until everything is said and done. God works in mysterious ways and while we may not be able to accept His plan for us at the moment, all will be revealed at just the right time so that we may understand.
Lately there have been so many questions about faith, love, and life in general. As I was browsing blogs, I came upon this quote- not sure if it's an original thought by the writer or whatnot. The logic behind these words further confirms all that we should already know...that God has a plan for each and every one of us and that people come in and out of our lives for a reason beyond our own comprehension. We may not understand it, we may not agree with it, we may even hate it, but despite it all, we just have to trust Him that we'll be taken care of and that the path laid out before us at that moment is exactly where we need to be.
It's tough, though, to accept what life throws our way, isn't it? Death, for example, is something that seems to creep up on people unexpectedly. Loved ones are taken, from what we believe, too soon. In reality, I believe that they are being called home because their job here on Earth is done and they're given another assignment, so to speak. For those left behind, it's all tears and sadness. There's always an unspoken grief that hangs in our hearts that nothing but time can heal. But healing comes and we move forward...life must go on.
It's the same with love, right?
Back in the day, I never thought about it this way. I automatically thought that I had Ally McBeal syndrome and that I was doomed to be alone. Why was it that I was attracted to the wrong guys? There was a running joke among some girlfriends where we said that we must have this huge signs on our foreheads that read, "Assholes welcome here!" When some relationships didn't work out, I believed that it was because whoever it was I was with at the time got bored with me. Ha, talk about low self-esteem! It occurred to me (much later on!) that all the jerks in my life were there for a reason. Yes, to be "that jerk," but to also teach me what kind of guys NOT to pursue and whatnot. Yes, I did get hurt, but I also grew strong and I learned to deal with heartbreak. It's funny how there always seems to be a lesson in everything that we do, isn't it? As Mrs. Voodoo mentioned in her blog, everything runs in circles. You've heard the phrase "We've come full circle" many times, but what resonates with me because of its truth is that "the world presents you with opportunities to close that circle and move on to new ones- and will give you opportunities over and over again until you figure it out. This is why we find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over again." Direct quote from Mrs. VDC herself, never failing to let us see what it is we don't want to see and telling us like it is.
No one's life is without purpose. This goes beyond what we believe, what we do for a living, and what we're called to do. The mark that we leave and the impact we make in someone's life may go unnoticed until everything is said and done. God works in mysterious ways and while we may not be able to accept His plan for us at the moment, all will be revealed at just the right time so that we may understand.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
First Day of Summer
June 21, aka, the first official day of summer AND the longest day of the year. It seems like I've been having many "longest days of the year" lately, but that's a whole other story.
Let's see...what have I been up to? Saw "Batman Begins" last Friday on IMAX. That was cool. Why is that most IMAX screens are at zoos and/or amusement parks? I'm sure that there is some educational aspect of it all, but maybe I'm just complaining (yet again!) about the bugs that come with the territory of going to a zoo in hot Minnesota weather in the first place. Sue me if I got all weirded out by all the flying whatever-they-ares that were seen in the Batman-esque beam of light near the movie entrance. If ya'll have seen the movie and remember the batcave scene, you get a general idea. Gross.
Steady Weather, My Ass!
Caught up with my homie, J, today and as I was complaining how hot it was over here (mid-80's, hot, humid, muggy), he commented, "Well, at least you guys are getting steady weather over there compare to here." Steady weather, my ass! I mean, if you can call muggy and humid temps that suddenly drop approximately 20 degrees steady. If you can call bright and sunny one minute, then winds up to 70mph complete with black clouds spouting rain and hail steady. If you can call ominous, yet awesome thunder and lightning storms with the possibility of funnel clouds forming into a tornado and touching down steady- sure! Steady weather, my ass!
Okay, so we don't have road and highway closures due to snow...gee, thank God! Ugh...the "s-word." Something that I don't even want to think about, but c'mon, I will take unsteady weather that includes marine layer fog one minute and blazing hot another minute if I didn't have to worry about what I'd grab first in the case of a tornado! It's too much damn stress on my nerves, that's for sure!
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send one of my oldest galpals, VirgoCapri, much love and congratulations on her upcoming wedding! Just found that out that girlfriend is up and moving to Atlanta, Georgia to be with her future hubby. Wow, huh? It's kinda like I never really gave Minnesota much thought before moving here (besides the fact that 90210's Brandon and Brenda were from here!), I've never really thought of anything about Georgia besides it being a stopover I once made there. In any case, VirgoCapri and lil' Kai will be finding the much deserved happiness in the South...and I think in the many ways that we did here in the Twin Cities, she will definitely up the Filipino population-lol! Love and hugs to you! And who knows...maybe I'll be able to make it out to the South for the nuptials!
June 21, aka, the first official day of summer AND the longest day of the year. It seems like I've been having many "longest days of the year" lately, but that's a whole other story.
Let's see...what have I been up to? Saw "Batman Begins" last Friday on IMAX. That was cool. Why is that most IMAX screens are at zoos and/or amusement parks? I'm sure that there is some educational aspect of it all, but maybe I'm just complaining (yet again!) about the bugs that come with the territory of going to a zoo in hot Minnesota weather in the first place. Sue me if I got all weirded out by all the flying whatever-they-ares that were seen in the Batman-esque beam of light near the movie entrance. If ya'll have seen the movie and remember the batcave scene, you get a general idea. Gross.
Steady Weather, My Ass!
Caught up with my homie, J, today and as I was complaining how hot it was over here (mid-80's, hot, humid, muggy), he commented, "Well, at least you guys are getting steady weather over there compare to here." Steady weather, my ass! I mean, if you can call muggy and humid temps that suddenly drop approximately 20 degrees steady. If you can call bright and sunny one minute, then winds up to 70mph complete with black clouds spouting rain and hail steady. If you can call ominous, yet awesome thunder and lightning storms with the possibility of funnel clouds forming into a tornado and touching down steady- sure! Steady weather, my ass!
Okay, so we don't have road and highway closures due to snow...gee, thank God! Ugh...the "s-word." Something that I don't even want to think about, but c'mon, I will take unsteady weather that includes marine layer fog one minute and blazing hot another minute if I didn't have to worry about what I'd grab first in the case of a tornado! It's too much damn stress on my nerves, that's for sure!
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send one of my oldest galpals, VirgoCapri, much love and congratulations on her upcoming wedding! Just found that out that girlfriend is up and moving to Atlanta, Georgia to be with her future hubby. Wow, huh? It's kinda like I never really gave Minnesota much thought before moving here (besides the fact that 90210's Brandon and Brenda were from here!), I've never really thought of anything about Georgia besides it being a stopover I once made there. In any case, VirgoCapri and lil' Kai will be finding the much deserved happiness in the South...and I think in the many ways that we did here in the Twin Cities, she will definitely up the Filipino population-lol! Love and hugs to you! And who knows...maybe I'll be able to make it out to the South for the nuptials!
Friday, June 17, 2005
Giants vs. Twins, Game 3
Did anyone see us on TV???
At the top of the 3rd inning, camera dude points to us, and we hold up our "We left our hearts in San Francisco. Go Giants!" sign. Honestly, he couldn't miss us. We were sitting in the 2nd row decked out in Giants gear holding up neon orange signs. How could he NOT see us? lol!
Though us Giants fans were still far and few between, there were a couple who were yelling their hearts out. I felt so proud....so brave, that one, so brave. Dude was hella loud, too. Plus, he'd yell when the stadium was all quiet, so you know he was heard when he yelled, "Gooooo J.Teeeeeeeeeee!" or "Yorrrrrrrrr-Viiiiiiiiiitttt!"
We initially had 1st row seat assignments, but there was a guy sitting there. But we didn't mind. We sat directly in back of him and had an entire row to ourselves. An usher came down and asked to see his ticket, but we said it was cool. No harm done. But shoot, had Barry Bonds been there, that might've been a whole different story!
A foul ball from Moises Alou did come our way. Scary, I tell you! It zoomed past our head and as our entire section got out of our seats, the guy in front of us yelled, "Watch out for the bounce back!" As he said that, it bounced and came directly toward hubby! But damn that guy with the mitt...he barely caught it and snatched it up- argh! It was too funny 'cuz hubby had his hands all ready to catch it...seriously, it would've been his for the taking. Oh well.
The Giants definitely delivered last night. Some may call it luck, but hey, they deserved to win after so many losses. Things didn't seem to be going their way for a while. They were ahead, lost their lead, but came back strong. They even got a guy out of a pickle! As the 9th inning rolled around and the Giants score kept climbing, all these Twins fans started leaving. Among the many hecklers last night, a Twin fan yelled, "Hey Twins fans! Next time, stay home!"
Speaking of hecklers, here's one of the rants we heard about the Giants last night:
"Hey Shaballa! Cinderella gets to the ball faster than you!"
(btw: Shaballa got no love from us last night- we were trying to get his attention, but no luck. Maybe he was trying to focus? Shoot, he better have been! A quick wave wouldn't have hurt!)
Here are some of the things said about the Twins, BY Twins fans:
to pitcher Nathan: "Hey Nathan, thanks a lot man. It's my birthday!"
to pitcher Muholland: "Hey Muholland, you're on your way out, man!"
to Twins manager Gardiner: "LeCroy? LeCroy? That's who you're sending out to win the game?!" (btw: as LeCroy went up to bat, HELLA people started walking out! But in fact, he DID get on base...suckers.)
as the Giants kept scoring in the 9th and as DH Alou went up to bat: "Alou? Alou again? Hasn't he been up three times already?!"
to us in the beginning of the 9th inning: "I hate you guys!"
to us in the middle of the 9th inning: "Oh, I really hate you guys now!"
(btw: this guy was pretty cool about it...)
As the game ended, Giants fans could be seen standing and clapping around the stadium. As we waited for the crowds to thin out, the dude who said it was his birthday (who btw: was the one who also caught the foul ball!) talked with hubby and said that he wished Bonds had been playing tonight. He said that would've been an awesome birthday gift...hey, at least he got a ball! In fact, a few people asked us about his return...as if we'd know anymore than what the news would say! Lol! It was cool though- we even got a "Glad that you guys could make it out to the game" comments. Nice.
Just for the record that we're not BS-ing about being on TV, hubby started calling some friends back in the Bay who he knew would be watching. He got a hold of fellow Hustler Dopiana and turns out that he got a call from another friend, D, who saw us! YES! Confirmation that someone, anyone, saw us! LOL!
Final score: Giants 14, Twins 7. Thanks for making us proud! Whoo hoo!
*Edit: In all the excitement, hubby corrected me with the way we got on TV. Apparently, camera dude was already pointing to us and trying to get our attention. Once we held it up, it was on us for a bit, and then he gave us the thumbs up sign! Lol! Either way, it was exciting! =)
Did anyone see us on TV???
At the top of the 3rd inning, camera dude points to us, and we hold up our "We left our hearts in San Francisco. Go Giants!" sign. Honestly, he couldn't miss us. We were sitting in the 2nd row decked out in Giants gear holding up neon orange signs. How could he NOT see us? lol!
Though us Giants fans were still far and few between, there were a couple who were yelling their hearts out. I felt so proud....so brave, that one, so brave. Dude was hella loud, too. Plus, he'd yell when the stadium was all quiet, so you know he was heard when he yelled, "Gooooo J.Teeeeeeeeeee!" or "Yorrrrrrrrr-Viiiiiiiiiitttt!"
We initially had 1st row seat assignments, but there was a guy sitting there. But we didn't mind. We sat directly in back of him and had an entire row to ourselves. An usher came down and asked to see his ticket, but we said it was cool. No harm done. But shoot, had Barry Bonds been there, that might've been a whole different story!
A foul ball from Moises Alou did come our way. Scary, I tell you! It zoomed past our head and as our entire section got out of our seats, the guy in front of us yelled, "Watch out for the bounce back!" As he said that, it bounced and came directly toward hubby! But damn that guy with the mitt...he barely caught it and snatched it up- argh! It was too funny 'cuz hubby had his hands all ready to catch it...seriously, it would've been his for the taking. Oh well.
The Giants definitely delivered last night. Some may call it luck, but hey, they deserved to win after so many losses. Things didn't seem to be going their way for a while. They were ahead, lost their lead, but came back strong. They even got a guy out of a pickle! As the 9th inning rolled around and the Giants score kept climbing, all these Twins fans started leaving. Among the many hecklers last night, a Twin fan yelled, "Hey Twins fans! Next time, stay home!"
Speaking of hecklers, here's one of the rants we heard about the Giants last night:
"Hey Shaballa! Cinderella gets to the ball faster than you!"
(btw: Shaballa got no love from us last night- we were trying to get his attention, but no luck. Maybe he was trying to focus? Shoot, he better have been! A quick wave wouldn't have hurt!)
Here are some of the things said about the Twins, BY Twins fans:
to pitcher Nathan: "Hey Nathan, thanks a lot man. It's my birthday!"
to pitcher Muholland: "Hey Muholland, you're on your way out, man!"
to Twins manager Gardiner: "LeCroy? LeCroy? That's who you're sending out to win the game?!" (btw: as LeCroy went up to bat, HELLA people started walking out! But in fact, he DID get on base...suckers.)
as the Giants kept scoring in the 9th and as DH Alou went up to bat: "Alou? Alou again? Hasn't he been up three times already?!"
to us in the beginning of the 9th inning: "I hate you guys!"
to us in the middle of the 9th inning: "Oh, I really hate you guys now!"
(btw: this guy was pretty cool about it...)
As the game ended, Giants fans could be seen standing and clapping around the stadium. As we waited for the crowds to thin out, the dude who said it was his birthday (who btw: was the one who also caught the foul ball!) talked with hubby and said that he wished Bonds had been playing tonight. He said that would've been an awesome birthday gift...hey, at least he got a ball! In fact, a few people asked us about his return...as if we'd know anymore than what the news would say! Lol! It was cool though- we even got a "Glad that you guys could make it out to the game" comments. Nice.
Just for the record that we're not BS-ing about being on TV, hubby started calling some friends back in the Bay who he knew would be watching. He got a hold of fellow Hustler Dopiana and turns out that he got a call from another friend, D, who saw us! YES! Confirmation that someone, anyone, saw us! LOL!
Final score: Giants 14, Twins 7. Thanks for making us proud! Whoo hoo!
*Edit: In all the excitement, hubby corrected me with the way we got on TV. Apparently, camera dude was already pointing to us and trying to get our attention. Once we held it up, it was on us for a bit, and then he gave us the thumbs up sign! Lol! Either way, it was exciting! =)
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Giants vs. Twins, Game 2
Victory is ours!!!
I had a "feeling" that it was the Giants' night. I mean, yes, I hoped and prayed it would be, but there was a gut feeling about it, too.
We decided to splurge a bit for seats and found ourselves in Section 138, 3rd Row, which is basically down the 3rd baseline in left field. Definitely better seats compared to the drunken section we had prior, although I have to say that there were more hecklers this time. Loud, boo-hissing, whistling hecklers...who just could not leave Moises Alou, #18, alone. "Moiiiiiissses Alouuuuuuuuu.....you succccccckkkkkk!"
Speaking of Moises Alou...can I just say HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT? Taking beloved Barry's spot on the field, he did his share of hustling, hitting, and getting on base. But what got us so giddy last night was when he finally turned his attention to US! The first time, he was looking around, I started waving at him, and he raised his gloved hand and closed it, his own way of saying hello. It was to ME. How do I know? Because no one else in our section was doing shit to get his attention! He did that a couple of times to people behind him, too, so I knew that he was saying hi. The second time was when they were changing pitchers. He was chilling against the back wall and hubby yelled his name. I was waving my arms to get his attention again, and when he finally looked over, hubby popped his collar to show off his Giants jersey, and what did Moises do? He popped his collar back! Hubby then raised his fist in the air with the whole "Go Giants!" thang, I stood up and pointed to my Giants sweatshirt, Moises pumped his fist and then pointed at us! Lol! Hubby is convinced that he's got a bond with Alou now! It was so cool! Yes, yes, one of THE major highlights, but imagine if that was Bonds though!
The Giants were up 5-0, but started to lose that lead around the 6th or 7th inning. When catcher Mike Matheny was up, I was telling hubby "down the line, down the line." He hadn't gotten any hits the entire night and hubby said that he was due for a hit. "Down the line, down the line," I kept repeating and what do you know? Matheny hit it down the 3rd baseline! After that, Omar Vizquel was up. Hubby didn't think he performed his best during Game 1 and I said that if he was going to make up for last night's game, well, this was the time. I told hubby, "down the center, down the center." And what did he do? Homerun down the center!!! WHOO HOO! Hubby and I were out of our seats cheering!
Final Score: Giants 8, Twins 4. 'Twas a good game! Oh yah, on our way to the parking lot, I noticed a dude with a Giants jersey going the same way we were. He finally noticed us and had this huge grin on his face. I yelled, "Go Giants!" and his girlfriend yelled, "Go Giants!" Actually, she was still yelling by the time we got to the car. I told hubby that at tonight's final game, if we see fellow Giants fans, we taking a picture with them....we gotta stick together!
We're going to try to get the same seats again, but this time, make a sign. Who knows if we might catch the cameraman's attention? If ya'll are watching and happen to see two fools with signs, let me know!
Victory is ours!!!
I had a "feeling" that it was the Giants' night. I mean, yes, I hoped and prayed it would be, but there was a gut feeling about it, too.
We decided to splurge a bit for seats and found ourselves in Section 138, 3rd Row, which is basically down the 3rd baseline in left field. Definitely better seats compared to the drunken section we had prior, although I have to say that there were more hecklers this time. Loud, boo-hissing, whistling hecklers...who just could not leave Moises Alou, #18, alone. "Moiiiiiissses Alouuuuuuuuu.....you succccccckkkkkk!"
Speaking of Moises Alou...can I just say HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT? Taking beloved Barry's spot on the field, he did his share of hustling, hitting, and getting on base. But what got us so giddy last night was when he finally turned his attention to US! The first time, he was looking around, I started waving at him, and he raised his gloved hand and closed it, his own way of saying hello. It was to ME. How do I know? Because no one else in our section was doing shit to get his attention! He did that a couple of times to people behind him, too, so I knew that he was saying hi. The second time was when they were changing pitchers. He was chilling against the back wall and hubby yelled his name. I was waving my arms to get his attention again, and when he finally looked over, hubby popped his collar to show off his Giants jersey, and what did Moises do? He popped his collar back! Hubby then raised his fist in the air with the whole "Go Giants!" thang, I stood up and pointed to my Giants sweatshirt, Moises pumped his fist and then pointed at us! Lol! Hubby is convinced that he's got a bond with Alou now! It was so cool! Yes, yes, one of THE major highlights, but imagine if that was Bonds though!
The Giants were up 5-0, but started to lose that lead around the 6th or 7th inning. When catcher Mike Matheny was up, I was telling hubby "down the line, down the line." He hadn't gotten any hits the entire night and hubby said that he was due for a hit. "Down the line, down the line," I kept repeating and what do you know? Matheny hit it down the 3rd baseline! After that, Omar Vizquel was up. Hubby didn't think he performed his best during Game 1 and I said that if he was going to make up for last night's game, well, this was the time. I told hubby, "down the center, down the center." And what did he do? Homerun down the center!!! WHOO HOO! Hubby and I were out of our seats cheering!
Final Score: Giants 8, Twins 4. 'Twas a good game! Oh yah, on our way to the parking lot, I noticed a dude with a Giants jersey going the same way we were. He finally noticed us and had this huge grin on his face. I yelled, "Go Giants!" and his girlfriend yelled, "Go Giants!" Actually, she was still yelling by the time we got to the car. I told hubby that at tonight's final game, if we see fellow Giants fans, we taking a picture with them....we gotta stick together!
We're going to try to get the same seats again, but this time, make a sign. Who knows if we might catch the cameraman's attention? If ya'll are watching and happen to see two fools with signs, let me know!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
We Are The Minority
Living in Minnesota, this is quite the understatement.
But if we're talking about the Giants vs. Twins Game 1 last night, well, shoot, that's a whole other story. Just for the record, we have NEVER been to a Giants game in an opposing team's stadium before. Quite the experience.
Hubby and I have been looking forward to my beloved Giants making their way out here. Yes, yes, they are not having a great season and it totally sucks that the DL list keeps growing and growing. It's bad enough that Bonds has been out for this long- as of yesterday, reports are speculating that he may be out for the entire season. Added to that list- Alfonso and Grissom.
Tuesday's at Minneapolis' Metrodome is "half-price Tuesdays." We basically got our seats in their Home Run Porch for $8 apiece. Not bad, plus considering that we got there in the 2nd inning.
Making sure that we represented, we went in full Giants gear, WHICH BTW, didn't get too many appreciative looks. As hubby said, "everyone gotta make a comment." When we found our seats, we got a couple of, "Hey, you wearing the wrong shirt today," or "I hate the Giants!!!" We did, however, run across a few Giants fans...very few...but when we did, they looked hella glad to see one of their own.
Section 104 of the Metrodome must've been reserved for the countless, annoying, absurdly loud "look at me because I just turned 21" crowd. There was definitely too much alcohol being consumed in our very row. There were a bunch of dudes in the row in front of us who were either drinking, scamming, making comments such as, "that girl is hot as f*ck!" (nice, eh?), or turning around to gloat at us every single time the Twins did something cool. Definitely younguns, in fact, they didn't even look old enough to drink. They weren't so bad though compared to the crowd to our right who were so wasted that it wasn't even funny.
It's not a secret that the Giants have been "off" for the past how many games. But whenever someone got on base, I was there clapping and rooting them on. In fact, when Ray Durham hit that homer last night, I was the only one hoot-hooting and whoo-whooing, standing up with arms extended to the sky. I say "only one" because hubby left me hanging. He didn't even stand or give me a high five. Boo on him! But that's cool though...I mean, I forgot where we were for a second and my excitement got the better of me. Let's just say that I ain't trying to get beat up by a Twins fan OR see hubby get into a fight defending ME by a Twins fan.
I honestly thought the Giants had it last night. As we went into extra innings, they did a good job at keeping the Twins from scoring...but it wasn't enough. They had too many flubs, too many errors. The one that hurt was "the pickle," where a Twin attempted to steal to 2nd base. He was off, got caught between bases with the 1st baseman and 2nd baseman rallying to tag him out, and MISSED! The player made it safely back to 1st base as we stared in disbelief. Final score in the 11th inning, Twins 4, Giants 3. Man...
Well, despite the smirks, stares, and comments we got, we're off tonight to root the Giants on. This time, though, we're going to try and get seats in one of the empty sections. We're also going to make a sign...who knows if we'll get shown on TV! Plus, that way if I'm hoot-hooting and whoo-whooing by myself, there will be less chances of beer flying my way. GO GIANTS!!!
Living in Minnesota, this is quite the understatement.
But if we're talking about the Giants vs. Twins Game 1 last night, well, shoot, that's a whole other story. Just for the record, we have NEVER been to a Giants game in an opposing team's stadium before. Quite the experience.
Hubby and I have been looking forward to my beloved Giants making their way out here. Yes, yes, they are not having a great season and it totally sucks that the DL list keeps growing and growing. It's bad enough that Bonds has been out for this long- as of yesterday, reports are speculating that he may be out for the entire season. Added to that list- Alfonso and Grissom.
Tuesday's at Minneapolis' Metrodome is "half-price Tuesdays." We basically got our seats in their Home Run Porch for $8 apiece. Not bad, plus considering that we got there in the 2nd inning.
Making sure that we represented, we went in full Giants gear, WHICH BTW, didn't get too many appreciative looks. As hubby said, "everyone gotta make a comment." When we found our seats, we got a couple of, "Hey, you wearing the wrong shirt today," or "I hate the Giants!!!" We did, however, run across a few Giants fans...very few...but when we did, they looked hella glad to see one of their own.
Section 104 of the Metrodome must've been reserved for the countless, annoying, absurdly loud "look at me because I just turned 21" crowd. There was definitely too much alcohol being consumed in our very row. There were a bunch of dudes in the row in front of us who were either drinking, scamming, making comments such as, "that girl is hot as f*ck!" (nice, eh?), or turning around to gloat at us every single time the Twins did something cool. Definitely younguns, in fact, they didn't even look old enough to drink. They weren't so bad though compared to the crowd to our right who were so wasted that it wasn't even funny.
It's not a secret that the Giants have been "off" for the past how many games. But whenever someone got on base, I was there clapping and rooting them on. In fact, when Ray Durham hit that homer last night, I was the only one hoot-hooting and whoo-whooing, standing up with arms extended to the sky. I say "only one" because hubby left me hanging. He didn't even stand or give me a high five. Boo on him! But that's cool though...I mean, I forgot where we were for a second and my excitement got the better of me. Let's just say that I ain't trying to get beat up by a Twins fan OR see hubby get into a fight defending ME by a Twins fan.
I honestly thought the Giants had it last night. As we went into extra innings, they did a good job at keeping the Twins from scoring...but it wasn't enough. They had too many flubs, too many errors. The one that hurt was "the pickle," where a Twin attempted to steal to 2nd base. He was off, got caught between bases with the 1st baseman and 2nd baseman rallying to tag him out, and MISSED! The player made it safely back to 1st base as we stared in disbelief. Final score in the 11th inning, Twins 4, Giants 3. Man...
Well, despite the smirks, stares, and comments we got, we're off tonight to root the Giants on. This time, though, we're going to try and get seats in one of the empty sections. We're also going to make a sign...who knows if we'll get shown on TV! Plus, that way if I'm hoot-hooting and whoo-whooing by myself, there will be less chances of beer flying my way. GO GIANTS!!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
25 Cents
That's how much the lil' kids were selling lemonade for near our house. It was THE cutest thing! Hubby and I were off to eat out and as we're driving by, this whole group of kids start waving their arms trying to get us to stop. We kept on driving, but at the end of the street, hubby turned around. It was just too cute to pass up. I was telling hubby that I never did that as a kid...shoot, not in MY neighborhood! lol! In any case, the kids told me that we were the first car to stop. With that, I gave them 50 cents per cup and they were so appreciative.
Did it taste good? Um, it wasn't bad...kiwi lemonade...but as soon as got to where we were going to eat, we dumped it out. Awww....sorry kids!
What The Heck Is THAT?!
Okay, so it's on its back in the pic, but when I first spotted it in our garage, it was on all fours, er, sixes, and I swear, it was staring at me! I tried to whack it, but the darn thing was so thick, ew, that the best that I could do was sweep it out. If this was a video clip, you'd see its legs trying to upright itself. Oh, and I tried to get the pic to the thing's actual size. Gross. Gives me the willies.
That's how much the lil' kids were selling lemonade for near our house. It was THE cutest thing! Hubby and I were off to eat out and as we're driving by, this whole group of kids start waving their arms trying to get us to stop. We kept on driving, but at the end of the street, hubby turned around. It was just too cute to pass up. I was telling hubby that I never did that as a kid...shoot, not in MY neighborhood! lol! In any case, the kids told me that we were the first car to stop. With that, I gave them 50 cents per cup and they were so appreciative.
Did it taste good? Um, it wasn't bad...kiwi lemonade...but as soon as got to where we were going to eat, we dumped it out. Awww....sorry kids!
What The Heck Is THAT?!
Okay, so it's on its back in the pic, but when I first spotted it in our garage, it was on all fours, er, sixes, and I swear, it was staring at me! I tried to whack it, but the darn thing was so thick, ew, that the best that I could do was sweep it out. If this was a video clip, you'd see its legs trying to upright itself. Oh, and I tried to get the pic to the thing's actual size. Gross. Gives me the willies.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
I've Been Tagged!
I've been tagged and I didn't even know it! lol! Got this from my firemarshal homie, J. In truth, I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, so here goes:
3 names I go by: MnM, Ninang, Miss Thang (hee hee!)
3 screen names I've had: mnmbaby, mnm41, foolbabee
3 physical things I like about myself: my smile that will make you melt, my pretty brown eyes, and baby got back ass...I DON'T KNOW!!!
3 parts of my heritage: Pinay, Kapangpangan to be exact, with a tad of Chinese
3 things I am wearing right now: watch, glasses, earring (oh yes, and clothes!)
3 fave bands: maroon5, switchfoot, no doubt (too many to name!)
3 fave musical artists: alicia keyes, jamie cullum, jason mraz (too many to name!)
3 fave songs: too many to choose from...there's my 80's faves, r&b faves, soundtrack faves, christian faves, you get the point
3 things i want in a relationship: honesty, sense of humor, love
3 physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to me: eyes, smile, dimples
3 fave hobbies: reading, writing, photography
3 things i want to do badly right now: pay off my debts, get a tan, get a job
3 things that scare me: creepy crawlies, drowning, horror movies
3 of my every day essentials: eat, live, pray
3 careers you have considered or are considering: writer, reading specialist, photographer
3 places you want to vacation: Paris & all over Europe, Carribbean, Hawaii
3 kids' names you like: i won't mention them 'cuz i don't want anyone to steal them!
3 things you want to do before you die: see a space shuttle launch, write and publish a book, travel
3 ways i'm stereotypically a boy: i watch SportsCenter, i love baseball, i swear like a sailor =)
3 ways i'm stereotypically a girl: i enjoy being pampered, i like the color pink, i like to shop
3 celeb crushes: Johnny Depp, Joshua Jackson, Orlando Bloom (as in LOTR, not Troy)- lol!
Alrighty...so as the game goes, I must tag three other unsuspecting fools-
Hubby, Rho (if you haven't been tagged yet!), and msbLiSs! Enjoy peoples!
I've been tagged and I didn't even know it! lol! Got this from my firemarshal homie, J. In truth, I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, so here goes:
3 names I go by: MnM, Ninang, Miss Thang (hee hee!)
3 screen names I've had: mnmbaby, mnm41, foolbabee
3 physical things I like about myself: my smile that will make you melt, my pretty brown eyes, and baby got back ass...I DON'T KNOW!!!
3 parts of my heritage: Pinay, Kapangpangan to be exact, with a tad of Chinese
3 things I am wearing right now: watch, glasses, earring (oh yes, and clothes!)
3 fave bands: maroon5, switchfoot, no doubt (too many to name!)
3 fave musical artists: alicia keyes, jamie cullum, jason mraz (too many to name!)
3 fave songs: too many to choose from...there's my 80's faves, r&b faves, soundtrack faves, christian faves, you get the point
3 things i want in a relationship: honesty, sense of humor, love
3 physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to me: eyes, smile, dimples
3 fave hobbies: reading, writing, photography
3 things i want to do badly right now: pay off my debts, get a tan, get a job
3 things that scare me: creepy crawlies, drowning, horror movies
3 of my every day essentials: eat, live, pray
3 careers you have considered or are considering: writer, reading specialist, photographer
3 places you want to vacation: Paris & all over Europe, Carribbean, Hawaii
3 kids' names you like: i won't mention them 'cuz i don't want anyone to steal them!
3 things you want to do before you die: see a space shuttle launch, write and publish a book, travel
3 ways i'm stereotypically a boy: i watch SportsCenter, i love baseball, i swear like a sailor =)
3 ways i'm stereotypically a girl: i enjoy being pampered, i like the color pink, i like to shop
3 celeb crushes: Johnny Depp, Joshua Jackson, Orlando Bloom (as in LOTR, not Troy)- lol!
Alrighty...so as the game goes, I must tag three other unsuspecting fools-
Hubby, Rho (if you haven't been tagged yet!), and msbLiSs! Enjoy peoples!
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Blah Blah Blah
You know things are blah around here when I can't even concentrate and focus on reading a book. Books are my haven, my escape from reality, my time to just veg out and relax. Since I've been here, I've been averaging 1-2 books a week...that's a lot of books! I've mentioned Nicholas Sparks being one of my fave authors and even I can't seem to get into his latest "True Believer." What the heck?
It could easily be blamed on the gloomy weather or just life in general. In any case, here's something that I wrote, coincidentally, before the huge storm we just had.
The Storm
by MnM
I can hear the skies rumbling overhead
As the distant thunder makes its way closer to me
The gray clouds overpower the heavens creating ominous shadows
And the earth hungrily swallows the thick, fat raindrops that begin to fall
To quench its thirst from the dry spell we've been having.
The once still leaves of the tree outside my window start to rustle
As the wind suddenly picks up-
An unexpected reprieve from the bouts of humid filled nights
The breeze, ever so slight, refreshes me.
Without warning, the skies unleash
The light breeze has turned into a mighty force not to be reckoned with
I listen to the rain beat down upon my window in ferocity
Watching as torrents of water cloud my vision to the outside world
Lightning flashes amid the thunderous roar of the storm
And I can't help but be afraid of what's to come.
I hear the familiar wail of the tornado siren and my eyes instinctively shoot upward
A funnel cloud has been sighted in an area not too far from where we are
And I am left unsure of what to do.
Moments later, the pounding of the rain ceases and the skies appear to clear
But I find it's only a game that Mother Nature is playing on us
Because this lapse, this interruption if you will, is just that
A break in time to fool unknowing eyes that the storm has just begun.
My ears perk up to the chirping of a bird's song and I can't help but think
That its song is a premature celebration of hope yet to be realized
I wonder if it will find shelter in time or will it continue its song of rejoice
I crack open my window enough to smell the newly rain-kissed scent I love so much
And resign myself to listen to the melodious tune of the bird's song.
You know things are blah around here when I can't even concentrate and focus on reading a book. Books are my haven, my escape from reality, my time to just veg out and relax. Since I've been here, I've been averaging 1-2 books a week...that's a lot of books! I've mentioned Nicholas Sparks being one of my fave authors and even I can't seem to get into his latest "True Believer." What the heck?
It could easily be blamed on the gloomy weather or just life in general. In any case, here's something that I wrote, coincidentally, before the huge storm we just had.
The Storm
by MnM
I can hear the skies rumbling overhead
As the distant thunder makes its way closer to me
The gray clouds overpower the heavens creating ominous shadows
And the earth hungrily swallows the thick, fat raindrops that begin to fall
To quench its thirst from the dry spell we've been having.
The once still leaves of the tree outside my window start to rustle
As the wind suddenly picks up-
An unexpected reprieve from the bouts of humid filled nights
The breeze, ever so slight, refreshes me.
Without warning, the skies unleash
The light breeze has turned into a mighty force not to be reckoned with
I listen to the rain beat down upon my window in ferocity
Watching as torrents of water cloud my vision to the outside world
Lightning flashes amid the thunderous roar of the storm
And I can't help but be afraid of what's to come.
I hear the familiar wail of the tornado siren and my eyes instinctively shoot upward
A funnel cloud has been sighted in an area not too far from where we are
And I am left unsure of what to do.
Moments later, the pounding of the rain ceases and the skies appear to clear
But I find it's only a game that Mother Nature is playing on us
Because this lapse, this interruption if you will, is just that
A break in time to fool unknowing eyes that the storm has just begun.
My ears perk up to the chirping of a bird's song and I can't help but think
That its song is a premature celebration of hope yet to be realized
I wonder if it will find shelter in time or will it continue its song of rejoice
I crack open my window enough to smell the newly rain-kissed scent I love so much
And resign myself to listen to the melodious tune of the bird's song.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Awesomely Scary
In the wee hours of this morning, a storm suddenly unleashed in such magnititude. I'd liken the lightning show to a kid who likes to play with the lightswitch by continuously flicking it on and off, but it was more as if I was in a club and the strobelights were going haywire where before you could even blink, it was already flashing a million miles a minute. It was that intense. Throughout the entire day, the weather channel and our WeatherBug alert had been issuing severe thunderstorms with the possibility of tornadoes. Just the other day, two tornadoes touched down somewhere in Wisconsin...which, by the way, is not too far from us. Sometime around 4am this morning, that familiar rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance. As I watched from my bedroom window, the sky lit up every few seconds illuminating the fields across the road in full. And just as quickly as the lightning started, the rain and wind suddenly picked up. Before I lay back down to bed, I put our blinds up so that I could watch "the show." Within seconds, the rain was pounding against the windows and the roof of our house. Outside all I could see were trees swaying furiously and rain so thick. It eerily served as a perfect backdrop for a chilling horror movie.
With this being our 3rd summer in MN, I can say that these Midwest summer storms are a norm. I remember sitting in our dark living room of our apartment as hubby and I watched the storm unleased its fury. I've seen lightning before, but I've never SEEN lightning before, the line that stretches across the sky lightning. To see such intensity leaves you with that jaw dropping awestruck feeling...y'know, the one where you realize that we are just minute infinitestimal beings on this Earth. I can honestly say that I've never seen these kinds of storms in da Bay, that's for sure!
Perhaps when we were back at the apartment, I took for granted that we lived in a building with an underground garage. Underground garage = tornado shelter. Here at our new home, we unfortunately do not have a basement or underground garage. When we had our walk-thru before moving in, one of my first questions was, "In the event of a tornado, where do we go?" The foreman guy kinda laughed it off saying that a tornado hasn't touched down in these parts for so many years, but when he saw how serious I was, he answered, "the lowest point in the house."
Last night's storm was the first time where I actually felt afraid. First of all, the lightning was just so intense that I swear I could've become blinded by the brightness of it all. Second of all, the thunder was creeping me out because not only was it loud, but it was as if someone was lighting up cherry bombs outside my window. Third and most importantly, in the event of a tornado, where the hell would we go?! Now maybe it's because we don't have the security of a basement or underground shelter and maybe it's because I've watched "Twister" too many times, but as I watched the storm from my window and as the lightning lit up the entire sky, my prayer each and every single time was, "Please don't let there be a tornado, please don't let there be a tornado!" With so much rain, wind, and lightning, I was imagining myself looking out the window and right when the sky lit up, I'd see a funnel touch down and head my direction. Freaky, huh?
In any case, if there were a tornado, our best bet would be to rush to our downstairs bathroom. That would be considered "the lowest point in the house." I was telling hubby later this morning that I was just waiting for the house to shake. If there was any indication of shaking, it would have to mean that it was caused by a tornado...it that was the case, I'd be running without question downstairs! By the way, I was so freaked out being home alone that I made sure our flashlight was hand and that I knew exactly where all my candles were. I was even going to get my shoes for easy access, but I didn't even want to go downstairs- what a scaredy cat! Aiya! Geez...if it isn't worrying about skidding on icy roads into a frozen lake during the winter, it's worrying about summer storms with the possibility of tornadoes...don't my nerves get any rest?
In the wee hours of this morning, a storm suddenly unleashed in such magnititude. I'd liken the lightning show to a kid who likes to play with the lightswitch by continuously flicking it on and off, but it was more as if I was in a club and the strobelights were going haywire where before you could even blink, it was already flashing a million miles a minute. It was that intense. Throughout the entire day, the weather channel and our WeatherBug alert had been issuing severe thunderstorms with the possibility of tornadoes. Just the other day, two tornadoes touched down somewhere in Wisconsin...which, by the way, is not too far from us. Sometime around 4am this morning, that familiar rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance. As I watched from my bedroom window, the sky lit up every few seconds illuminating the fields across the road in full. And just as quickly as the lightning started, the rain and wind suddenly picked up. Before I lay back down to bed, I put our blinds up so that I could watch "the show." Within seconds, the rain was pounding against the windows and the roof of our house. Outside all I could see were trees swaying furiously and rain so thick. It eerily served as a perfect backdrop for a chilling horror movie.
With this being our 3rd summer in MN, I can say that these Midwest summer storms are a norm. I remember sitting in our dark living room of our apartment as hubby and I watched the storm unleased its fury. I've seen lightning before, but I've never SEEN lightning before, the line that stretches across the sky lightning. To see such intensity leaves you with that jaw dropping awestruck feeling...y'know, the one where you realize that we are just minute infinitestimal beings on this Earth. I can honestly say that I've never seen these kinds of storms in da Bay, that's for sure!
Perhaps when we were back at the apartment, I took for granted that we lived in a building with an underground garage. Underground garage = tornado shelter. Here at our new home, we unfortunately do not have a basement or underground garage. When we had our walk-thru before moving in, one of my first questions was, "In the event of a tornado, where do we go?" The foreman guy kinda laughed it off saying that a tornado hasn't touched down in these parts for so many years, but when he saw how serious I was, he answered, "the lowest point in the house."
Last night's storm was the first time where I actually felt afraid. First of all, the lightning was just so intense that I swear I could've become blinded by the brightness of it all. Second of all, the thunder was creeping me out because not only was it loud, but it was as if someone was lighting up cherry bombs outside my window. Third and most importantly, in the event of a tornado, where the hell would we go?! Now maybe it's because we don't have the security of a basement or underground shelter and maybe it's because I've watched "Twister" too many times, but as I watched the storm from my window and as the lightning lit up the entire sky, my prayer each and every single time was, "Please don't let there be a tornado, please don't let there be a tornado!" With so much rain, wind, and lightning, I was imagining myself looking out the window and right when the sky lit up, I'd see a funnel touch down and head my direction. Freaky, huh?
In any case, if there were a tornado, our best bet would be to rush to our downstairs bathroom. That would be considered "the lowest point in the house." I was telling hubby later this morning that I was just waiting for the house to shake. If there was any indication of shaking, it would have to mean that it was caused by a tornado...it that was the case, I'd be running without question downstairs! By the way, I was so freaked out being home alone that I made sure our flashlight was hand and that I knew exactly where all my candles were. I was even going to get my shoes for easy access, but I didn't even want to go downstairs- what a scaredy cat! Aiya! Geez...if it isn't worrying about skidding on icy roads into a frozen lake during the winter, it's worrying about summer storms with the possibility of tornadoes...don't my nerves get any rest?
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
KA-BOOM!
That's what made me suddenly wake up this morning...the unbelievably loud crack of thunder. It scared the shit out of me! It cracked a couple of times before I realized that it was raining and I had to force myself to get up and run around the house to close all the open windows. Ugh. Know that feeling when you're not totally awake and feel like you're walking around in a daze? Yah, that's me. I swear, putting my glasses on didn't do jack for me 'cuz I basically fumbled around like I was drunk. A couple of hours later, hubby asked if it was me who closed all the windows because he had a dream that he was running around the house closing them. Eh? Lol...weird.
I Do Not Like...
Spiders, ants, ladybugs, tiny light green creepy crawlies, things that look like ladybugs, but aren't, mosquitoes, and other creepy crawlies and/or buzzing around my ears insecty things ON MY LEGS or on any other part of my body!
But that is exactly what happened to me yesterday as hubby and I decided to finally wash our cars. Imagine MnM doing the "get off me, bug" dance all day while screaming my head off! LOL! Why we decided to do that on one of the hottest days thus far is beyond me. Maybe it's the fact that we can actually use our hose and skip bringing our rides to the carwash and save ourselves $20 a piece OR maybe we just wanted to subject ourselves to the unforgiving heat and curse the day as it got hotter...who knows. All I know is that in the process of it all, all the nasty critters mentioned above happened to favor my legs and it was NOT a nice feeling. Oh, and let's just forget about the dream that I had the night before about bugs being all over me...ugh...I woke up feeling all itchy! I will mark down yesterday as a workout day because I'm sure we sweated off a couple of pounds at least- lol. I have to say the best part of the whole washing the car adventure we had was spraying the hose on ourselves to cool down.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Ya'll might've seen the trailers for this movie already. Call it a chick flick all you want, to me it's all about the friendship. When I first heard about the movie, I knew that I wanted to see it, but more than that, I wanted to read the books beforehand. Little did I know that these books were for Young Adult. Not that this bothers me because even before I started teaching, I have always been drawn to books of different genres and levels...in other words, I will read kids, childrens, and young adult books for my own reading pleasure. Anyways, I liked the first book so much that I finished it in a day and had to go to Borders for the second book.
I won't go into detail about what the story entails, but it centers around four friends. These four friends are distinct in their own way and yet, they mesh together so well. Reading it, I can't help but think about three galpals of mine and try to figure in who would be who in the story. They each go through their own dramas and yet, they are always connected by their love for each other and for the story, a pair of pants.
In any case, I simply told hubby, "Sorry, but I can't watch this movie with you." Rude, huh? I mean, it would just seem appropriate to watch it with some galpals or my sister. Makes sense, yah? LOL! It may seem like a teen chick flick, but I don't care...I still want to see it. I'm a sucker for movies like this!
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send my mom and pops a belated Happy 39th wedding anniversary! They celebrated this past Sunday, June 5th. Much love, hugs, and kisses to you both!
P.S.
Current Temps: 87 degrees
A/C: not working...shiet
P.P.S.
WeatherBug Alert: tornado watch until 9pm. Double shiet.
That's what made me suddenly wake up this morning...the unbelievably loud crack of thunder. It scared the shit out of me! It cracked a couple of times before I realized that it was raining and I had to force myself to get up and run around the house to close all the open windows. Ugh. Know that feeling when you're not totally awake and feel like you're walking around in a daze? Yah, that's me. I swear, putting my glasses on didn't do jack for me 'cuz I basically fumbled around like I was drunk. A couple of hours later, hubby asked if it was me who closed all the windows because he had a dream that he was running around the house closing them. Eh? Lol...weird.
I Do Not Like...
Spiders, ants, ladybugs, tiny light green creepy crawlies, things that look like ladybugs, but aren't, mosquitoes, and other creepy crawlies and/or buzzing around my ears insecty things ON MY LEGS or on any other part of my body!
But that is exactly what happened to me yesterday as hubby and I decided to finally wash our cars. Imagine MnM doing the "get off me, bug" dance all day while screaming my head off! LOL! Why we decided to do that on one of the hottest days thus far is beyond me. Maybe it's the fact that we can actually use our hose and skip bringing our rides to the carwash and save ourselves $20 a piece OR maybe we just wanted to subject ourselves to the unforgiving heat and curse the day as it got hotter...who knows. All I know is that in the process of it all, all the nasty critters mentioned above happened to favor my legs and it was NOT a nice feeling. Oh, and let's just forget about the dream that I had the night before about bugs being all over me...ugh...I woke up feeling all itchy! I will mark down yesterday as a workout day because I'm sure we sweated off a couple of pounds at least- lol. I have to say the best part of the whole washing the car adventure we had was spraying the hose on ourselves to cool down.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Ya'll might've seen the trailers for this movie already. Call it a chick flick all you want, to me it's all about the friendship. When I first heard about the movie, I knew that I wanted to see it, but more than that, I wanted to read the books beforehand. Little did I know that these books were for Young Adult. Not that this bothers me because even before I started teaching, I have always been drawn to books of different genres and levels...in other words, I will read kids, childrens, and young adult books for my own reading pleasure. Anyways, I liked the first book so much that I finished it in a day and had to go to Borders for the second book.
I won't go into detail about what the story entails, but it centers around four friends. These four friends are distinct in their own way and yet, they mesh together so well. Reading it, I can't help but think about three galpals of mine and try to figure in who would be who in the story. They each go through their own dramas and yet, they are always connected by their love for each other and for the story, a pair of pants.
In any case, I simply told hubby, "Sorry, but I can't watch this movie with you." Rude, huh? I mean, it would just seem appropriate to watch it with some galpals or my sister. Makes sense, yah? LOL! It may seem like a teen chick flick, but I don't care...I still want to see it. I'm a sucker for movies like this!
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send my mom and pops a belated Happy 39th wedding anniversary! They celebrated this past Sunday, June 5th. Much love, hugs, and kisses to you both!
P.S.
Current Temps: 87 degrees
A/C: not working...shiet
P.P.S.
WeatherBug Alert: tornado watch until 9pm. Double shiet.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Misleading Weather
Yes, here MnM goes again on her usual rant about the weather. The temps have been steadily increasing and while rain would be a welcome reprieve, we're all hoping that it never comes. Okay, not farmers, but the most of us. Why? According to the Mosquito Control department, MN weather has not been conducive for mosquitoes to lay and hatch their larvae. Tsk, tsk...too bad. Don't get me wrong, them lil' bloodsuckers are out and about, but for the beginning of June, I have to say that we've been quite lucky to not see the swarms that we were forced to run away from last summer. Me, I'm all good. One mosquito, two mosquitoes...fine by me. One hundred, two hundred...not good for me.
Although my WeatherBug counter says 82 degrees, the overcast skies and strong breezes ruffling through the trees makes it look otherwise. Of course, I should've known better. Me being a native San Franciscan and all...tsk, tsk, I'm so disappointed with myself.
1. Apply sunblock with an SPF no lower than 30.
2. Apply bug spray on top of already applied sunblock.
3. Stretch before doing any physical activity.
Went bikeriding around the neighborhood for a good 30 minutes...but all the aforementioned items up above, I sadly did not do. Dammit. Now, I've got a mild sunburn on my face, a couple of bug bites, and possibly overworked legs. This is what happens to Aries people like myself who just do not possess the patience to do things the right way the first time. *sigh*
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
I don't know what it is about the National Spelling Bee competition that gets me hyped. Okay, maybe hyped is not the right word, but it is enough for me to drop what I'm doing to watch which super-smart middle schooler will reign as champion speller. In so many ways, I'm totally blown away by these kids. It falls into the same category at how awestruck I get at kid actors.
Have you ever watched it on TV? Among hundreds of parents, judges, media, and fellow spellers, kids as young as 8 years old (I think) compete to spell words that I have never even heard of. They all ask the same questions:
1. Could you please repeat the word?
2. What is the country of origin of the word?
3. What is the definition?
4. Please use it in a sentence.
5. What part of speech is the word?
6. Are there any alternate pronounciations or definitions?
7. Could you please repeat the word again?
You could actually hear the wheels in their head cranking, desperately trying to remember where they saw or heard the word before. There was this one particular kid, 11 years old, who kept saying, "yessss!" or "I know this one!" before he spelled it. Geez, at 11 years old, I would never have known any of the words these kids know. Some of them were totally breaking the word down, asking the judges, "Does this mean this?" and lo and behold, they were right. Amazing, I tell you. You can't help but feel bad for the kid when they spell a word incorrectly...especially if they were off by one letter. I guess it's safe to say that the word they miss will never be misspelled again. Sheesh...and I thought that I was a good speller!
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some love, however belated, to the Opianas on their 1st wedding anniversary. They celebrated this past Memorial Day weekend. Y'know, I have to hand it to them...they were thinking ahead when they scheduled their wedding date because from now on and until forever, they will always have a three-day weekend to celebrate their anniversary since it lands on Memorial Day weekend. I don't know how they celebrated, but I hope it was happy and full of love. Happy 1st Anniversary, you two!!!
A shout-out goes out to my Cornerstone crew. Tomorrow is the last day of school for them- whoo hoo! I can only imagine how crazy it is with kids not being able to concentrate with summer just a day away. I so miss teaching! In any case, hope ya'll don't tear out all your hair and actually enjoy your kids for one more day. Your much deserved summer vacation is just around the corner- hang in there!
Yes, here MnM goes again on her usual rant about the weather. The temps have been steadily increasing and while rain would be a welcome reprieve, we're all hoping that it never comes. Okay, not farmers, but the most of us. Why? According to the Mosquito Control department, MN weather has not been conducive for mosquitoes to lay and hatch their larvae. Tsk, tsk...too bad. Don't get me wrong, them lil' bloodsuckers are out and about, but for the beginning of June, I have to say that we've been quite lucky to not see the swarms that we were forced to run away from last summer. Me, I'm all good. One mosquito, two mosquitoes...fine by me. One hundred, two hundred...not good for me.
Although my WeatherBug counter says 82 degrees, the overcast skies and strong breezes ruffling through the trees makes it look otherwise. Of course, I should've known better. Me being a native San Franciscan and all...tsk, tsk, I'm so disappointed with myself.
1. Apply sunblock with an SPF no lower than 30.
2. Apply bug spray on top of already applied sunblock.
3. Stretch before doing any physical activity.
Went bikeriding around the neighborhood for a good 30 minutes...but all the aforementioned items up above, I sadly did not do. Dammit. Now, I've got a mild sunburn on my face, a couple of bug bites, and possibly overworked legs. This is what happens to Aries people like myself who just do not possess the patience to do things the right way the first time. *sigh*
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
I don't know what it is about the National Spelling Bee competition that gets me hyped. Okay, maybe hyped is not the right word, but it is enough for me to drop what I'm doing to watch which super-smart middle schooler will reign as champion speller. In so many ways, I'm totally blown away by these kids. It falls into the same category at how awestruck I get at kid actors.
Have you ever watched it on TV? Among hundreds of parents, judges, media, and fellow spellers, kids as young as 8 years old (I think) compete to spell words that I have never even heard of. They all ask the same questions:
1. Could you please repeat the word?
2. What is the country of origin of the word?
3. What is the definition?
4. Please use it in a sentence.
5. What part of speech is the word?
6. Are there any alternate pronounciations or definitions?
7. Could you please repeat the word again?
You could actually hear the wheels in their head cranking, desperately trying to remember where they saw or heard the word before. There was this one particular kid, 11 years old, who kept saying, "yessss!" or "I know this one!" before he spelled it. Geez, at 11 years old, I would never have known any of the words these kids know. Some of them were totally breaking the word down, asking the judges, "Does this mean this?" and lo and behold, they were right. Amazing, I tell you. You can't help but feel bad for the kid when they spell a word incorrectly...especially if they were off by one letter. I guess it's safe to say that the word they miss will never be misspelled again. Sheesh...and I thought that I was a good speller!
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some love, however belated, to the Opianas on their 1st wedding anniversary. They celebrated this past Memorial Day weekend. Y'know, I have to hand it to them...they were thinking ahead when they scheduled their wedding date because from now on and until forever, they will always have a three-day weekend to celebrate their anniversary since it lands on Memorial Day weekend. I don't know how they celebrated, but I hope it was happy and full of love. Happy 1st Anniversary, you two!!!
A shout-out goes out to my Cornerstone crew. Tomorrow is the last day of school for them- whoo hoo! I can only imagine how crazy it is with kids not being able to concentrate with summer just a day away. I so miss teaching! In any case, hope ya'll don't tear out all your hair and actually enjoy your kids for one more day. Your much deserved summer vacation is just around the corner- hang in there!
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