Playing Catch-Up With MnM: The Final Chapter

How sad is this? My summer is basically over and I have only FIVE posts to show for it. The beginning of the new school year is just around the corner...and can I say that I am so NOT ready to go back?! I've had the entire summer to prepare for my return full-time back to work, the entire summer to organize my lessons and revamp the old ones, the entire summer to really get my life in order, and what do I do? Freakin' procrastinate. Argh. Well, I'm definitely paying for all of it now...

Really now...where did the summer go? A lot has happened in the past three months and I honestly have to sit back to reel and wonder at it all. In teacher world, summer begins when school lets out, and since I've been "out" of school since mid-January, well, you can say that I've had one helluva long ass vacation!

For those that know me, they will say that I'm very proud to be a San Francisco native. Not that many of us around these days, y'know? But if truth be told, I've practically converted to be an East Bay gal...omigod, I KNOW!!! Crazy, right?! Perhaps I've been in denial for so long, but when I really think about it, I stopped being a "city girl" once I moved out to Foster City. Oh, how I love that place! Then of course came the move to the Midwest and well, in a matter of months, this chicka became a chicka from the 'burbs. Talk about total 180!

Living out here on "the other side of the Bay" has been, surprisingly, nice. Aside from the distance from da city, there's really not much to complain about...plus, the weather is almost always way better compared to da city...although having a bit of fog offers a comfortable reprieve from the intense heat at times. Living out here with my sister and the family has truly been a blessing. It's given me a chance to hang out with the kiddies ALL THE TIME and yes, while it may get L-O-U-D very often, it's also given me a peek into who these lil' people are. Yes, I've known them from the moment they came out (okay, slid out) into this world, but having been away for so long, I feel that I've seriously missed out. Plus, there's a difference between visiting someone for a bit and living with them for a bit. A MAJOR difference. And this is not to say that it has been bad- not at all! Truly and seriously? I've loved every minute of it and while I may not be able to stay here full-time once school starts, I'll be really wishing that I was...

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

To review my summer so far, I've been to Disneyland, two funerals, and a military retirement ceremony (after which I got to tour the famous USS Hornet). Got to watch a handful of summer blockbusters and really, summer wouldn't be complete without doing so- The DaVinci Code, X-Men 3, Superman Returns,and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest...and for me, "Pirates" is the winner for being most enjoyable movie of the summer- swashbuckling adventure and then some! Yes people, I take the sexy pirate over the superhero in tights. LOL!

I've missed out on quite a lot on my shout-out list- although it's completely belated, just wanted to send some birthday love and hugs to:
my Lola (6/9); in July: Jose, Mommy Hernandez, Lil' Bro, Urs, SB, Noe, Mare, Mrs. Voodoo, XPORider, and LolaAuntie...damn July is a busy month!; in August: the Weekender, the Gao twins, Dr. C, Baby Noah, and Jaypers. I know I'm forgetting someone, but know that you're all in my thoughts and prayers!

Belated shout-outs also go out to those who recently tied the knot: the Saxtons, the Lapuz's, Bianca & Anthony, and Vikki and Michael. Congrats!

And now, for MnM's highlight of the summer...THE highlight to top all highlights. The major event of this summer that will reign supreme in my book for quite a while was....drum roll please...attending the IL DIVO concert! Some of ya'll have heard me go on and on about this worldwide phenomenon (and they are!), and some of ya'll have even been converted into fans (yesssssss!). And yes, I know some may think it is silly for a woman of my age to be so ga-ga over these men...these men who support a charity for underprivileged children of the world...these men who are so down-to-earth and who has not let fame get to their heads...these four awesomely gorgeous and talented men...these men whose silky voices touch the heart in a way that I've never felt before with any other music...these men who make you melt with just a look or a smile...these men who, oh wait, sorry, I'm getting carried away. *blush, blush* My bad! Seriously though. Though I've always been one who could listen to all genres of music (with the exception of heavy metal...the scary kind), this "operatic pop" otherwise and also known as "popera" has really caught my ear. To me, it really compares to nothing because the sound is so pure. There's nothing manufactured about them or their voices- true vocalists with true talent.

Who the heck is IL DIVO, you may be asking? Il Divo is a creation of Simon Cowell, the one and same well-known judge of American Idol. Now before you begin to assume anything about this group (because you know what they say about assumptions...), I truly believe that when Simon is speaking his mind and telling someone that they are "simply ghastly," he is speaking the truth.

Simon went on a worldwide search to look for the best, undiscovered voices. While that appears to be a part of his job description for American Idol, he had a vision. He has always thought highly of the male operatic voice, but he couldn't stand to sit through an opera. Rather, he wanted to listen to a male operatic voice (he thinks a woman's operatic voice is too squeaky!) singing something that he can actually understand. For two years, he was on a mission. He scoured America, Asia, Europe, and the UK...and found them. Four guys from four different countries...immensely talented and charismatic...and oh, did I mention oh, so good looking?!

So I first heard about Il Divo on Oprah. Though they have been together for about a year already and popular in the UK, they were virtually unknown in the U.S. until their appearance on the Oprah show in April 2005. From Oprah to countless TV interviews and appearances, from their 1st World Tour and to the upcoming special performances with legend Barbra Streisand, Il Divo became an overnight sensation without even getting any airplay on the radio! (As geeky as this sounds because I actually know this information, only one other group has ever done that before and that was Led Zeppelin!)

Okay...still with me? Let me warn you now, the rest of this post is going to be about Il Divo, so if you'd rather, you can just skip to the end or come back and check when I post again...because this is BIG! (yah, yah, joke all you want....)

Now before I mention anything else, ya'll have to know what their names are: David (from America), Carlos (from Spain), Urs (from Switzerland), and Sebastien, sweet and sexy Sebastien (from France). Hahah, can you tell which one I like? These men are all in their thirties. Before they became a part of Il Divo, each had their own careers and accomplishments...it's not like they were just plucked randomly from obscurity, these guys are vocally trained, experienced, and widely popular (like rock star popular!) in other countries. By now, you can guess that MnM is a bearer of all kinds of knowledge and tidbits of information of Il Divo. Crazy, I know, but really, it's more than that. Besides being "easy on the eyes," there's something about their voices, their combined voices I should say, that is enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I was just talking about this with my sister the other day...and oh yes, she's a huge fan as well...and I was saying that I never really understood it in movies or in real life where people would be crying at operas. Yes, I've always heard about the emotions, the drama, the crescendo of music, etc, and perhaps it was simply that I was "not there" musically and mentally. But now...WOW. I KNOW what those people were talking about because I FEEL it! I could listen to them sing 24/7. And it doesn't matter that I cannot understand what it is they're saying (they sing in Italian, Spanish, French), you can't help but FEEL what they're singing.

Ok, so rewind back to February 2006...saw them in concert in Minnesota, just a few days after launching into their 1st World Tour. The concert auditorium did not do justice to their voices...it simply could not contain the strength and beauty! The night of the concert just so happened to be one of THE coldest days in MN, but let me tell you, if I did not fear losing any of my appendages to frostbite, I would've stayed behind to wait and possibly get an autograph. Sadly, I did not, but later on I heard that some people did! Dammit! To be oh, so close, yet so far...

Since February, my love and admiration for this group has only grown. And again, some may call it silly, but don't knock 'em if you haven't tried 'em! So I'm back in CA and they have a concert in San Francisco...this time, my aunts, my sister and family go, and yes, they are blown away! Davies Symphony Hall did not do their voices justice, but really, they know how to put on a concert. OH..forgot to mention, they are sponsored by Giorgio Armani...and while they are singing and making women of all ages swoon, they are looking very GQ-ish, too! Anyways, after the concert, my aunt actually got to meet Carlos and get a picture with him! I'm SO jealous! Okay, concert is over and they've moved on to the next city...yet lo and behold, via the website that yes, I'm subscribed to, there is talk of a 2nd leg of the tour....added dates to return to the U.S., specifically the Bay Area! Because we (my crazy fam...) are all subscribed, as a member, we were able to purchase tickets BEFORE the general public...and the result? Tickets in the 12th row, baby!

Gosh, I have to take a break...all the excitement of reliving the concert just to tell the story is too much...Lol! More later...

Playin' Catch-Up With MnM: Part Two

It's weird that I used to put so much time and effort into a post. I looked forward to blogging, to sharing my every day happenings no matter how drab, mediocre or ho-hum, and to keeping abreast of what my online buddies and fellow bloggers were up to.

It's been over a month since I have logged in, posted, and blog hopped. I feel so out of the loop these days.

Rather than going into my usual long and detailed accounts of past events, let me give you a photo-CliffNotes version of MnM's life these days...

MnM on the flight deck of the USS Hornet. BruthaMan's bro retired as an Officer in the U.S. Navy back in June and I was able to attend the ceremony. Because of the ceremony, we were able to snag a free tour of the ship...Standing on the flight deck was totally awesome!

The USS Hornet has a lot of history behind it. If you're familiar with WWII, the USS Hornet was used as the launching for the Doolittle Raid after the attack of Pearl Harbor. Some twenty years later, man first walked on the moon. As Neil Armstrong and crew returned to Earth, their capsule was retrieved by the USS Hornet. That's me below walking the walk as taken by Mr. Neil Armstrong himself. It's dorky, I know, but c'mon, you would've done the same thing, too!

Not pictured here is the Quarantine Facility that Armstrong and his crew stayed in. Also, there was another space capsule from another mission on display. It was roped off with signs surrounding it to please do not touch. I'm sorry. I did it. I touched it. I had to! It's the closest I'll ever get to space!