MnM Returns

Okay, so it's been almost three weeks since my last update- so sue me! (Did I ever mention that for my two weeks there, I was without a car, without Internet access, and without a dvd player??? Man oh man!, but let's not go there....) I am now back in the good ole' Midwest after enjoying a much needed California trip. My two week stay in da Bay was good for me and my soul. It sure did seem like a God-awful long time since I've been back and to be around family did wonders for me.

As I mentioned in one of my last posts, my mom had intestinal surgery. She'd doing much better, thank goodness, but in the time that she was still in the hospital and to the time that she was released to go home, her recovery was not an easy one...on anyone. Let's just say that my mom is a tough patient to please. I can say that she was back to her normal nagging-tell-everyone-what-to-do self, but add the frustration of not being able to eat solid food and the limited mobilization on her part, well, let's just say that MnM was not a happy camper for much of her stay at home. Don't get me wrong, I was glad to be of service, to be there to help out with whatever needed to be done, but I think I honestly had "mom-overload" too soon.

Back in 1991, she had to have a total hysterectomy due to menapause. Although this type of surgery is common to many women my mom's age, the fact that her womanhood was taken out, it was a traumatizing and depressing time for her. It didn't come to me until I was already terribly frustrated being home, but I do believe that I was experiencing some flashbacks of my own of her '91 surgery. I want to say that my dad was just laid off from work, my sister had already graduated and was working full-time, and I was a senior in high school. Because everyone was either working or looking for work, I was the only one left at home to deal with my mom. Let me tell you...it wasn't pretty. There was a lot of bitterness on my part because I was the only one to deal with her moods, I was the only one to nag and bitch to, I was made to do everything and though I did it, she was never pleased. Add to that the typical teenager pressures of a high school senior, in hindsight I will say that I must've thought that it wasn't fair for me to deal with what I was dealing with. All of bitterness built up for a while, but for the life of me, I don't recall how it ever subsided. Somehow during my recent stay, it all came flooding back to me and my tolerance level was totally shot to the ground.

In any case, Mom got stronger with each passing day and she was soon able to eat solid food once again. In the following days that we were in San Diego, my frustrations dissipated and by the time I got back, she was no longer the patient from hell (sorry Mom!). In fact, on the day that we were to return back to MN, we spent a lot of time just hanging out and reminiscing. 'Twas pleasant and a very nice way to end my stay.

Shamu and Carne Asada Burritos Rock!
(two separate entities, mind you...)

On Mother's Day, hubby and I took our handy dandy lil' rent-a-car and headed to San Diego. This trip was of major importance because it would be the first time that I would meet the in-laws! Hahah, yes, on all days, it had to be Mother's Day...no pressure! We arrived just before dinner time and had time to buy some flowers. Turns up that we're meeting the family at an Italian restaurant. As we were pulling into the parking lot, I noticed a group of people standing outside. "That's them," hubby said. Surprisingly enough, my heart didn't do any flip flops as I was expecting. Aurora, girl #2, came running across the parking lot and gave me a huge hug- it was so great to see her! Kuya G, hubby's oldest bro, headed our way with lil' Noelle. She's such a tiny lil' thing with long black hair and the biggest brown eyes ever! She obediently gave me a hug, but it wasn't until later on that we really got to talking...then she couldn't keep her mouth shut! LOL! The meeting with the fam went fine. For the most part, it was awkward, but for the times when I couldn't quite find an "in" into the conversation, I turned my attention to the kids.

The following day, hubby and I took the two younger girls outta school- ha, played hookey- and spent the day at Sea World. I haven't been there in ages and so I was looking forward to it. As soon as we got into the car, lil' Noelle was off talking 100 miles a minute. If she wasn't talking and asking questions, she was singing...and boy can she sing! It must be in her genes 'cuz all of the girls have some type of musical talent. It was so adorable 'cuz she wasn't belting out the kindergarten tunes that I would've expected. No "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" for her! She was singing ballads left and right- hella clear and with the correct words! She totally blew my mind! I mean, sure, hubby joked that she was "pitchy" in some parts, but man, if she continued using that voice, I can easily see it developing into a very strong, natural singing voice.

When we got to Sea World, she automatically latched onto my hand. We basically had a lot of fun together- her new best friend for the day! The four of us walked through a lot of the exhibits, took hella pictures, and watched some shows. The biggie was, of course, Shamu. Hubby and Aurora were already heading to the "soak zone," but Noelle was tugging at my hand saying that she didn't want to get wet. We were trying to convince her that it would be fun and she finally agreed. We ended up in the 4th row- prime seats to get wet! On that day, there were lots of schools on field trips- bunches of kids ready to get wet and whatnot. There were even a few lil' kids in bathing suits and towels all prepared, too! The show started and whoa, that killer whale was H-U-G-E! I did take a couple of pics before we got wet, no wait, soaked to the bone! I had even tried to block Noelle, but apparently there was just no way. Oh, and don't ask about how we smelled afterwards...ugh, I don't even want to know what was in that tank water!

After that, we went on a water ride...as if we weren't wet already! Again, we got soaked and I think it was too much for Noelle. Since the lines were short, Aurora and hubby decided to go at it two more times. While we waited, Noelle and I hung out. We talked, she sang, we walked, we took pictures...it was cool. She does like to talk about her mom a lot, but I didn't mind at all. Later on I would find out that Noelle talked about me a lot after she got home...so we're even! LOL!

Our stay and visit with the girls was too short. In fact, we didn't even get to hang out with Lina. Turns out that her friend had passed away from cancer the day before we arrived and she really needed some time to herself. Plus, we couldn't take the kids outta school for another day either, although that would've been fun. We'll just have to look forward to their visit here to Minnesota in the summer.

For the remainder of our time in S.D., we did get to watch a beautiful sunset at the beach in La Jolla. We also got to eat the most yummiest carne asada burritos ever! Man, my mouth is just watering at the thought of them! Forget this Chipotle crap that we have out here, S.D. burritos are the bomb!

Last Days in the Bay

One of the reasons we went to the Bay in the first place was 'cuz my niece Sabrina was receiving her 1st Communion. Everytime I leave home and come back again, I'm blown away at how tall her and Nico have gotten, how smart they've become, and egads, how more talkative they are- lol! The ceremony itself was too cute- all these lil' girls dressed up in white dresses, most had veils, flowers, or tiaras on their head, and all the boys were decked out in lil' suits. I did have a moment during the ceremony where I looked at Sabrina and thought, wow, this kid is growing up. Made me feel old.

We had a lil' reception back at my sister's house with some family from both sides. Near the end of the night when it was just our side, everyone was hanging out in the sitting room and we decided to have a talent show. By my urging and chanting, we tried to get each person to do something for all- play the piano, sing, do pirouettes, do cartwheels and flips, do flips with a martial arts stance, do the worm, and breakdance. At one point, we even chanted Lolo's name, too! (note: my Lolo is 90 years old!) It turned out to the most hilarious part of the evening ever- my abs and cheeks were hurting from too much laughing!

On another day, Keyopes and the Weekender, along with their respective families and significant others, came by my sister's for dinner. It's always great to hang with the girls, although Mrs. Voodoo couldn't make due it due to a prior engagement. We had fun just catching up, watching the kids play, and munching on pizza and ice cream. I always go into reminiscing mode when I'm around them because in so many ways, I see them as the gals I went to college with, the gals I partied with, and so on. Now, Keyopes is happily married with two rugrats AND who just recently bought a house. The Weekender is a physical therapist aide and busily planning her upcoming wedding. Lastly, there's Mrs. Voodoo who just got married to her Mango last December. I'll forever see us hanging out at the PACE office, having coffee and talking smack, and just being together. Now that we're all in a different phase in our lives, it's just cool to see how far we've come. Damn, I feel old now!

On the day that we drove back from San Diego, we got to meet up with the Lapids. We haven't seen them in over a year, but just like great friendships, when we saw them, it was as if we just saw them the week before. There was just so much to talk about and catch up on. We had some L&L Hawaiian barbeque and though we were totally craving it, the mac salad didn't do it for me. We ended up going to Starbucks in Westlake afterwards and hung out and talked in the car until about midnight. Our time was too short with them, but still great nonetheless.

Although hubby did get a chance to meet up with Eastbay and Mister J, there were a lot of folks that we didn't get to see- Firemarshall J and Rho, the Hernandez fam, my Cornerstone peeps, lil' bro Phil, the newly married Gee's, Mrs. Voodoo, and so many more. Hopefully we'll be back in August...or maybe sooner for Aurora's graduation. All I gotta say is that the trip back home was one of the best. Lots of things got resolved, lots of things got squared away, and even though there's so much more, it was a great trip.

I miss the Bay already and can't wait to go back.

Birthday Shout-Out

Just wanted to send my Ate love on her birthday yesterday. She celebrated her 38th- egads! LoL! It was so great to be able to hang out with my sis- believe it or not, we practically call each other 3-4 times a week! That was actually normal for us when I was still living in the Bay anyways, but still. We did have our chance to have our sister-to-sister chats, but I think, just like everything else on the trip, it was cut too short. I would've loved to have spent more time just chillin'...in fact, I was hoping that we could've gone shopping for her birthday! Aiya! Next time, okay Ate? I hope that you had a great birthday- love and miss you!

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!

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!

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!

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!*

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.

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!

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

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!

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.

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!

Spring Cleaning


It's that time of year again! The new skin is just another nice reminder that winter is over and that sandal season has begun- whoo hoo! Hope you like the new skin...and thanks hubby for setting it all up. much mahal...

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!

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!

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! =)

Five Things


*got this from bebe.


5 Things You May Not Know About My Time in College

- During my first year at State, I cut class A LOT...after I found out they don't take attendance.


- I dreamed of being an astronomer...until I found out how much math was involved.


- I wanted to play pool like a bad ass...but I suck at geometry.


- I did assignments for other people...and got paid for it.


- The tattoo and smoking habit was my way of dealing with getting over scum-of-the-earth boyfriend at the time...no more lighting up here, but am seriously thinking of one more tatt.


5 Things You May Not Know About the Job/s I've Had


- My first paying job was at the church rectory when I was 14 years old. I got paid $3.10/hour.


- I took a one-day job assignment through a temp agency working at a Bebe Clothing factory putting price tags on clothes with a tag gun...for 12 hours straight.


- I LOVED working at Carlton Cards.


- I worked in the men's department at Macy's...for a week. Was put on the register without much training, didn't know jack about men's measurements, and got really tired of fixing the tie display and folding shirts. Promised myself I'd never work retail ever again.


- Had a job here in MN for approximately a month at a teacher store. Was part of the crew that set up the new store, did physical labor in carrying boxes, opening up shipments, etc. After the store opened for business, I was reminded of the promise mentioned above. After I busted my knee, I was outtie.


5 Things You May Not Know About My Online Life


- I used to go into chatrooms and talk sh*t...then leave.


- I visit friends' blogs daily...more than once.


- I've stopped IM-ing in order to focus on school.


- Online classes were cool at first, but now I'm just dying for them to be done.


- I always hope for "real mail" instead of getting forwards.


5 Things You May Not Know About Where I Live


- It's considered one of the rich areas of MN.


- The stars are beautifully plentiful at night.


- It's starting to smell like fertilizer from the neighboring farm areas...lovely really.


- More stores and outlets are being built nearby for more shopping...just another reason to come visit (hint! hint!).


- We're surrounded by tons of white people. (Okay...ya'll already knew that, didn't you?)


5 Things You May Not Know About My Home Life


- I am a stickler for neatness and cleanliness.


- I've really gotten used to NOT working...I know, call me a bum.


- We can't drink water from the fridge and end up buying cases of Aquafina.


- Friday is always my cleaning day.


- I'm always a day (or two) behind reading the newspaper.


5 Things You May Not Know That I Desperately Want


- perfect hair


- a mosquito-less summer


- to be debt-free


- the inspiration to write a book


- to live near the beach


5 Embarrassing Fannish Admissions I Have That You May Not Know


- I was a HUGE Leonardo DiCaprio fan before Titanic...and even moreso afterwards.


- I LOVE Dawson's Creek. (note present tense)


- I was a closet boy band fan...even went to an NSYNC concert!


- I was a member of the New Kids On The Block fan club.


- I still have a framed poster of Dylan from 90210.


5 Things You May Not Know What I Do On A Typical Day


- Have the same breakfast of toast and hot chocolate almost every single morning.


- Read from my "Word of the Day" calendar and try to commit the new word to memory.


- Listen to hubby play PS2 games.


- Clean, wash, tidy something or other in the house.


- Pray.

Spring has arrived!


The current temperature here in our parts of the woods is 64 degrees! I think that it's safe to assume that the winter weather is on its way out- and it's about damn time, too! Hubby and I were out and about earlier this afternoon and man, we actually had the a/c goin' in the car. It's not hot-hot just yet, but warm enough to put our jackets, scarves, beanies, and gloves away for the next 8 months. We actually saw this chick at Sam's Club donning a pink halter top with her black thongs jutting out from her way below the waist jeans. Let's just say that now that the weather has warmed up, the hootchie mamas are coming out to play, OKAY?! I know what hibernation can do, really I do, but this chicka is not ready to bust out in shorts anytime soon. As hubby would say, I'm the "house Pinay" and he's the "field Pinoy." In other words (and I'm almost embarrassed to admit this!), I am just about the whitest Pinay out here! I almost freaked myself out yesterday getting ready for church when I saw just how white my legs were. Geez. But in any case, one of my main goals this spring/summer season is to get me my color back. And if the temps keep rising from here on out, well, YAY! MnM is a happy camper!


Mini-Getaway


Last week, hubby and I spent time in the Mile High Clu-, er, um, City. Hubby had a business trip in Denver and I decided to accompany him. It was nice to get away from Minnesota, even if it was for a few days. The weather was a definite improvement compared to MN...for a city that gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year, well c'mon now! Although the temps did dip into the mid-30s, the sun did its job of warming you up. Denver is called the Mile High City because it's literally 5,280 feet above sea level. And you can feel it, too. If you've ever been in high elevation before, you know what I'm talking about when I say that your heart starts beating faster as it tries to pump more blood and your breathing becomes shallow. In fact, everytime hubby goes for business, he's constantly complaining about headaches and bloody noses. As for myself, it was all light-headedness. The last time I remember feeling this way was during our honeymoon in Maui. We headed up to Haleakala to watch the sunrise and that was more than double Denver's elevation. Hubby and I were climbing the steps to the observation tower and halfway up, we were both huffin' and puffin'! If you're not used to being that way up, you feel the difference. And boy oh boy did we feel the difference.


Rarified Air, DAM, and Jesus Lovers


Because hubby had to work all day, I was basically left to entertain myself. Our hotel was smack dab in the middle of downtown Denver, or "LoDo" as the local Denverites call it. LoDo is short for lower downtown. A block from our hotel is a strip called the 16th Street Mall. It's closed off to any other traffic except for a free trolley that travels up and down transporting tourists and workers to different spots along the way. One of the first things that you notice as you walk down this strip is the stench. Yup, the familiar disgusting stench of a downtown that includes putrid filled alleyways that reek of urine. It's bad enough I'm trying to catch my breath every so often and to get a wiff of the pungency is just nasty. This is also weird to admit, but it's been a while since I've seen any homeless people. Sure, there's homeless people in MN, but not as many as I've been used to seeing in downtown S.F. and sure not as many as in LoDo.


16th Street Mall is full of shops and restaurants that range from the Taco Hells and touristy souvenir stores to the upscale chi-chi I-can't-believe-those-pair-of-socks-cost-that-much stores. The city prides itself in the whole elevation thing. In a hotel magazine, it warns tourists to take precautions such as drinking plenty of water and wearing sunblock. I found it hilarious to see souvenir shops sporting shirts like, "Got Oxygen?" or "I really DID get high in Denver." There were a handful of sushi places that got us excited considering they're a rarity out here. There was also a restaurant called The Broker situated downstairs in a bank building that seated us in a vault! The ambience was pretty cool and for a lunch menu that serves $4 prime rib, $4 salmon, and $.75 caesar salads...well, that's pretty damn awesome. There was a Wolfgang Puck Cafe and a Coyote Ugly bar close by, but we didn't get to see either.



Here's the state capitol building.



Since I had a whole day to kill, I decided to visit the Denver Art Museum. It was about 7 blocks from our hotel and though it didn't seem too far, the whole lack of oxygen made it seem farther. I stopped off at the state capitol first. I heard that on the 15th step of the building, there is a marker to signify the 5,280 point. In fact, I hear that there are lots of other places around the city that mark the mile. To my disappointment, I didn't see any mark. Maybe they meant inside? I don't know, but it sure was tiring circling the entire building and searching for it. A couple blocks away are the museums: the state museum, the historical society museum, the contemporary art museum, and the Denver Art Museum. I can't remember the last time that I went to a museum without it being a field trip with 3rd graders. During the field trips, it's hard to really enjoy and soak everything in when you've got to worry about this kid or that. I thought it'd be nice to just take my time and stroll through each floor.


I hit the Asian exhibits first. To my disappointment, there was nothing on the Philippines except for ONE book on textiles in the reading area. Yes, I did browse the shelves and found nada. This is totally off the subject, but as I was reading up on Denver's demographics, Denver might as well as be Minnesota 'cuz there really ain't much diversity. Plus, to think that hubby and I almost moved there if it wasn't for MN. Anyways...


It did have an extensive collection of Tibetan art. One of the things that I found most fascinating was the "mandala" art. A mandala is a sand art with the most intricate details. There is a significance to the geometric shapes, pictures, symbols, and colors, but I probably wouldn't even know where to start explaining. From what I read, they are created to gain wisdom and to guide many to the path to enlightenment. The one that they had on display was done at the museum by three Tibetan monks. It took them two weeks to complete and was housed in a glass display. It is said that the monks chant and meditate to invoke the divine deities that reside within the mandala. It is also said to have some healing and purification to those who view it. The sand is a mixture of different colors, mostly coming from ground marble and in order to "fill in" the spaces, they have to use straws and wear masks so that their breaths do not disturb the art. In fact, the ones that make mandalas are said to be born with the gift. These people must study up on the art and practice so that it is perfect when one is made.







On my back from the museum and minding my own business, I was startled by this loud voice that yelled from the top of his lungs, "I'm in love! I'm in love and I want Denver to know!" Awwww, I thought to myself, someone has just proposed. I quickly thought about that commercial where this couple is in Italy (I think!) and he yells that he loves his woman. They show the birds scattering above the square and the woman trying to hush her man up. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a diamond ring...awww. Ya'll know which commercial I'm talking about? Anyways, the voice continues his declaration of love, "I'm in love! And his name is Jesus! I just want Denver to know that I'm crazy in love!" I could tell by his volume that he was quickly approaching me and when I turned back, I saw this guy with long hair and a long beard clutching to his chest what looked like a Bible. He didn't quite look homeless and honestly, I think he really just wanted people to know that he loved Jesus. As he continued yelling, people either stopped and stared, or completely ignored him. There were a few that openly mocked him, while one guy backed him up with an "Amen to that, my brother!"


Up in the sky, it's a....


Bird. Yes, a bird. But not just any ordinary feathered friend, a bald eagle!


Hubby and I were driving home the other day when suddenly this "bird" came into our vision. At first I had thought to myself, That's one fricken huge ass bird. But the next second, I knew...it was a bald eagle. A freakin' bald eagle! I mean, as high above as it was, it was close enough for us to clearly see the white head, the enormously huge wing span, its deadly talons, its beak, and its beady eyes. It was simply beautiful! We started trippin' hard and perhaps it was instinct, but we both started searching the skies for others. None. A few days after our sighting, I read in the paper that some bird watching society of some sort were requesting people to send their bald eagle sightings. Apparently, they are trying to locate bald eagle nests. Hubby and I pretty much dropped our jaws because we bet our money there is one in the vicinity. How cool is that?!

Boy oh boy...just another factoid to back up our theory of living out in the boonies...




Finally got my MN plates...yay. But hey, check out the kitchen in the background!

Snowdrifts and Cabin Fever


The last major snowstorm of the winter has hit Minnesota...with a vengeance. We've been anticipating it for a few days now- "crippling snowstorm to hit the southern parts of Minnesota with accumulations of 10-13 inches of snow." For as long as this damned winter has been going on, I'll all for having a last storm of the season if it means that spring will quickly follow.


They weren't kidding about the accumulation. The snow has been relentless since the early morning hours and hasn't stopped since. In fact, there were moments that it was just getting fiercer and fiercer by the hour. Ya'll know what snowdrifts are? Snowdrifts can be huge accumulations of snow that build and build so quickly that it could literally act as a barrier. With the snow coming in sideways, our driveway is the prime spot for them. Snowdrifts are not cool.


For the entire week, I've been stuck in front of this laptop furiously trying to finish a project that was due two days ago. Yes, two days ago. I've got my excuse all lined up and ready to go, but I won't divulge and jinx myself. In any case, I've become accustomed to staying indoors for long periods of time. If I don't have work to do, there's always a good book to curl up with, a whole lot of DVDs that I could pop in, or the neverending load of laundry that needs washing. In essence, I've always got something to do here at home. Hubby, on the other hand, cannot be stuck indoors for too long until cabin fever hits.


It's always made me wonder why hubby's dose of cabin fever hit whenever we were having the worst weather. Take today for example. Nevermind that we're having a major snowstorm out. Nevermind that the snowplows haven't hit our neck of the woods yet...damn the townhome association! Nevermind that when the garage door went up that we were faced with a snowdrift that went higher than my waist! Hubby was determined. In order for him to get out, he had to shovel a path for the car. Poor hubby. I watched him from the upstairs window as he shoveled. As he would dump his shovel to the side, the wind would pick up and the snow would just fly in all directions. He even gave up at one time, mumbling that he wasn't going anywhere. It was just too much work. Thirty minutes later, hubby announces, "Screw it! I'm going to bust through that MF!" And so he did....all in the name of going to Best Buy. LOL!

Birthday Recap


Hubby had a quiet birthday weekend. We didn't do much, although we had discussed planning some sort of mini-celebration originally. We talked about maybe going out, maybe having a dinner here at the house, and maybe even drinking up a bit. The day itself was busy with us heading to church by noon. Hubby and the praise band planned a jam session before their usual practice. We should've known that when we said noon to expect everyone around 1:30pm-ish. Pinoy time for real.


After practice, we were still undecided as to what to do. I told hubby that it was up to him...it was his day after all. We ended up watching the movie "Hitch." I liked it! Cool, romantic comedy. If you haven't already, go see it. Makes for a cute date movie.


So what did I give hubby for his birthday? New Nike shox running shoes. Y'know him and shoes. Oh yah, I also gave him the promise not to nag him the entire day...NOT that I'm a huge nagger or anything. I just like to "remind" him of things he has to do. LOL!


Philippine Day


Next Sunday is Philippine Day. It's basically like a smaller scale Fiesta Islands. This will probably be the ONE and ONLY time when we get to see the most Pinoys/Pinays gathered in one place. Last year was cool, but I made the mistake of going with expectations that it was going to be bomb. I thought it would be bigger than it really was, but it's all good. I'll take what I can get.


Last year, hubby performed with a, no wait, THE only rondalla group here in MN. It just so happens that the pastor of our church, the pastor's father, and a couple of their old compadres make up this rondalla band...and they are bad ass. Since hubby was so interested, they invited him to play with them...in barong and all!


This year, the church praise band is going to play a couple of songs. The church praise band, coincidentally, is made up of a gang of super-multi-talented people. To my knowledge, none of them are schooled in music. They either took lessons here and there or, as they so humbly put it, "picked it up on their own." It's disgusting, really, to be surrounded by all this talent. I always knew that the musical ability that runs rampant in Filipino families skipped me over. Y'know how it is, there's always one in the family who could either sing or play the piano. I can't do either.


Anyways...the praise band consists of Pastor, a skilled guitarist, piano player, and vocalist; R, the keyboardist, vocalist, and probably soon-to-be music recorder; O'Neezy, the bomb bass player who can fill in for guitarist or drums if needed; Stp, the bad ass lead guitarist, who by the way, can play bass, drums, and keyboard, too; and on drums, my one and only hubby. Hubby, by the way, will also be providing vocals this coming Sunday. The band members are going to switch up a bit and do a musical chair thing while hubby and R harmonize. It's going to be tight! He's a tad nervous, but from what I heard at practice yesterday, they're going to sound awesome.


Remember that whole bit about musical ability in families? Well, it sure didn't skip hubby. Hubby plays the drums, guitar, bass, his sister plays the piano, kid #1 sings, kid #2 plays the piano by ear AND the drums, and plus he has a slew of cousins who make up the praise band in San Diego...all of them self-taught. I'm so disgustingly envious! Argh.


Stay tuned for pictures to come!

For Hubby


Happy Birthday to you (woo!)
Happy Birthday to you (woo!)
Happy Birthday dear hubbbbbbbbyyyyyyy (woo! woo!)
Happy Birthday to you!


Hope all of your wishes come true today baby....love and hugs!

March Madness


It's been said that March is the snowiest month during winter out here in Minnesota. I thought that they were kidding because about a week ago, the temps soared up to the high 50's. The sun was out, jackets were tossed aside, people sported shorts and flip flops, and well, wow, I honestly thought that spring had arrived.


To everyone's dismay, we were struck with a 40+ degree drop in weather the following day. While natives went about their business, newbies like us just scratched our head. What happened?! Come back sun! Come back blue skies! Come back warm weather!


I woke up this morning to light snow flurries. It didn't seem to be sticking, but the way it was coming down looked like it was enough to cover up them dead brown of an eyesore grass. As I was working on my computer a tad bit later, the library suddenly brightened up. I checked outside and the sun was out. Nice. About another hour or so, I check outside again and all I see is a mixture of rain and snow coming in sideways. It snowed and stopped. It rained and stopped. The sun seemed to be fighting its way from behind the clouds, but lost in the end. Make up your damn mind, Mother Nature!


I just want winter to be over already. Maybe if I say it enough times, it'll happen. "Let winter be done and let spring come. Let winter be done and let spring come. Let winter be done and let spring come. Let winter be done and let spring come........"

Take That!

Local government here in MN is proposing a bill that would require that written driver's license tests be administered only in English. As it stands now, it can be taken in English, Spanish, Hmong, Russian, Vietnamese, and Somali. Plus, those who don't speak English can bring an interpreter as long as he or she is a licensed driver. Senator Reiter, who is white, stated that "There are some places where folks may drive through a stop sign and I have to believe that they just don't read English." She is also the same senator who is trying to establish English as the primary language of Minnesota. In response to that, Senator Moua, who is Hmong, matter of factly stated, "There are plenty of people who whiz through stop signs- many of them look more like you than like me." Hah!


There are many incidents like these happening nationwide and perhaps it's because we're living here in the Midwest, but I feel that it's more prevalent that people of color have to voice, fight, and establish their rights in this predominantly white state. Instead of taking steps forward, people are taking two steps back putting blame on immigrants and people of color. Sometimes the anger and frustration is too much and it just builds. I'm reminded of all of the Asian American studies classes that I took back at SFState and the bitterness of what generations before me had to endure for their desire to seek a better life wells up inside. I've come to notice that white people, albeit not all of them, still have that superior attitude over people like me. It's as if they expect us to bow down to them and thank them for the supposed generosity that "their people" have graciously bestowed onto us or some shit like that. It's so tempting to want to give these fools a piece of my mind and bring them down from that high pedestal that they believe they so deserve to be on. It's ridiculously more tempting to want to slap these people silly and shake some sense into them. But why stoop to their level? People like that, those who are ignoramous and misguided, those who cannot muster the effort to open up their minds, those who cast their eyes upon those they feel are inferior, and those who are judgemental do not deserve a minute, no, a second of my time. People like that, no matter what nationality or race or creed, are so steadfast in their ways that I almost feel sorry for them. It's all bullshit to me and I pity the ignorant fools. (why did I sound like Mr. T just now?)


Okay...moving on!


Other Midwest News


In my last post, I wrote about the different crimes that, unsurprisingly, plague this part of the country. Among the things that I forgot to include was animal cruelty. Lately, the feline community has been making the headlines. Just across the border in Wisconsin, a hunter is proposing a bill to include cats on the shooting free for all block. He claims that if wild cats wander on his territory that he should have the right to "expel" them . Apparently, these wild cats are endangering the bird community. Sure, I understand the reasoning of trying to protect certain bird species and all, but should Wisconsinites be allowed to run up in their homes and grab their rifles and shoot away? If you can imagine, cat lovers are appalled.


Somewhere in MN, there is a colony of feral cats. According to the news, there are hundreds of cats living in the wild. (No wonder gun-happy Wisconsin hunter is irked!) There is a dedicated group who go out there on a daily basis to feed these cats and vet doctors are doing their share of neutering them so they won't mulitiply. Opponents of this have suggested that it might be easier to just kill them off. If you can imagine, cat lovers are even more appalled. It's just like how statewide hunters are suggesting that deer season be extended because of the overpopulation of white-tailed deer (think Bambi). It's their supposed solution to the problem. Add to that deer trafficking and it becomes a whole different story.


In yesterday's paper, a man was charged for putting his girlfriend's (um, ex-girlfriend now) cat in the oven and baking it. Yes, BAKING it! The woman woke up to the sounds of her cat screaming and miraculously, it survived. It somehow survived the 250-degree heat, lost its eyelids, the padding on its paws, and sufferend a severe burn on its stomach. Cat lovers, at this point, are having heart attacks.


Lastly, a couple of weeks ago, a woman found a dog on her porch whimpering because it had an arrow in its head. A freakin' arrow! Fortunately, it didn't penetrate
completely through its skull and doctors were able to safely remove it. The picture alone was enough to break my heart. Who would do such a thing?! I may not be an animal lover, but DAYAMN!


Whatever happened to just regular cow-tipping?

Midwest Life


Life out here in Minnesota is just full of surprises. You never know who or what you're going to see or do or experience. For as long as I can remember, there's always been a certain stigma about the Midwest. It's the same reason why so many people move back here after busting out to the big cities so they could raise a family. And yes, I will admit that the way of life here is different. Folks out here continue to leave their doors unlocked, car windows rolled down, and hell, for all I know, keep a spare key to the house underneath the supposed inconspicuous faux rock. Aside from all of that nonsense (and from someone who still has The Club in her car), there are still those who, believe it or not, allow their children to run around like it's no thang. Kids are, by nature, very curious beings. Maybe it's just ME, but there's a huge difference in letting kids experience their surrounding environment and letting them get into everything and laughing it off how cute the kid can be. Maybe it's just me, but kids and sharp metal objects do not mix. It's freakin' common sense. I have seen toddlers in the mall running ahead while their parents continue to window shop, I have seen them climbing chairs, barriers, and sticking their lil' heads through bars to check out the action going on below. It's not cool. I can stand on my soap box and spout just how unacceptable that is, but I will just shake my head and keep my mouth shut. Hubby and I were at a stop light the other day and in the car right next to us, there was a small child sitting in the lap of a passenger in the front. Goodness gracious! Heaven forbid that an accident happens 'cuz my goodness, that kid would be the first to go!


I have found that Midwest life focuses on family. There's a big percentage of homeschooled children and more kids are involved in extracurriculars with parents just as involved. Everything seems more family-oriented out here. But it doesn't really matter if one lives in a big city or a suburb, there's always going to be shit going down. It's everywhere you go and it's inevitable. Sure, there are some places that may seem that crime is more likely to occur, but on the real, you can't escape it. But just because you can't escape it doesn't mean that we have to be paranoid. It's all about being aware and avoiding simple mistakes that could lead to something happening. Something as simple as locking your car door and not leaving any valuables out in the open. Someone who leaves a couple of brand new bags in the car creates the fruit of temptation for another....and if it so happens that those bags held the Sunday's church collection, well, what can I say? It wouldn't have happened had the simple act of bringing the bags into the house immediately took place. It's common sense people. Don't be traumatized- be smart.


Moving here from CA hasn't changed my simple routines. In fact, I probably have become even more cautious. I've mentioned just lush and green this state is...okay it's white at the moment, but ya'll know what I mean. There are so many trees and trails, bushes and bends and lakes that you just can't be too careful, y'know? Plus, take a couple of brown newcomers totally out of their element and moving into an all-white neighborhood. C'mon...we tend to stick out. I still lock the door and double check it, I still stash stuff that I bought in the trunk, and I never leave anything out. Reading the newspaper each day validates the fact that crime is everywhere...even here in the Midwest. Every single day, I read about burglaries, car thefts, identity theft (huge over here!), shoplifting, arson, crooked cops, child abductions, rape, domestic violence, drug busts (methamphetamines is a biggie over here!), and deer trafficking. Yes, you read it here first: deer trafficking. There was a special news report about the deaths of small children overdosing on pills because of the ease of getting into medication bottles. Again, if parents were watching their kids closer and/or putting meds somewhere inaccessible, tragedies such as these could be avoided.


In some small ways, MN does appear to be safer...to a degree. Just because I don't hear the police car chases in the middle of the night, sometimes I'd take that over the sound of nothingness. The silence here still creeps me out. It reminds me just how out of the way we are out here and that anything could still happen. The Midwest will continue to have the reputation for being the place to raise a family, but at the same time, they should steer way clear of the "It'll-never-happen-to-me" mentality.


And by the way, I will refrain from my conservative-puti-bashing today 'cuz well, folks a plenty over here need a lesson or two in expanding their horizons and opening up their minds...


Last Word


The second test that I took last Saturday was just as worse as the first. If it could at all be possible, I'd just Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind it and have March 5th completely erased from my memory. 'Twas a bad memory that I'd like to forget. 'Twas so bad that I had to brood for the rest of the evening...hey, I was entitled. Even though nothing more could be done about the test, there was simply nothing else that could brighten my day. While hubby was out, I popped in "Message in a Bottle," cried my eyes out, and called it a day. Sometimes a gal just needs to have a good cry.


Ah, and not to forget my misstep on the sidewalk injury. After closer inspection of my knuckles, it appears that entire chunks of skin are absent. First layer? Second layer? Shoot, whatever layer I took out when I fell hurts like a mutherf*cker! Hurts when I wash the dishes, hurts when I tie my shoes, hurts when I brush my teeth and comb my hair..hell, it hurts when I'm just sitting down minding my own business. My family and hubby know that I do not handle pain well at all, but if ya'll could've seen it and feel it now, ya'll would be a complaining wuss, too.

Not a Happy Camper


It's not even noon and I'm in one of the worst moods ever. Can I just bitch about the first half of the tests that I had to take today? In short, the test prep books did nothing for me. I felt like I was taking the freaking SATs all over again...it was horrible. Oh, and let's talk about bad omens for a sec. Blame the glazed over icy sidewalk and/or my inability to walk properly, but MnM has succeeded in scrubbin' once again. Hard. I wasn't even in a hurry. I was even careful to step over the chunks of ice that had formed on the sidewalk, too. Of course it was over before I even knew what happened. I didn't land on my backside like before; this time, gravity pulled me forward. As I picked myself up, the pain totally overrided any embarrassment I might've felt. My knuckles on my right hand looked like tenderized meat and my knees was pounding. At most, I skinned my right knee, but it made me feel like a little 8-year old all over again....or perhaps, it was more like that time I rode hubby's scooter and scrubbed BIG TIME, ripping two holes in my overalls, bleeding like there was no tomorrow from my knees and hands...and yes, I was 26 or 27 years old at the time...but I digress. Despite the pain and trickling blood (eww!), I managed to scuff up my boots and tear up my good jeans- dammit, not the jeans! Since I was there early, I found the restroom to clean up my knuckles 'cuz well, dangling skin is not at all attractive.


Remember how I had hoped that the test prep books might be harder than the actual thing? NOT!


I have one more test to go in a couple of hours. This one is all essay. Wish me luck...or better yet, hope that I don't scrub again on the way. Shiet.

Things That Made My Day Today


* Waking up early after a good night's rest (an MnM rarity)


* Waking up to a sunny and bright day


* Eating three real meals at real decent times
(had some delish and oh, so yummy tonkatsu and mac salad for dinner!)


* Having a World's Finest Chocolate bar (always an MnM pleaser!)


* Working out for a good 30 minutes
(I don't care what people say, that balance ball is no joke!)


* Getting in a couple practice PRAXIS/MSAT tests

* Checking out the pics hubby posted on his blog...go see the Frosty the snowman we made at 2am!


* 1st day of MLB's spring training


** Finding out that the San Francisco Giants will be coming to MN to play the Twins!


** Discussing with hubby that without a doubt we will be at all three games!


* Finding out that the San Diego Padres come out right after the Giants...which means, an entire week of baseball games for us to attend! WERD!


So if ya'll were even thinking of visiting us this summer, come for the game and watch the Giants kick ass!


Things That Didn't Make My Day


* Cold ass weather. Sunny and bright, yes. Cold enough to freeze the snot in your nose? Most definitely.


* Practice PRAXIS/MSAT tests- didn't do too well on the multiple choice sections. Gave myself the allotted two hours...completed it with only 10 minutes to spare. Still hoping that the practice tests are way harder than the real thing. Hoping that there won't be questions about the laws of thermodynamics or the infamous and unanswerable classic of "2 trains leave the station at the same time, one going east and the other going west..." Hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that the odds of my guessing skills using the process of elimination will be in my favor this Saturday.


* University of Phoenix finance department- advisors do not know how to advise and will do anything to get my money. Wrote them a letter regarding my dissatisfaction and how unacceptable their actions are. In short, demanded better options for my situation and to figure out how to do their job better.


* Family heartaches- I just found out today that the mother of one of my oldest and dearest friends passed away yesterday. I knew that she was sick, but I had no idea that she was in and out of the hospital for the past two months. I'm thankful that she was able to spend time with her grandson and see him grow up and even though he may not remember her, he'll always have an angel watching over him. I wish that I could be there for the funeral to pay my last respects. Pray that the family will somehow find comfort in their hearts...


Hubby's uncle also passed away this Sunday. Hubby was hoping to attend the funeral up in Toronto, but the airfares are just sky high. This is the second death in his family in such a short period. I don't know what it is, but it seems like tragic events like these happen in threes. One of the hardest things about losing a loved one is not being able to be there to see them one last time...and of course being so far away, in our case MN, makes it even harder. There are never the right words to comfort the grieving, but the fact that they are in a better place, without sickness and free of pain and suffering, encourages me.