Kodaken Moments

Here's a group pic of all of us. We met up at the church parking lot anticipating a 7am departure, but of course being on Filipino time, we actually got on the road by 8:30am. Check out hubby and lil' bro B holding up the basketball...this would only be the image of what is to come as they kick ass on the court in Game 1 and 2.







Here's a pic that I took with our digital. It came out even more beautiful than I hoped. I enjoyed my time sitting out on this dock, taking in the scenery, and getting my write on. Plus, I kept hearing the theme music of the opening sequence of "Dawson's Creek"..."I don't want to wait, for our lives to be over..."






Here's hubby. Some thought he had this "outback" look with that hat he wore. Just for the record, he didn't actually go canoeing...leeches, remember? I think he was in that Dawson's Creek mentality, too! Lol!






There are only a few people who would understand the motivation behind this pic. The very first time my family went camping, I must've been 4 years old. There's a pic of my sis and two aunties hamming it up for the camera. We were all on our elbows with our heads resting on palms of our hands and lil' MnM is sticking out her tongue. Okay, okay, so 26 years later, some things never change!






Ain't that so beautiful?!






Here we are, Doh and MnM. This was taken before returning to civilization.

OFF Rocks!

Before anything else, I gotta give my props to SC Johnson and Company for inventing OFF bug spray. It totally works! I would not have survived this weekend had it not been for OFF. I would've been covered head to toe in bites from only God knows what. I don't even want to think about the different kinds of insects that were looming out there in the wilderness, waiting for the smell of my tasty blood to suck on (ang tamis!). There was one point where one of the girls asked me to braid her hair. As I was pulling strands of hair, I noticed something at the roots. It was small, it was alive, and it was imbedded in her head! If I am correct, it was a tick! Now thankfully, she didn't freak out when I told her and because I was behind her, she couldn't see the look of panic on my face as I tried (several times) to remove it. I was honestly and totally creeped out!

I was totally reminded of my 7th grade teacher, Mr. Taylor. In Science class, he told us about ticks and how they could be carriers of Lyme Disease. If you happen to find a tick, there's a proper way to remove them. You simply cannot pull them out (which I DID!). You're supposed to use tweezers or light a match, blow it out, and hold the fumes from the match as close to the tick as possible. This forces them and their stinger to disengage whole. Ticks have an affinity for warm and damp places...behind the ears, behind the knees, in your underarms, and sh*t, apparently in your hair. I distinctly remember an experiement he did when he went hiking in the woods. He tied a teddy bear to a rope and threw it among the trees and bushes. When he finally retrieved it, it was covered in ticks. How gross is that?! He also discussed the proper attire to wear in the woods. To avoid ticks and any other insects, he stressed the importance of being covered- long socks, pants, long sleeved shirts. Let's just say that thanks to my teacher (and you should always thank your teachers!), I took his advice and stayed covered the entire weekend. Despite the warm weather, I opted for running shoes and socks versus slippers; I wore running pants or overalls versus shorts; I wore a hat, a hood and I put my hair up; and although I wore sleeveless shirts to try and tan, I sprayed OFF like crazy all over my body. As a result, I came home with barely any bites! Even so, I've seen, swapped, dodged, and killed enough bugs to gross me out for a lifetime. Okay, so that's exaggerating just a bit, but when I say there were hella bugs, I totally mean HELLA!

BFE

Ya'll know what that means, yah? Well, the campgrounds for our weekend retreat was in boonyville, Wisconsin. As we crossed the state line into Wisconsin and passed what seemed to be the only town for miles, we continued down roads and roads of green. I'd say "lush" greenery, but lush seems like a word used to describe somewhere exotic like Hawaii. In any case, through the scenic greens and gravel roads that the Lexus had to endure, hubby and I came to the conclusion that there just ain't sh*t out here. We were going to be in BFE for three freakin' days...lovely.

Campgrounds

Our camping area was on the shore of a leech infested lake. Leeches. As in blood-sucking. As in what sucked on the privates of Wil Wheaton's character in "Stand By Me." What I didn't know is that they come in two colors: black and white. Compared to the black ones, the white are the ones that haven't sucked up enough blood yet. So am I to assume that the black ones have had their fill? I think not! I'm all for the learning of something new each day thang- "If you don't know, now you know." But when it comes to leeches, only one thing comes to mind: don't go taking a dip anywhere that'll result in having lil' bloodsuckers on you. *shudder, shudder*

The grounds actually had a cabin that could house up to 15 people. The cabin itself didn't have any electricity. It did have a hand pump for water for the sink though. It had gas stove and gas fridge (?)and 'twas a good size for a meeting place for the 13 kids. Most of the kids, though, opted to sleep under the stars. As mentioned before, hubby went all out on camping gear and I felt bad in some ways because our tent was the biggest. Here we were, two people, in this huge tent while the kids were packed in 4's or 5's in tents that should've only fit a couple comfortably. Ah well, the joys of camping and bonding...

As far as the bathrooms, it was a walk. Nothing drastically far, but as night rolls near and everything is pitch black, 'tis far. With the exception of bugs, it surprisingly had clean toilets, sinks, and showers. The showers reminded me of the Philippines. While you're trying to wash yourself, you're keeping an eye on the bugs on the wall making sure they don't move any closer than they have to. Still, I think I got bit in some places where the sun don't shine. Lovely.

Communing....or not

Most of the devotional activities were held outside under the trees or at the bonfire. The kids were given lots of free recreation time: canoeing (in mentioned leech infested lake...and btw: a couple girls fell in. Ewwwww.), basketball, hiking, swimming (in a different, swimmable lake), volleyball, turtle hunting, and just plain chillin.

But the purpose of this trip wasn't to play games. It's a retreat after all...a spiritual retreat set out in the wilderness to get away from the chaos of our everyday lives, to be without our cell phones, TV's, computers, and if you're one of the typical kids on this trip, to be away from their parents. I believe that some of the kids misunderstood the nature of this retreat and because of their self-centeredness, obnoxiousness, and sheer stupidity, didn't give this weekend a chance at all. This may sound harsh because well, I remember how it was to be in their shoes. I was at that point where I felt I was alone in the world and no one understood me, but we keep saying that today's youth are a totally different breed from when we were kids. The kids nowadays have a major problem with respect and common courtesy; they talk back and curse, and let's just say that they would've NEVER gotten away with such behavior "in my time." I realize that everyone has their own drama and these kids are no exception. Many come from broken homes, dysfunctional families, single parents and yes, it's understandable that their lives are far from normal, BUT...it's not an excuse for these kids to act the way they do. It's funny 'cuz it's really about applying psychology here and understanding why they do what they do because of their homelife drama. But at the same time, some of these kids reinforce the reason why I simply cannot teach at the high school level.

I'm a true believer that there's a reason for everything that happens and me going on this retreat weekend wasn't a coincidence. I'm not the totally out-going type where I can just hang with these kids right away and bond...hubby can and I'm glad that they have him as a Kuya and role model. Me, I'm there, I'll listen, I'll say what I gotta say, but I know that they can't talk to me like they talk to hubby. It's all good. I can be there for them in other ways. It was a good experience to be there with them and to see them out of their element and away from the church environment. It gave me a chance to get to know them a little bit more. I did get to facilitate an activity that I thought was something the group really needed and I'll take that as my contribution to this retreat.

I expected a little more depth to the retreat itself. I felt that the kids weren't so into it as I thought they would be and many times, it was a countdown to when they could escape to do something else besides connect with God. At the same time, it could've been due to the nature of the activities. Although there were 6 chaperones, only 2 planned the weekend out. I felt that hubby and I personally could've added our much needed input to have made the activities more meaningful and something that these kids could better relate to. The leaders of the retreat are parents of one of the kids and perhaps because of this reason, they still hold back in sharing and letting anyone in. Hubby and I haven't stopped talking about it and I believe that we are being called to be more active in this youth ministry. I feel that because of the experiences that we have between the both of us, we could help make a difference. I was telling hubby that I could see him being the Youth Minister for them and plus, it all works out because he's already bonded with the kids, they trust him and can talk to him in ways that they can't talk to the other leaders.

I knew that there were other reasons unknown to us why Minnesota was the place where we'd end up living. I now know that we were meant to join this church- hubby was meant to help the praise band grow and develop, he was meant to be a blessing to these kids, and we were meant to be the "new blood" that in some ways, helped (re)ignite the fire of many projects and activities that they've been praying for. The church has so many needs and is in this continual growth process and I feel that we were meant to be here for that.

Overall, aside from the drama and disappointment, it was a good experience. It was nowhere near as unbearable as I originally feared and yet, it could've done without all the bugs. Seriously. I even got a chance to write. Being way out there in the woods, sitting on the dock of the lake, and seeing all the surrounding beauty is so inspiring that you can't help but feel God's presence. I did not anticipate how I would end up feeling and how this weekend would affect me, but it did in many ways. It gave me the opportunity to reflect about my life and to feel God's power and love working within me. The Holy Spirit was truly present and I'm thankful that I was there to open my heart and mind to the experience.

Once again, much thanks and appreciation to the makers of OFF bug spray!!!

Leaving Civilization

We're off on our first camping trip.

Camping?! But MnM doesn't even like the outdoors!

Yes, I realize that. But since it's a retreat for the youth at our church, I'm making the sacrifice.

Being the anti-outdoorsy person that you are, I'm certain that MnM will be sleepin' in the nice confines of a cabin, yes?

WRONG! Hubby and I went all out on camping gear. Tent. Bug spray. Sleeping bags. Bug spray. Foam mattress. Bug spray. Grill. Bug spray. Flashlights. Did I mention bug spray? Egads...what am I getting myself into???

You mean to say, MnM is going to be completely one with nature for an entire weekend?!

Well, not entirely. There ain't any electricity, that's for sure. Geez, no Internet access for three freakin' days...wtf?! BUT, thank the good Lord that there IS a bathroom with running water on the grounds. People, if there wasn't one, there'd be now way I was going! Ain't no way MnM is going #1 or #2 out in the woods....EWWW!

What's the one thing you're looking forward to during this lil' excursion?

Does coming back home to sleep in my own comfy bed without the fear of mosquitoes attacking me left and right count?

What's the one thing that you're NOT looking forward to?

Besides mosquitoes, "chiggers" and "no-see-ums." Up until yesterday, I had no idea what the hell these were. Hubby and I were at Target buying bug repellent and the bottle said it protects from these things. A nice old man heard my "What the hell is a chigger and no-see-um?!" and was kind enough to explain. "Chiggers" are tiny spiders that imbed themselves under your skin and makes you itch like crazy. "No-see-ums" are exactly that...bugs so teeny tiny that you can't see. Lovely. So lovely that I'm feeling itchy just thinking about them. Arrrgggh!

Any last thoughts or comments before leaving the comfort of civilized living?

Yes. Ya'll gotta pray for me that I survive this trip! Pray that the bugs will be kind and that they don't suck out all my blood. Pray that there ain't any bears in the vicinity. Pray that the bathrooms DO indeed have running water. And oh yah, pray for all the kids on the retreat. It should be an interesting weekend...

MN Stops

Just because hubby and I have been here a year (egads, a year in July!) doesn't necessarily mean that we're helpful tour guides. Besides Mall of America and St. Anthony Falls at the Mississippi River, there really isn't many places that we know of and how to get around. Sad, I know. But like I said before, with my sis and her family here, it gave us a chance to play tourist ourselves. Here is a list of places we saw and restaurants we ate at during their stay:

- Mall of America. After they got settled in their hotel, we took the hop, skip, and a jump to MOA. As expected, they were overwhelmed. We walked around a bit and the kids got totally excited when they saw all the rides and games. But hunger took over and we headed to the Rainforest Cafe. But in order to get there, we had to pass the main attraction in the center, Camp Snoopy. Click here to see a cool pic of the famous indoor theme park, then click on the link to see what it all entails. Honestly, it's all very cool. Dinner was eventful to say the least. I remember eating at the Rainforest Cafe once, but I don't remember all the creatures, thunder, lightning, etc. Poor Nico got all freaked out everytime the lights would dim strobelight style simulating lightning. It made for a cute picture, though, with him grabbing hold of his mom. Then there was our waiter Charlie. Ate was commenting on what a cutie he was and that he kept winking at her! Lol! The food was okay, nothing spectacular. I think more people go for the whole atmosphere thang. Plus, it's fun for the kids...for Bina anyways.

- Albertville Outlet. Ah yes...the shopping. I must remind you all that Minnesota has no tax on clothes. None. Zilch. Nada. To look at it another way, just think that it's like a sale everyday! Plus, when you're making a big purchase (like Ate did at Banana Republic!), it makes a big difference. There's this big hoopla about this particular outlet mall. Apparently there are many others, but this one is the best. Think Gilroy and Vacaville, but in our opinion, better. As my sis and family were preparing for their trip, they already told me that they were going to pack lightly. They wanted to take advantage of the "no sales tax on clothes" deal and wouldn't you know it? They arrived with one piece of luggage! One luggage for a family of four. Wow. Needless to say, they bought another piece of luggage here, on sale of course, to stuff all their purchases in for the trip back. And take advantage they did...wow. Oh, and all the Mervyn's stores in MN are closing down, too, and they're having major sales! I think that it's safe to say that they got their money's worth...or as Nico would say, their "nomey's" worth! Lol!

- Famous Dave's. Can I just say YUM?! This has got to be THE best place to get ribs over here. FD's is a chain reminds us of Armadillo Willy's, but better. It's funny 'cuz there's one right near our apartment, but we've never been there. 'Twas always crowded..and now we know why. If we knew just how finger lickin' good it was, we probably would've eaten there ages ago! Hubby and I are constantly complaining how there's not too many good places to eat over here. We seriously miss the different cuisine of the Bay, that's no joke. If ya'll ever take a trip to visit us, count on a trip to Famous Dave's. It'll knock you out of your socks, don't cha know? You betcha'!

- Fort Snelling. Located about a mile from the airport and sandwiched in between the Mississippi and the freeway lies this very historic site. The history behind it is really fascinating, especially for history buffs like my brutha man and hubby. When I heard fort, I automatically thought of Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Snelling ain't nothing like it. Fort Snelling is huge. There's so many trails to wander about, different buildings that have been modeled to depict life back in the 1800's, and the best part of all, all the people who work there are costumed guides dressed in pioneer style clothes who surprisingly, stay in character. We wandered on our own, were greeted "Good Day" by various "characters," met a blacksmith who explained his trade, and even watched a canon demonstration. The "kaboom" of the canon was HELLA loud! The place wasn't completely busy with visitors and it made me wonder if the people who work there go about their pioneer life even when no one visits. There were a couple buildings that I know for a fact that we were the only ones there and yet, here were people behind a rope doing their thang. 'Twas like a living museum. They'll talk to you if you ask them questions and they'll always say, "In our time..." I never realized how rich the historical background of Minnesota was until this visit. Plus, we got to see a 15-minute film about the whole expansion project...you know, taking the land that rightfully belonged to the Native Americans and taking over. Same old sh*t from the white man's world. But it was cool because many of the towns over here have maintained the Indian names: Owatonna, Mendota, Minehaha, White Bear are just a few examples. Overall, it's definitely a place worth visiting again.

Of course, we did a lot of hanging out and catching up. Watching the kids be kids is always fun...watching them laugh, run, get in trouble, cry, whine, whine, whine...Lol! According to my sis, lil' Nico has gotten into a whining phase and she kept joking that this was how I was going to remember their visit. Nah, not at all. I'll remember playing tourist, going shopping, eating out every night (oh boy, did we eat out or what?!), but most of all, the hugs, the kisses, the smiles, the talks, and everything in between. I loved that they were here and I dreaded the day they would leave. It felt perfect to be all together again and not have to worry about long distance phone calls. Hopefully it won't be too long til I see them again. Perhaps August timeframe, I may make a trip back to the Bay for a bit. Having them here made me realize how much I really miss them all and I'm just grateful for the time that we had.

La Famille

That's French for "my family." My Ate and her family flew in from CA last Saturday. It was so great of them to come. I got to play tourist and see the many parts of MN that hubby and I have yet to discover. As fun as it was to pasyal-pasyal, it was even better to chill and catch up with them. I haven't seen them since my last trip back to da city in March and it always amazes me how fast the kids are growing!

My niece and nephew are THE cutest kids, but being Ninang to both, I am a tad biased. The image that will forever be etched in my memory is when I picked them up from the airport. Turns out that I was waiting at the wrong end of the terminal. It wasn't until Ate called my cell that I figured that out. Sometimes my sis and I have the wackiest conversations, but through it all, we completely understand each other...most of the time anyways. Our conversation is as follows:

MnM: "Are you here?"
Ate: "We're here. Are YOU here?"
MnM: "I've been here. Where ARE you?
Ate: "We just got out."
MnM: "Where ARE you?"
Ate: "Where we came out, Gate 7- we're in baggage claim."
MnM: "I'm in baggage claim."
Ate: "We've been here for about 15 minutes."
MnM: "Hold up. Is that you down there?"
Ate: "Where ARE you? Down where?"
MnM" "Okay, I see you guys. I'ma coming."
Ate: "Um, okay. I still don't see you though."

I'm hurrying through the crowds of people to get to them. They're easy to spot. I'm waving like crazy and they finally see me. Bina and Nico have these huge smiles on their face and they break into a run. It's like a scene in a movie. They both yell, "Ninang!" I stop and brace myself for the two little bodies to tackle me into a bear hug. I watch them in slow motion as brother and sister race each other to me. People turn their heads to check out the commotion and before they continue on their way, they smile as they see the scene before them. I notice how tall the kids have gotten, the new haircut, the new backpacks they bought especialy for this trip, and in the background, I see my sis and her hubby. In that few seconds, I took them all in and I felt a happiness in my heart. They came. One grabs my waist while the other hugs my leg. They're here. My family.

Ages and Ages Hence

'Tis not quite a Shakespearean quote, but it's how I feel about not blogging for the past two weeks. Honestly, there hasn't been much to blog about. There's been tons on my mind, but sometimes my muddled thoughts seem so obscure that I somehow subconsciously back them up in a corner somewhere with the intention of coming back to figure it all out later. The problem is, later never comes. As a result, those thoughts remain there...lurking, probing, fermenting...keeping me up in the wee hours of the morning because my mind refuses to give it a rest.

I've often thought that perhaps I divulge too much information that anyone would have no business caring about. Other times, I feel that I'm not being totally honest with my feelings and that I censor my words knowing that this person or that will be reading this blog. Most times, I say SCREW IT! For that brief moment when I seem to stumble in my need to express myself, good or bad, those hidden thoughts often reveal themselves. Sometimes decipherable, sometimes not. Sometimes worth sharing, sometimes not. Ultimately, what we are most passionate about is shared freely to anyone who listens, but tonight, they remain unspoken. "The rest is silence." (And that, my friends, IS a Shakespearean quote taken from Hamlet).

What's with Shakespeare tonight? Hey people, whatever and whoever inspires...

***Hey Eastbay, don't unsubscribe just yet! You may be one of the few faithful ones we have...be a pal. =)

What A Week

I've been temporarily glued to the TV this past week to watch all the Reagan memorials and funeral coverage. It eerily reminded me of 9/11 and how time seemed to stop for a bit...for some, anyways. There's a lot of Reagan haters out there, but I'd like to think that even though I was too young to really understand his political agendas, it's just fitting to acknowledge the life of this accomplished world leader. I was disappointed that I didn't wake up early enough yesterday to watch the funeral service begin in Washington D.C. and continue on to Simi Valley, CA live. I was thankful that CNN decided to broadcast the entire day again. I just felt that this was history in the making that I wanted to be a part of, even though it was just watching it on TV.

Yesterday, we also found that Ray Charles Jr. passed away as well. An icon and legend that the music community will no doubt miss.

Some people may be surprised that people of my generation are affected by these deaths. Sure we may have been too young to understand Reaganomics, but I'll bet that we all remember hearing about the president being shot by that Jodie Foster fanatic. We may have been too naive to appreciate Ray Charles' music, but after "We Are The World", we knew him. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that these individuals were at their height while we were growing up in the 80's. We are connected by time. If anything, I've learned more about Reagan's presidency now than I did back in high school. Now that I'm older, I have a greater appreciation and understanding of things that I never took the time to bend an ear to. As unfortunate as some may say that is, to me, it's better late than never.

June 12- Philippine Independence

Happy Philippine Independence Day!!!

For those of you who don't know much about how the Philippines gained their independence, read on and be schooled...

July 4 vs. June 12

PI History

Be proud, wave our flag, dance the Tinikling, eat bibingka...celebrate our independence ya'll! Reflect and be thankful of your Philippine roots.

Summer Is Here

If I'm not mistaken, summer technically starts on June 21. Well, not here in MN, my friends. It arrived in full force yesterday that brought temps up in the 90's! We're safe in the confines of our a/c'd out apartment, but once you step over that threshold into the hallway, BLAM! Hot, humid, muggy air.

I had to run errands yesterday and when I saw the sun shining through the blinds, I told hubby that I should just walk...he laughed. I was serious, I mean, the weather was definitely improving and I've been making too many damn excuses to get my ass outta the house. I've been saying, "If only we lived near a Lake Merced, I'd walk all the time." Shiet...we live near what, a thousand Lake Merceds! Okay, call is laziness, but if you see some of these lakes out here, not only are they HUGE, but some of them are so heavily wooded...y'know, as in it's a good place to hide a dead body heavily wooded. Hey man, call me paranoid, but I ain't trying to become a statistic or anything. Yes, yes, this CA minded gal has yet to adjust to the ever so trusting Midwest lifestyle, yet something tells me, I don't think I ever will.

ANYWAYS, I decided to drive and boy, was I glad I did! The walk alone from the complex to my car parked outside was hotter than a mutha!

Another reason for me to believe that summer is here is due to the overabundance of s.c.b..."scantily clothed bodies." Let's just say that after enduring the length of this past winter, I understand peoples' needs to shed their skins and get some sun. Now it being mostly putis over here, us brown folk would shudder at exactly how RED they get...I'm talking lobtser red! SUNBLOCK PEOPLE! I saw so many s.c.b's that scared me 'cuz they were whiter than my car (MnM's Honda: white). Plus, there's also all the s.c.b's that SHOULD NOT be, if you know what I mean. I'm all about being confident in your skin and being comfortable in what you wear, but some people (myself included!) should not be wearing certain things regardless of what the weather is. Sure I'll risk wearing sleeveless tanks, but some ladies just shouldn't wear ones that show their tummies (notice the plural form)! Now I know what my weight should be, but compared to the Viking-esque bodies over here, I feel tiny! Still, still...I've got a long ways to slimming down to my desired weight and hopefully this summer, it'll happen. In the meantime, stay tuned to the many fashion faux pas of the s.c.b. to come...

Crappy Days

Burgers ain't sh*t without the buns.

Yesterday:
In terms of blogging, you ever have those days where nothing majorly eventful happens and all these bloggable moments come to mind that you believe would make good reading material, BUT then one stupid lil' incident happens and all is forgotten and all you want to do is vent about that 'cuz it's ruined the entire blogging experience? Ha! Well, that was yesterday for me..and oh yes, this morning as well.

Yesterday evening, the Tony Awards were on. I love watching these because in a way, you can say that I grew up hearing and attending Broadway shows. I had this idea for a blog post that had to do with thanking my parents for giving me some "culture" growing up- how many other 8 year-olds can seriously say that they got to see "Cats" or "The King and I?" Not that many. Now hubby had been unfortunately hit with a case of hives and he's been so kawa-wa ever since and I've been running here and there to get medicine and food, which I totally don't mind. Last night, we decide we're gong to eat burgers and have ourselves a mini-picnic. I make a list of things we need and head to the grocery. 'Course at this time, the Tony Awards and the Lakers/Pistons game was goin' on and I'm thinking that if I hurry, I can still catch most of the performances.

I zoom to Rainbow, the name of our grocery, and am in and out. I head back home and hubby says that he'll take care of the food. Cool. Then he gives me this look and asks, "Um, did you get any burger buns?" Aw for crying out loud! The one thing I forget to add to the list! At that moment, I exclaim that "I ain't goin' back." But the memory of yesterday's disaster dinner comes back to haunt me (just say my salmon didn't come out as I planned....shaddup!) and I reluctantly grab my keys and head out once again. Now we could've easily eaten the burgers ghetto style with sandwich bread, but after having a bogus dinner the night before, I was desperate for the burgers to taste bomb.

The burgers did taste bomb, thanks to hubby, but it's not after my mood becoming foul as I drove. ARGH!

Burgers ain't sh*t without the buns.

Today:
I woke up late, as usual. Hubby says that I got a phone message from a friend and still being groggy, I forced myself to the kitchen to play it back. Now I don't know about ya'll, but I LOVE to save messages. That's why you'll never see our answering machine with zero 'cuz it's very likely that I've saved a message (or 3!) from hubby and one from my niece back in CA. Knowing this, it's normal to just press the "skip" button to hear the latest, yes? Well not today! As I was quickly scrolling thru the messages, I was literally horrified when I realized that it wasn't the skip button that I was pressing, but the DELETE button!

MnM is not a happy camper right now. Boo!

And Finally...

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, the "Great Communicator," passed away on Saturday. There's always this sense of sadness when someone well-known dies. Just like with any other huge and news worthy event, I found myself glued to the tv to watch all these "Remembering Ronald Reagan" bits. It covered his childhood days, his presidential times and what he accomplished, up to his final days as he battled Alzheimer's. I got all teary-eyed when they talked about this, knowing that people with this disease can lose their memory altogether. They fail to recognize their loved ones, they fail to recognize even themselves, and in my opinion, is such a sad way to live the rest of your life...what's worse is that there is no cure.

I will admit that politics doesn't interest me as much as it should be. When Reagan began his term in office, I was only in 1st grade! Now I do remember when he got shot, but his political agendas and what he accomplished as president were never really understood. In 5th grade, I chose him for my president report and it surprised me that I remembered some facts about him as the newscasters recalled his life. And then it struck me that Reagan is the first president of MY time. To many, this may seem insignificant, but to me, it's worthy. From the newspaper clipping that my sister has on the day that I was born, I'll always remember reading that Nixon was impeached and removed from office on that day. I don't remember anything after him, but yes, I do remember knowing Ronald Reagan.

I'm saddened by his death and am moved to read about what he did as president. A few hours after his death was announced, I headed to Borders and sure enough, there were all these books about him already displayed. I'll probably save the newspaper clippings for safe keeping and how many years from now, I'll take it out and remember him. It's funny, isn't it, how someone whom you never meet and never get to know, can touch and influence people's lives so deeply.

Rest in peace Mr. President...

I'm So Stoked

The new installment of the Harry Potter series, Prisoner of Azkaban, opens up in theaters tomorrow. Just last night, I finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...all 734 pages of it. I honestly can't see lil' kids as young as 3rd grade reading it. The sheer weight of the book would be enough to turn off some people. Plus, if the images created in my mind are as realistic as I make them, these kids wouldn't be able to sleep at night. As for me, the thicker the book, the better. The book was so intense that while I was reading in bed last night, I must've been so engrossed in the last few chapters that I didn't even hear hubby come into the room. I had the book sitting on my chest ('cuz it's so darn heavy to hold up) close up when I supposed that hubby was going to give me a good night's kiss. I suddenly felt something near me and not being able to see anything else 'cuz the book was so close, my body jerked. My insides screamed, my body went tense, and before I knew it, I had clocked hubby on the side of his face! He had this dumbstruck look as if he couldn't believe what just happened. While I was totally relieved that it wasn't He-who-must-not-be-named coming after me, I felt so bad that hubby had to pay for my lack of body control. Lesson to be learned here? Don't sneak up on anyone reading any known intense books, especially when they're in the last few chapters. Sorry hubby!

My goal before my next online class started was to finish reading the entire Harry Potter series. Well, I didn't quite succeed, but I did manage to get through #1-4. That's 1,819 pages! I just started on The Order of the Phoenix and I'm so stoked 'cuz it's over 800 pages. And just to keep with the spirit of the movie coming out tomorrow, I watched The Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets on dvd today. Now when we watch Prisoner of Azkaban tomorrow, it'll all be fresh in my mind. What a nerd, eh???

School is In, School is Out

I started up on my new online class today. 'Tis a Math and Science class for 8 weeks. Ugh. Not that this'll matter to anyone else, but my assignments are due at midnight Eastern time. That means, I have to have my work done by 11pm my time. Boo! Of course if I was preparing my crap ahead of time, this wouldn't be an issue, but experience has told me that I tend to work well under pressure.

While school is in for me, school is out for the rest of the country. By tomorrow or next week, all these kids will be out free, roaming the streets, crowding the malls, acting like the knuckle-headed kids that they are to celebrate the end of yet another school year. But it's official now though. It's been a full school year that I've been unemployed. Wow. And have I found a position for the next school year? That would be a no. Aiya. Well, we'll have to see how the summer search goes and perhaps, just maybe, I'll be lucky. In any case, cheers to all my teacher friends who are ridding themselves of their classes for a hopefully relaxed summer break.

Shout-Out

Just want to give an anniversary shout out to my Pinay sista Sharon and her hubby, Vic on their 4th wedding anniversary. What a great way to celebrate than on the last day of the school year, too! Much love to you both and wishing ya'll many many more years together...

Weekend Recap

Friday:
Actually woke up semi-early. My "To Do" lists have been making a comeback and what better day than Friday to get all these things done before the long weekend. I had a ton of things to do- household chores like laundry and vacuuming, running to the bank, goin' to the cleaners, getting hubby's prescriptions, buying stamps, etc. Before I even get a chance to attack my list, hubby calls from the Santelices' house near a client site saying that they want to have lunch. I decline because I really want to start my errands, but hubby says that they won't take no for an answer and will be on their way to our place soon. Great. This is where I hear my mom's ever-nagging voice like when we were younger to constantly clean up around the house because "you never know when you'll have guests come over to visit." Honestly, it is because of my mom that I have this compulsive and anal desire to have a kalat-free house...hubby, did you hear that? hint! hint!

So here I am forced to do a rush job of making our place look decent during which I'm watching the clock to make sure I've got time to shower. Don't get me wrong- our place isn't a pig sty or anything, but it just has a habit of being easily cluttered.

Our guests come and we head to Applebee's for lunch. It was cool. These friends of ours are actually the first people who welcomed us when we first got to MN. We met them at the Filipino church and they made sure our transition went well. After lunch, we decide that we're going to watch a movie- Day After Tomorrow.

Day After Tomorrow:
Ya'll have to see this movie-it's so intense! It's a freaky, yet disturbing theory of what could actually happen (although not in the near future)to our Earth if we do not take care of it. We even had some environmental activists outside the theater handing out flyers for some "light reading material." From the beginning to the end, it's just one thing after another and your nerves really don't have time to calm down. Ya'll must've seen the previews and commercials by now- the major wall of water coming down onto New York City, the Statue of Liberty frozen over, huge hail killing people left and right in Japan... In the movie, we see half the world being destroyed by Mother Nature and let's just say that if you live anywhere within the northern states of the U.S., you're totally screwed. Forget Canada, too. It's eerie to think that anything like that could ever happen. After the movie, you're left with that dumb, awestruck feeling of "whoa." In any case, go out and see it for yourself.

Saturday:
We've been hearing so much of the Albertville outlets that we were persuaded to spend the night over the Santelices home. It was cool, although a tad bit uncomfy to not sleep in our own bed. The outlets were like any other outlets, but they actually had some good stores: Banana Republic, Gap, Nike to name a few. Hubby and I did our fair share of shopping...c'mon, we had to...NO TAX!

Sunday:
Church. I don't even want to get into detail of how I felt during service, but the sermon topic of gay marriage got me so infuriated that I actually had to leave the room so I can take a breather. I honestly couldn't believe all the bullshit that was coming out of these people's mouths. Abomination this, abomination that. Let's pray for the evils of our country and our people. How about we pray for all of your closed-minded asses and pray that tolerance and acceptance will find a place in your heart? Who are YOU to pass judgement on others?! I actually felt nauseous, angry, frustrated, and shocked all at the same time. Ugh, I don't even want to go there right now. I'm still sick to my stomach about their whole stance.

Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan celebrations:
Leaving church right after, I had to head home and get ready for two performances. I honestly wasn't in a right state of mind after church, but hanging out with the "different" crowd other than the church crowd was definitely nice. These two church celebrations totally brought me back to way back when. Growing up, my parents were very involved at church and us kids were always there participating, too. May, as some of you may not know, is the month of the rosary. There'd be one statue of the Virgin Mary who'd travel from one house to another each day and the host family would be responsible for "merienda" afterwards. To us kids, this meant hanging out every night and getting free food for the entire month. This is what we did...this is how we grew up.

The end of May basically ends with the big Santacruzan. Usually, some of the young teenage gals are chosen with an escort, get to dress up all fancy, and walk around in a procession around the church, or as they did back in the Philippines, around the town or barrio. It's a huge customary thing and yes, I was part of it at one time or another. I'm probably not giving the event any justice with my meager descriptions, but if you're Catholic (and Pinoy!), I'm POSITIVE that you know what I'm talking about. Sunday was no different. The performances went well, although MnM did mess up..my bad. The first time, I faced the wrong way near the ending and the second time, I exited the wrong way. Aiya. I'll get it next time.

Monday:
Originally, hubby and I planned to go out and perhaps hit a mall. But we didn't. In fact, I stayed in my pj's the entire day- watched some tv, read my book (still on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book #4), and napped. 'Twas a lazy, lazy day and with the rain falling outside, we took advantage to just relax. We were thinking of watching the Memorial Day fireworks, but by evening time, we were just too tired of not doing anything. And so goes the three-day weekend...

Thanks to all the soldiers and veterans who do what they do on a daily basis. We remember you and salute you.

Advanced Congratulations

Just want to send my love out to the soon-to-be Opiana's who will be tying the knot tomorrow. Hubby and I were blown when we decided that we wouldn't be able to make the festivities out in San Diego, but just like we told the blushing bride and groom, we'll be there in spirit!

This honestly would've been da BEST time to go back to CA and visit with our homies back home. As much as we have been adjusting to life out here in the Midwest, we've definitely missed our various circle of friends. Da "Hustler crew" was a unique set of friends 'cuz everyone there was either engaged or married! 'Twas a great couple group to hang with and we SO miss our dinners out with them all. Hopefully another opportunity will present itself and we'll have a mini-reunion to look forward to. Hey, there's still another wedding in September- on Labor Day weekend to be exact! These couples were pretty smart, mind you, to schedule their nuptials on national holidays. Know what that means, right? Three-day weekends for their anniversaries for the rest of their lives! I had to make sure that ours fell during summer vacation away from school. For most teachers, especially this particularly unemployed one, lives for the summers and what better time to tie the knot? Speaking of which, let me get a shout-out to one of my gal pals out at Cornerstone who will be tying the knot with her man in Maui...if I remember correctly, the ceremony is in just a couple of weeks. So advanced congrats to the future Chan's!

Again, much love, hugs, and congrats to the Opiana's! Wish we could be there to celebrate your special day. You're in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers. Miss you guys!

Enjoy this long weekend, ya'll! Have fun and be safe in whatever you do. Peace!

Snide Remarks ;-)

Since hubby made mention to our "little spat" the other day, let me offer you my side. Late Tuesday night, I asked hubby if he wanted some ramen. Yes, Top Ramen noodles...they make good around-midnightish snacks, mind you. When it was done, I told hubby that he should just help himself. Now you have to know this about hubby, but whenever he eats noodles, he always eats it from a certain bowl- a Crate and Barrel japanese style bowl, that is, complete with chop sticks. Always. I take it out for him, put it on the side, and continue to put some in a regular bowl for me. Since he was getting his PS2 game on with Tiger Woods, I kept reminding him about the soup. I didn't want the ramen to get cold, you know? Just being the considerate self that I am, is all. So he finally gets up to the kitchen and he sees MY bowl already filled and he says, "Is that for me?" An innocent question, I realize now, but knowing exactly which bowl he always uses forced me to make, what hubby calls, a "snide remark." I must've looked at him with an incredulous look and said, "When do you EVER use this bowl?" Well, this comment happened to spark the fire under hubby 'cuz the next thing I knew, he was snapping in my face with, "Don't get mad at me!" with that lil' high pitched voice. I actually thought it was funny at the time because I remember laughing and saying something like, "Damn, you don't have to yell." But after filling his bowl, the right bowl, with noodles, he stomped back into the living room without a word. Weellllll, WTF was that?! What's he so damn pissed off about? Well, you can imagine that he got ME into a bad mood now and after I finished my bowl, I up and left to go into our bedroom without putting my bowl in the sink. Very unlikely thing for me to do. A few minutes later, he pops his head in the room and asked me if I'm done and I just answer with "Yup."

Now I'll tell you, that whole lil' incident there, which probably took about less than 30 seconds total, really got under my skin. THEN, to top it all off, he goes to bed WITHOUT saying or kissing me goodnight. Boo on him. Well, the next day, I just don't want to deal with him so I hit the mall and do my thang. I go practically the entire day without talking to him. 'Cuz really people, he didn't have to snap at me the way that he did.

So the day comes and goes which brings us to today. Hubby has a client to see in downtown Minneapolis and he suggests I come along for the ride. Perhaps we can have lunch downtown, he says. Hmmm...his attempts at an apology? I go, we walk, we eat at the worst food court ever, we shop, and head home. All in all, the trek downtown goes rather well. We get home and relax for a bit before heading to my folk dance practice. I forget what happened next, but we ended up wrestling...all in good CLEAN fun, peoples...get your minds outta the gutter! lol! We're laughing, we're wrestling, I'm running out of breath...in the middle of it all, I turn to him and said, "You didn't even apologize to me." He apologizes and being the boob that I am, retorts with "You're sorry for what?" And he admits it...he says, "Sorry for snapping at you." See, what did I tell you? It wasn't MY fault we had a lil' cold war goin' on for a day or so. He didn't have to yell at me, right? Psshhhhh...ain't no one gonna yell at me like that and pretend we're all okay. Nah uh. That's right hubby, you SHOULD be sorry! Lol!

Well, just like hubby said in his blog, I really can't stay mad at him for too long. It's just the way that I am. It's gotta be something HUGE for me to hold a grudge against someone, but for the lil' spat that we had, well, there's going to be more of where those came from. It's just one of those things. It'll happen, I'll give him the silent treatment, he'll apologize, and it'll be okay. Same old, same old! Lol! Honestly, it's really funny now that we look back on it- so funny, hubby said he's put it out on his blog. Yah, well since he did it, I might as well do the same.

Hey babe? It's all love! (even though it really was YOU who was wrong, but it's all good now....) =)

Ah well...'til my next "snide remark." Love and hugs!

Birthday Shout-Outs

Belated Happy Birthday to my lil', not so lil' anymore, cousin Derek. He turned the big legal 2-1 this past weekend. From what I heard, he did what any other 21 year-old would do on his bday...he got wasted! Lol! It's still hard for me to think of D as anything but the little duckling (inside family joke), but it just reminds me of how much older we're all getting. Yah, I'll say it- I remember when he was born! Wow. The next time I'm home, I'll be sure to treat him to a drink...'cuz I could actually do that with him now. Damn. Belated wishes and much love-n-hugs straight from MN from your Ate and Kuya!

America Has Voted

...and the new American Idol is.....Fantasia Berrino!

I have to honestly say that I wasn't quite impressed with the top 12 chosen for American Idol. Sure, I was hyped that two Pinays were up there. 'Twas a minor setback that they really didn't represent, but oh well. As proud as we all were, we all knew deep down that they wouldn't make it to the top. Putting all the "you're all winners for making it this far" crap aside, people across America were surprised that Camille and Jasmine made it as far as they did. And when Latoya London was let go? Oh man, American messed up with that one. I thought she for sure was going to win. Between Diana and Fantasia, I didn't really care one way or the other who got it. They're both good and even though Diana was left in the shadows, I'm sure some record label will pick her up just as the other #2 American Idol picks left behind were. And as for Jasmine Trias? Well, if she can follow in #3 Tamyra Gray's footsteps, perhaps we'll be seeing more of her real soon. Bahala na. If anything, she'll be on the tour! Lol!

Much Props

Thanks to cable tv and ESPN2, I was able to watch Barry Bonds hit homerun #670! Whoo hoo! It was DOPE to see that live. I didn't get to see his McCovey Cove hit yesterday, but the replay on ESPN was just as sweet. The SF Giants played against the Arizona D'Backs. Final score: 4-3 Giants. WERD!

Hubby was commenting to me just yesterday that he never saw me as the type of gal who liked to watch sports. I mean, I watch Sports Center....by choice! Yes, I admit that it's only within the last 5 years that I've really gotten into sports. I will blame hubby for that, although it's definitely not a bad thing. I totally miss going to Pac Bell (sorry, can't call it SBC Park) and sitting in them nice Lower Level seats c/o hubby's coworkers. Although I enjoy watching basketball and football, I dig watching baseball the most. I'm wanting to watch a Twins game here at the Metrodome, but don't get it twisted and think I'm changing over. No sir. I'm a GIANTS fan through and through.

Timberwolves??? They're beginning to grow on me. It can't be helped really- that's all they show over here! We were even invited to a T'Wolves mini-party last week for game 7 against Sacramento Kings. As exciting as the game was, I was too distracted and wanting someone to change the channel to ESPN2 and check the Giants game. All in all, I think I could like 'em...I wouldn't mind seeing them play either.

What a Weekend

Depending if you've already read hubby's blog, you might've heard about his lil' adventure to the emergency room on Sunday. Late Saturday night, hubby was complaining of some discomfort in his chest. According to Doh, it wasn't like someone was sitting on his chest kinda pain, but definitely something uncomfortable. Being the butthead that he is, he DIDN'T tell me about the pain radiating down his arm or the tightness he had in his jaw. These, if you don't know, are some of the symptoms that have to do with heart problems. He slept it off thinking it was something he ate or whatnot and went to church on Sunday morning. After church, the pain had not subsided and I thought it was time to head to the E.R. In no way did I want to take any chances. I've seen these symptoms one too many times. Plus, it was definitely affecting hubby 'cuz he wasn't the usual bubbly, joking self and this, in turn, caused me to worry even more.

Luckily, we live about five minutes from the hospital. When we got there, he was immediately taken by wheelchair (although he didn't have any trouble walking at all) to a room. Being that it was Sunday afternoon in the quiet lil' suburb that we live, it seemed that the entire hospital staff was having a party. It could've been my imagination, but I had the feeling that by bringing hubby in, we were interrupting their snack and gossip time. Needless to say, he was seen right away and our presence basically made people try to "look busy." After I registered hubby in, I went in to the examining room to find him all hooked up. Hooked up, as in hooked to an EKG machine, oxygen in the nose, and hubby looking so ka-wawa on the bed. Poor baby. The nurses and doctor came in to ask questions, trying to figure out exactly what kind of pain hubby had. His nurse had to draw blood for tests and boy, was that needle huge or what? He also had to have a chest x-ray and had to take some nitro under the tongue, too. We weren't sure whether or not he'd have to stay overnight, but after some odd hours of waiting and taking in some meds and liquid Motrin, hubby was given the okay to go home. His bloodwork and his x-ray came back negative and as far as they could tell right then and there, nothing was wrong with hubby. He's due in for a follow-up exam this week and hopefully, the doc will have some news to clear things up. I'm grateful that hubby's okay. Just do me a favor and keep him in your prayers until we find out what caused the pain. Maybe, just maybe, it'll have been nothin' but heartburn.

After Sunday's lil' adventure, hubby took the day off yesterday. Much needed, I say. As for me, it took quite a bit of me to remain calm in the wake of everything. I'd like to think that with all the times I've been to the hospital for my family, of all the times I myself have rushed my grandma to E.R., and then seeing my dad go through this quadruple bypass last summer, with all that, I'd like to think I'm pretty strong when it comes to things like this. It's scary to see your loved ones all hooked up and lying in the bed and seeing hubby was no different. But this girl kept it together and stayed strong.

On A Mission

For hubby's day off, we decided to do a bit of walking...at Mall of America. Yah, yah. As much as we complain about how crowded it can be with all them ghetto chitlins and how overrated it is, it's really the perfect place to get your exercise on, considering how truly HUGE this place is. We walked and did a bit of shopping. After a while, the subject of the wedding chapel came up in our conversation. Have I mentioned that there is an actual wedding chapel inside MOA?! As much as we've heard about it, we've never seen it. So, we made it our mission for the day to find it. Some of ya'll might say, "Just look at the directory." Yes, yes, we have tried that before, but being in the wrong wing of the mall can definitely pose a problem. And if you sometimes get that claustrophic feeling when there's just way too many people in one place that we often get at MOA, you'd understand why we're always complaining. According to the directory, the Chapel of Love, (the actual name, people, I am NOT making this up!)is located at 345E. East wing. I had to find my own bearings 'cuz I had no idea which wing we were at. 'Tis kinda funny 'cuz when we actually found it (3rd floor outside of Bloomingtons), it happened to be just around the corner of where we entered the mall! Seeing that there isn't possibly anything we could afford at Bloomingtons, why wander yonder to that area, right? Well, we found it, sneaked a quick peak into the chapel, and had a good laugh about it. Ain't nothing spectacular. Reno and Vegas, by far, totally blows 'em all away. BUT, at least we can say that we finally found it, saw it, walked inside it, and well, ah, the chase is over. Mission accomplished.

btw: we spent the day WITHOUT our cell phones! Oh horrors! Lol- actually, it wasn't bad at all. I felt inspired after reading tpham11's blog about leaving his cell phone at home and just spending time with his kids. Damn, remember the times before everyone and everyone had a cell or pager? Seems ages ago, doesn't it? Needless to say, we DID feel a bit nervous not having our phones with us, but the quality time spent was, like the Mastercard commercials spout, priceless. Ya'll should try it sometime...

Speed Reading and Funky Dreams

Don't know if ya'll remember that lil' list I made up of things to do on my three-week break from school. Top of the list was to read and reread the Harry Potter series. If you're an avid reader like myself, taking up this matter is nothing like a challenge at all. It's more like a much wanted punishment. If you've read the series, you know that each book gets thicker and thicker as it follows the adventures of Harry and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan as I am a Lord of the Rings fan (btw: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King dvd was released today! Go get your copy!). I've practically been reading the series straight, going from one book and immediately to the next. I just finished the third one- Prisoner of Azkaban- today. Tonight, I start on The Goblet of Fire- all 734 pages of it! I'm so stoked!

Seeing that reading is part of my usual routine before I go to sleep, it's no wonder that my dreams have been taking upon a "magical, yet freakish" nature. Just last night, I dreamt that He-who-must-not-be-named was after me because of a particular amulet I had. All these strange things were happening- a llama looking horse suddenly became three soaring birds; shadowy figures were gliding overhead; people were fainting like crazy as soon as He-who-must-not-be-named came close; and to make it so unbelievably psycho, there was someone's wedding trying to happen amid all the confusion and fear. I remember that I was panicking because I was trying to get my hair up in a bun, but 'cuz I just got it cut, 'twas almost impossible. Aiya! Albeit that it was a weird dream, I know it isn't anything to worry about. I've had my fair share of nightmares, but this one was definitely, without a doubt, due to my late night readings of Harry Potter. I've got a little over a week left and two more books to go. As much as I'm trying to complete the lil' goal that I've set for myself, I'm also trying to relish each page that I read. The story has gotten so intriguing that I've totally immersed myself into the plot. In many ways, I dread finishing up a good book- I don't want it to end. But at the same time, you get so into it that you find yourself hungry for more. I'll tell you this though, I can't wait for the sixth book of the series to come out. Til then, I've got to get my read on...

So, So Proud

Read this and be proud. It's About Time.

I think I've taken for granted just how lucky I've been to have grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area. To be born and raised in such an accepting society and where the color of your skin and the person whom you love and sleep with ain't such a big deal. If you love someone, does it matter that they're of the same sex?

Sure, my upbringing wasn't a totally accepting one at first. Not to say that my parents were freaking racists, but they did and sometimes do have that old skool mentality. I remember back in the day, my dad had some qualms about some of my sister's Japanese friends. It wasn't anything personal- it was the fact that they were Japanese. As in, the Japanese that killed, raped, tortured Filipinos during the occupation in the Philippines. It was wartime and our families and motherland suffered. Who wouldn't be bitter against the "enemy?" Enemy at the time. Yes, that was a long time ago and letting go of that hatred and resentment is a difficult thing. Takes time. If my parents still have any of those feelings intact, it in no way, shape, or form is ever revealed. I felt that my eyes were opened to "the truth" in college. Up to that point, we've been taught that America was this perfect country. It was so high on a pedestal- who were we to question anything of this land of milk and honey? Then comes the Asian American Studies and we learn of the inequality and injustices inflicted upon us, Filipinos, and any other people of color. I began to see America's past in a whole different light and was saddened by the fact that many Americans, aka puti and other ignorant folk, still hold true of those hateful beliefs. So many people have learned tolerance and acceptance that it's such a damn shame that other parts of the country haven't followed suit.

I've no regrets about moving to MN. In fact, this entire move has led me to reflect and learn more about myself as an individual. Who am I as a woman, a Pinay, a daughter, a sister, a ninang, a wife, a teacher, a Christian? In the 9 months that I've been here, I often feel that my head is going to "patok" or pop from all the thoughts that race around in my mind. It's exhausting. I've always felt that I've had some kind of spiritual connection, but figuring out "my place" with God has been a major focus and connecting puzzle piece. It's dope to be down with something you believe in and it really gives your life meaning and purpose. But there's always struggles, isn't there? In my opinion, struggles are life's way of keeping us on our toes.

One of my struggles is the church that hubby and I believe in. Not the church itself, but moreso, certain beliefs and attitudes. More specifically than that, it's the beliefs and attitudes about the gay community. Honestly, it's not so different than the beliefs of the Catholic church that I grew up in and/or the many other Christian churches out there. It's probably due to the voice that the church over here takes on. First and foremost, a bible scholar I'm not. I can't even tell you where in the Bible it says that same sex anything is "an abomination." All I know is that the church is against it. But as recent events come to light about the legality of same sex marriage, I find it irritating, no wait, repulsing is more like it, when the leaders of our church keep pressing the issue that gay marriage is wrong. What happened to acceptance and love for your fellow neighbors? Am I to believe that God and heaven will only allow straight, Christian folk? When it comes down to it, we're all sinners by nature. Leave the judging for the Almighty One is all I'm saying. It may sound utopian to some ears, especially to those who don't even believe in a higher power, but it sounds simple to me. And this isn't to say that I'm the most open-minded person out there. On the contrary. Everyone has their biases in some way or another, but it's really in the way people lead their lives that show off their true character. Don't spout to me about love and acceptance when there's a "but" or "except" in there. Our job, in my strongest of belifs and opinions, is to accept everyone for who they are, no matter what color, race, religion, or sexual orientation they are. There shouldn't be any but's about it.

Yesterday's Outings

The weather yesterday was surprisingly beautiful. We've been getting some rain showers as of late and the sunshine was a nice break. Hubby has been getting back into playing ball and the crew decided to take advantage of the weather. I thought it'd be perfect to take my bike out, too. (see, meeting one of my goals on that lil' list of mine!)Went out to a park out in Cottage Grove and while hubby headed to the court, I headed out to the streets. I didn't exactly know where to go. I basically went biking in one direction for a good 15 minutes and then turned around. By that time, my calves and thighs were burning. Not quite sure if I'd end up with that good burning feeling after a good workout versus that burning feeling that'll leave you sore the next day. The ride itself was cool. With the sun beating down, it was refreshing to feel the wind in my face. But the wind wasn't the only thing hitting my face. More than once, I had to dodge disgusting bugs and cotton. Ya' read correctly- COTTON. I'd forgotten to mention, but in the summertime, you'd think the giants up in the sky (y'know, the same ones that go bowling and when they get strikes, we hear it as thunder...don't tell me you've never heard that before!) were out picking dandelions and blowing them out to make wishes or something! I'm not exaggerating, but the skies are literally filled with cotton at this time of year. So aside from bugs, I had to make sure I breathed through my nose for fear of ingesting any cotton. Overall, it was fun to finally give my bike some exercise and though I woke up a bit stiff in the legs, it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.

Hooters Happy Hour

A couple of the b-ball crew wanted to eat at Hooters for happy hour. Hooters. I was telling hubby the first time I ever heard of the place was on an episode of Married With Children! Quite the educational show, wouldn't you say? Didn't quite know what to expect- waitresses with huge hooters, I suppose. Hooters, knockers, melons, boobies, whatever you want to call them. The waitresses wore really short shorts, kinda like roller skater waitresses back in the 50's actually. The tops were tight fitting showing some cleavage, but really nothing to holler about. Unless you're dead drunk and rowdy, which some of the patrons appeared to be. Apparently, the most popular appetizer is the buffalo wings. They go for $.25 each. Just imagine a bunch of hungry dudes after playing basketball ordering 2 50-pieces entrees of wings. That's 100, mind you. Being the lil' bi-otch that I am when it comes to spicy foods, I ordered chicken strips instead. 100 wings for five hungry dudes. The guys were telling me that the only reason they ever go there is for the wings. Suurrrrreeee. That's what they all say- lol!





Oh, and I just have to put it out there. While hubby and I were waiting for the others, we hung out at the arcade across the way. Hooters, by the way, is at Mall of America. We got to playing Air Hockey. Proud to say, MnM kicked Doh's ass. 7-6. Whoo hoo! Okay, that's it. Gloating over.

Next Best Thing

Know how I've been bitching about the lack of Baskin Robbins over here? Well, the status hasn't changed- still none in the area. I've been totally feening for a MochaBlast like ya'll wouldn't believe! Went grocery shopping the other day and upon the recommendation of my sis, got the Nescafe Ice Java syrup. On the back, there's directions for mixing it up in a blender. Lo and behold, after blending it up with some ice and milk and topping it with some whip cream, we had a MochaBlast! Gotta tell ya', it sure hit THE spot and what's even better? I can have it anytime I want. MnM is a happy camper.





New Look

MnM before....





MnM after...





Whaddaya think??? Let me know! (and please, be kind!) =)

Birthday Shout-Outs

My Ate celebrated her 37th yesterday- whoo hoo! 'Tis funny thing about my sis- people whom we meet for the first time always mistake us for twins OR that I'm older than her! Truth is, we're 7 years apart! We look so much like each other, but people say that my sis looks like my dad and I look more like my mom...but we still look like twins. Eh??? That always confused me.

My sis and I are best friends, but that was never always the case. In fact, it wasn't only until my college years that we got really tight. When I was younger, I totally looked up to her. But of course in her eyes, I was more of the "tag-along" sister that tattle-taled on her more times than probably was deserved. Up until her grad in college, we shared a bedroom with twin beds. Lol! Whenever I see twin beds nowadays, it's hilarious to see how small they really are! For the most part, we got along well for sisters. We'd have our nightly tournament of Rummy under our fort of blankets-and she wouldn't let me win. Had to toughen me up by letting me lose, I suppose. Shiet. When I got into grade school, things changed up a bit. My sis had turned out to be the smart one in the family. Seriously. All thru elementary, she got A's with the occasional B (oh horrors!). When she got to high school, she was top of her class for the entire four years. Geez, how do you compete with that? Truth be told, I couldn't. When I got to Kindergarten, the teacher thought I was "advanced" for my age and when I got to 1st grade, they wanted me to skip a grade 'cuz I read well. There was no grade skipping of the sort, but in the years that followed, my grades coincided with the beginning of the alphabet- A's, B's, and C's. I think my parents began to see that academically, I couldn't be like my sis. But that didn't stop them from trying to compare me to her all the time. For the most part, I had begun to resent being her sister for a long time. By the time I got to high school, I had this love-hate relationship with her. She was more like a 2nd mother, rather than a sister. When I was finally allowed to go out on Friday nights and weekends, she made sure I adhered to my curfew time...and if I didn't, she'd really let me have it. Those years were tough, I'll admit. Not to say that I was the "bad girl" of the family, but compared to her, I was a rebel. I'm the one that gave my parents all the headaches. Of course, I realize NOW that they just wanted the best for me, blah, blah, blah, but at the time...well, ya'll know how it goes.

But all that is past now. Today, she's the bestest friend I can and ever will have. Sure, we still have our differences and yes, I'll always be "the little sister," but the fact that we're friends as well as sisters has made all the difference. After she got married and moved out of the house, I got lonely and realized how much I missed her. Then, after she had her first child, I saw her in a whole different light. Plus, having actually been there to see the birth of Bina, I had a deeper respect for her as well. Moving to MN has been difficult in terms of not being near any family. It's reassuring that I'm able to call home anytime I want, but it's still not the same. I probably talk to my sis about the same amount as I did when we were living in Foster City. The only difference is, we can't visit each other as often as we'd like. It's totally something I've had to get used to and yes, I still get homesick here and there. But I'm looking forward to my sis and her family coming out here to MN next month for a few days.

In any case, I guess I could go on about my sis- I've got tons of stories! I wish I could've been with my sis to celebrate her birthday, but we'll have to have a belated celebration when she gets here. Happy Happy 37th Birthday Ate! Love and miss you...

Curbside Prophet

Got to see the 'curbside prophet' himself, Jason Mraz, give a free concert at Rice Park in St. Paul today. His mini-performance was actually part of this kickoff rally for the St. Paul soccer team, Thunder. When I got to Rice Park, there was a good size gathering. The weather was just beginning to warm up and people were staking their spots on the ground. Mind as well do the same. The Thunder team was introduced and the mayor said a few words. The ceremony lasted all of 20-25 minutes. Jason Mraz wasn't going to come on for another hour and a half, but with the crowd quickly growing, I popped a squat and stayed put.

Right before Jason Mraz came on, the personalities from the local radio station were there to give out free shirts. There were just tossing them left and right. Of course, the crowd was getting hyped at this point and were throwing themselves in whatever direction the shirts were flying. MnM was going to have a piece of this action and lucky me, a shirt came flying my way! Whoo hoo! So what if it's a generic white shirt with the radio logo on it- it's free! I actually had a good grip on another flying shirt, but the girl behind me wanted it more than I did so I let go. 'Twas fun to be jumping around, hands above my head, grabbing just to grab.

2pm, Jason Mraz took the stage. Just him and his guitar. He addressed the crowd a bit, sharing the times he had been in the Minnesota area. Said that about 7-8 years back, he and his friend were part of the local Renaissance Faire. Said that he was the "pickle guy." I'm assuming that he was some pickle vendor of some sort, but I wouldn't know. I've never been to a Renaissance Faire before. Anyhoo, his acoustic set was HOT! As hubby would say, he's one of those "true vocalists." He sounds exactly, no, even better, than his cd. If you're a fan of this incredibly talented dude like myself, you would've loved this free concert. He started with "Curbside Prophet," went into a ballad, then went into this medley of assorted songs.






A couple of things caught my eye during this lil' concert. As JMraz did his thang, the crowd was surprisingly quiet. There weren't screaming girls everywhere that you could barely hear him sing. Well, okay, there were some girls who yelled their undying love for him during his set and it actually made him chuckle midsong. It was dope to actually hear him sing though. The pic above was the best that I could take. I wasn't that far from the stage, but compared to all the other peeps there, I still had to strain my neck to keep him in view. Another thing I noticed (and I should've taken a pic of this!) was how many people were holding up their cell phones toward the stage. They were all probably trying to record and/or let someone else listen in, but it tripped me out at how many people were doing it. In fact, I had hardly noticed until some guy near me commented to his friend, "Hey, check out all the people holding their cell phones. I'm goin' to hold mine up so I don't feel left out."

He's performing tonight at the Orpheum theater and according to online brokers, his tix are going for about $150 a pop. Sorry Mraz, will have to catch you in concert at a later date. Hey, I was just glad to have caught him for free today.

Gotta give a shout-out to Ibalik for giving us the 411 on the free Jason Mraz concert today. Maraming salamat Pare!

Landmark Plaza

As I was waiting for hubby to pick me up, I sat in this lil' park area. I think hubby may have mentioned it once before in his blog that there are a whole bunch of statues around the Twin Cities area dedicated to the Peanuts gang. Here a just a couple that I took. There was one of Charlie Brown with Snoopy in his lap, but a few young concert-goers were taking "naughty" pictures with it. Lol! Hubby and I have yet to wander aimlessly about St. Paul- from what we hear, there's a lot to do and discover out there. Ah yes, our state's capital...and it's so close to where we live, too! One of these days, we'll go on a walking tour, but for now, enjoy these cute pics of the Peanuts gang.

Ho Hum Days Ahead

Due to my melancholic moods and perhaps the loss of motivation somewhere along the way, I've decided to take a mini-break from my classes and chill. Hmmm...some of you may be thinking that because I am currently unemployed that I'm already chillin', but that's not the case at all. Although school has been my major focus out here, I've been feeling overworked with readings, papers, posts, and sometimes annoying classmates that I just couldn't stand any longer. It's funny because even though I've never met any of them personally, you KNOW them even if you don't know them. I've been with this particular group of people for the past 3-4 classes already- that's 21 weeks of agreeing, disagreeing, concurring, debating, and after a while, you really end up hearing the same old sh*t over and over again. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of them. I need a break and I got it. So, I've got myself three weeks of freedom to myself, my books (the ones i WANT to read), my writings, and me, me, me.

It's so easy to neglect yourself, isn't it? Especially when you've got so much on your plate, people are so busy running around trying to take care of this or that. Not that my life has been traumatically hectic or anything- it's just nice to take a break now and then, is all. Or maybe it's like that sickness that seems to plague all students this time of the year. Ya'll may know it as "spring fever." The end of the school year is quickly approaching, the skies are getting sunnier, and basically, there is no motivation, none whatsoever, to get any schoolwork done. Ah, perhaps that is where I fall in. Well, whatever it is that bit me, I've been plagued and I've got three weeks to enjoy it.

Here is a short list I've compiled of what I'd like to do during my three weeks of "me" time. Let's just see how far I get...

1. Read and reread the entire Harry Potter series.

2. Study and take the written driver's test for MN. (I've been putting this on hold simply 'cuz I wasn't willing to give up my CA driver's license just yet. Plus, have you seen the MN driver's license? It's the ugliest thing! They've got NO creativity in their design! Ugh...)

3. Go biking. (Let's see if I can at least leave the garage!)

4. Get a new haircut.

5. Look for a job.

6. Catch up on emails and correspondences.

Yes, I admit that it is nice that I'm able to just do this and take this break. Yes, not everyone can just do that whenever they please. I figure, I might as well take advantage of this time that I DO have before I get back into the real world. I miss it, but kinda don't. I guess you can say that I'm stuck in my own little reality of a world. Not quite ready to come out just yet...ho hum, ho hum, ho hum...