Latest Complaints
- It's started. The cold weather. The time has come where we have to bust out our gear and prepare our bodies the best that we can for the literally bone numbing, bone chilling season these people here call winter. Recall the comment I made about the wind being crisper? About the definite change in temperature? Well my friends, that crisp wind has suddenly transformed into the razor sharp blade of a knife that not only cuts you as it passes, but takes deep stabs repeatedly to make you gasp for air. Okay...a bit of an exaggeration. Still, my fingers are feeling almost arthritic, too cold and too stiff to even type. I've even gone to bed wearing socks. I NEVER wear socks when I sleep! As I type this, I am covered head to toe- sweatpants, sweatshirt with a hood, socks, and a fleece throw around my shoulders. In his office, hubby is resigned to his boxers, er, um, shorts and a t-shirt...(aw c'mon...ain't no one here but us!). It's not fair that he has such a hot-bodied temp while I'm over here freezing my ass off.
On my way to the grocery store today, tiny pieces of ice were falling from the sky, only to melt as they made contact with anything concrete. Yes peoples, 'tis the first sign of snow! Although it's been in the mid-30's (BRRRRRR!), it's not cold enough for any falling snow to stick just yet. Hahaha, look at me sounding all knowledgable about the weather here in MN! HA!
- I don't know what came over us yesterday, but hubby and I decided to hit the Mall of America. On a weekend. On a busy, overly crowded, bumping shoulder to shoulder to prevent the masses with kids in tow, crazy shop-filled weekend. We tend to get this claustrophobic feeling whenever we get into these crazy crowds of people and yesterday was no different. It really messed up the shopping vibe that we had on the way there. Well, though we left early, all was not totally lost. Hubby got some new kicks for the winter time...we had a YUM dinner at Stampede Steakhouse...and we got to see Pikachu perform live onstage with other Pokemon characters. By the way, all of the above mentioned are true EXCEPT for one! Lol!
- I'm itching for my current online class to be over. It's not so much the content of the class that bothers me, it's the people. Know how there are always a select few who dominate class discussion? And y'know how these online courses require that we work in teams? Well lucky me happened to be put in the team with all three madaldal, neverending, won't shut their mouths for a second classmates. Even though I can't "hear" them, they make themselves heard loud and clear. And I'm about done with them.
On a Brighter Note...
MnM has been searching the want ads for quite some time now. Without the proper certification, it's been quite the obstacle to find a job that I'm actually qualified for. As far as teaching jobs, I've basically concluded that they are out of my reach in the meantime. So, I've decided to go elsewhere...unfortunately Barnes & Nobles and Borders passed me up. Hmph. Their loss. I would've made a good book shelver- lol! Eh, I guess it wouldn't have been so conducive 'cuz I'd be constantly tempted to read on the job!
I saw an ad in the paper for Lakeshore Learning Center. It's a teacher resource store. It's one of the stores that I'd probably frequent often had I been in the classroom now. I figure that this may be the closest thing I get to being near a classroom. Anyways, there's a brand new store opening and I went down to apply. I was basically interviewed on the spot. The store manager just moved from the L.A. area and so we talked California stuff for a bit. So we're talking and talking, and then she takes me to the side with a folder with paperwork to fill out. She starts explaining what each form is and I'm taken aback. I had to ask, "Um, so filling out this paperwork means that I'm hired?" And she says yes.
I'm happy, I'm cool. I mean, I'm definitely not in it for the money 'cuz egads, it's almost embarrassing how much I make. But it'll give me something to do besides sit around the house, tinker with the laptop, and try to do my homework. The extra money will come in handy though.
*Btw: hubby is back from his trip from the East Coast. I have to say that the apartment was lonely and that it's nice to have him back. 'Twas sweet that he came back with some pasalubong of some University of Maryland sweatshirts, or as hubby would say, the "real U. of M." (not University of Minnesota). Thanks for the gift, hubby- glad you're back 'cuz I missed ya'!
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Thought of the Day
Here's something that touched my heart today and yes, it did bring tears to my eyes. VirgoCapri sent this to me and I thought I'd share it here. Much love ya'll and God's blessings always...
THE BRICK
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and
pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister..please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell
out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay..
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side
door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message, "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.
Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.
Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.
Here's something that touched my heart today and yes, it did bring tears to my eyes. VirgoCapri sent this to me and I thought I'd share it here. Much love ya'll and God's blessings always...
THE BRICK
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and
pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister..please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell
out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay..
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side
door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message, "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.
Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.
Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Minehaha State Park
On Saturday, hubby and I decided to venture out to look for a good place to take some pictures of the changing leaves of fall. Last year, we didn't have time to enjoy the reds, oranges, and yellows because honestly, it seemed like it was all over in a few weeks. Winter came early and fall was officially done.
The trees outside our apartment complex are beautiful and yellow that are almost too bright. The wind is crisper and there is a definite change in temperature. The nights are getting chilly and before we know it, the snow will start to fall. But before all of that, we're determined to see the rainbow of colors that fall has to offer. In the news each night, there is a "Leaf Update" that tells what the percentage of change that's taking place. Up in the northern part of MN, it's at about 75-90%. Here in the Twin Cities, it's 50-75%.
I've always wanted to go to Minehaha Falls ever since Ibalik mentioned it. Last winter, he took a dope black and white pic of the waterfalls in its frozen state. As we were driving in the Minneapolis vicinity, we chanced upon the State Park by accident. The first area that we parked at turned out to be the dog park. After finding a map of the park, we drove a little bit more further and saw a wedding party. We figured that they were probably on their way to take pics near the waterfall, so we parked and ventured forth.
We heard the distant sound of water trickling and sure enough, we found the falls. In order to get to it, you had to take some stairs down. On the way down, we were passing trees with different colors and it was really a sight to see. I started clicking away with my camera hoping that I'd somehow capture the leaves in just the perfect light. The waterfall was pretty in itself. The surroundings reminded me of Golden Gate Park and of course, the famous waterfall that the once Get-Along-Gang had searched for during a day of gallivanting and ditching school. We took more pics and then proceeded to walk around a bit. It's a nice park and now that we know where it is, we plan on returning again in a couple of weeks and again in the winter time. Pics to come later.
On Saturday, hubby and I decided to venture out to look for a good place to take some pictures of the changing leaves of fall. Last year, we didn't have time to enjoy the reds, oranges, and yellows because honestly, it seemed like it was all over in a few weeks. Winter came early and fall was officially done.
The trees outside our apartment complex are beautiful and yellow that are almost too bright. The wind is crisper and there is a definite change in temperature. The nights are getting chilly and before we know it, the snow will start to fall. But before all of that, we're determined to see the rainbow of colors that fall has to offer. In the news each night, there is a "Leaf Update" that tells what the percentage of change that's taking place. Up in the northern part of MN, it's at about 75-90%. Here in the Twin Cities, it's 50-75%.
I've always wanted to go to Minehaha Falls ever since Ibalik mentioned it. Last winter, he took a dope black and white pic of the waterfalls in its frozen state. As we were driving in the Minneapolis vicinity, we chanced upon the State Park by accident. The first area that we parked at turned out to be the dog park. After finding a map of the park, we drove a little bit more further and saw a wedding party. We figured that they were probably on their way to take pics near the waterfall, so we parked and ventured forth.
We heard the distant sound of water trickling and sure enough, we found the falls. In order to get to it, you had to take some stairs down. On the way down, we were passing trees with different colors and it was really a sight to see. I started clicking away with my camera hoping that I'd somehow capture the leaves in just the perfect light. The waterfall was pretty in itself. The surroundings reminded me of Golden Gate Park and of course, the famous waterfall that the once Get-Along-Gang had searched for during a day of gallivanting and ditching school. We took more pics and then proceeded to walk around a bit. It's a nice park and now that we know where it is, we plan on returning again in a couple of weeks and again in the winter time. Pics to come later.
Flying Solo
Well, hubby is off on a business trip once again. It's so funny that every time he's gone somewhere without me, it seems that he runs into some celebrity of some kind. There was Felipe Alou of the SF Giants, who hubby got the pleasure of talking to and getting a pic with; then came all-time fave Brian McKnight, whose hand hubby got to shake and who inspired him to write a song; and just today, this morning at the Chicago airport, hubby saw Mr. Porn guy himself, Ron Jeremy. Now there was no interaction of any kind, but the fact that he saw him pass by and the fact that other people were snickering and pointing is hilarious that I wished I was there to see with my own eyes. In any case, I would never have known who this Ron Jeremy was if it wasn't for the fact that he was on The Surreal Life. Lol!
Hubby's flight was at 7am this morning. 'Course we were supposed to be at the airport two hours prior, but because of last minute packing and such, we got there in time to see the endless crowds of people. Where the heck is the entire state of MN going at this time? After line after line, hubby got his ticket and was able to get through security gate with about fifteen minutes to spare. I always tease hubby that whenever he goes on business trips that "I'm left all by my lonesome in the state of Minnesota." Boo, how pathetic, eh? While I'm missing hubby, I'll keep myself busy with all the schoolwork I've got. Plus, there's Dawson's Creek Season 4 to keep up with, too! =)
Picture Perfect
On the way to the airport, I couldn't help but notice the night sky. It was unbelievably clear and the stars were visible by the thousands, if not millions. If I could point out constellations other than the Big Dipper and Orion, I'm sure I would've been able to. Driving back home, the night sky was slowly disappearing before my very eyes. I couldn't help staring at the silhouetted outline of the trees against the brilliant blue. As the sun began to rise, the orange added beautiful hues to make for a perfect picture. Before I drove into the driveway of the complex parking lot, I thought to myself that if I saw some deer that it would've been the missing piece to the already almost perfect sunrise. Sure enough, I had to slow my roll because directly in front of me were three deer. One had just wandered into the brush and the other two stood frozen in my path. For about ten seconds, I was able to experience this almost magical moment. As the deer gracefully made its exit into the jungle of tall grasses of the preserve, I felt suddenly blessed to have witnessed such a wonderful sight amid the coming of the day. It was, indeed, a perfect sunrise.
Well, hubby is off on a business trip once again. It's so funny that every time he's gone somewhere without me, it seems that he runs into some celebrity of some kind. There was Felipe Alou of the SF Giants, who hubby got the pleasure of talking to and getting a pic with; then came all-time fave Brian McKnight, whose hand hubby got to shake and who inspired him to write a song; and just today, this morning at the Chicago airport, hubby saw Mr. Porn guy himself, Ron Jeremy. Now there was no interaction of any kind, but the fact that he saw him pass by and the fact that other people were snickering and pointing is hilarious that I wished I was there to see with my own eyes. In any case, I would never have known who this Ron Jeremy was if it wasn't for the fact that he was on The Surreal Life. Lol!
Hubby's flight was at 7am this morning. 'Course we were supposed to be at the airport two hours prior, but because of last minute packing and such, we got there in time to see the endless crowds of people. Where the heck is the entire state of MN going at this time? After line after line, hubby got his ticket and was able to get through security gate with about fifteen minutes to spare. I always tease hubby that whenever he goes on business trips that "I'm left all by my lonesome in the state of Minnesota." Boo, how pathetic, eh? While I'm missing hubby, I'll keep myself busy with all the schoolwork I've got. Plus, there's Dawson's Creek Season 4 to keep up with, too! =)
Picture Perfect
On the way to the airport, I couldn't help but notice the night sky. It was unbelievably clear and the stars were visible by the thousands, if not millions. If I could point out constellations other than the Big Dipper and Orion, I'm sure I would've been able to. Driving back home, the night sky was slowly disappearing before my very eyes. I couldn't help staring at the silhouetted outline of the trees against the brilliant blue. As the sun began to rise, the orange added beautiful hues to make for a perfect picture. Before I drove into the driveway of the complex parking lot, I thought to myself that if I saw some deer that it would've been the missing piece to the already almost perfect sunrise. Sure enough, I had to slow my roll because directly in front of me were three deer. One had just wandered into the brush and the other two stood frozen in my path. For about ten seconds, I was able to experience this almost magical moment. As the deer gracefully made its exit into the jungle of tall grasses of the preserve, I felt suddenly blessed to have witnessed such a wonderful sight amid the coming of the day. It was, indeed, a perfect sunrise.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Can't...Think
I have been working on this current assignment for the past couple of days now. I was so stoked that I actually got the ball rolling early 'cuz honestly, the whole procrastination things stinks.
It's due tomorrow. At midnight. I'm only halfway done. I've stumbled upon a roadblock, a mind block, a writer's block, a freakin' whatever block that is keeping me from finishing up.
I even tried to psyche myself out this morning and told myself that it was due today. To think if it was due today, I'd already be an hour late overdue.
I'm determined to get it done before I go to bed. A rough draft even. I'll be happy with that. Chances are by the time I look it over again in the morning, all I'll have to worry about are minor revisions and such.
I should step away from the laptop for a bit, but I know if I do, I'll end up watching TV and getting sucked in for the rest of the evening. It doesn't help that I'm getting tired. I can't think. At this point, I've strictly no opinions on whether this case or that was justified. Arrrgh.
The detour must end. I must...finish.....this....tonight....
I have been working on this current assignment for the past couple of days now. I was so stoked that I actually got the ball rolling early 'cuz honestly, the whole procrastination things stinks.
It's due tomorrow. At midnight. I'm only halfway done. I've stumbled upon a roadblock, a mind block, a writer's block, a freakin' whatever block that is keeping me from finishing up.
I even tried to psyche myself out this morning and told myself that it was due today. To think if it was due today, I'd already be an hour late overdue.
I'm determined to get it done before I go to bed. A rough draft even. I'll be happy with that. Chances are by the time I look it over again in the morning, all I'll have to worry about are minor revisions and such.
I should step away from the laptop for a bit, but I know if I do, I'll end up watching TV and getting sucked in for the rest of the evening. It doesn't help that I'm getting tired. I can't think. At this point, I've strictly no opinions on whether this case or that was justified. Arrrgh.
The detour must end. I must...finish.....this....tonight....
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Catching Up
Here's a quick rundown of the things I've been up to...
UOP: started up another class (see previous post below) and have been a busy bee with reading and doing research. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I've got all these court cases randomly popping up and meshing to create a singular nonsensical case in my mind. It's been an interesting ride so far. I'm not a usual follower of "Law and Order" (although I did watch "Jag" and "The Practice" for a bit) and so a lot of the terminology is new to me. You'd swear after watching "Ally McBeal" religiously that I would've internalized some of something! I guess the dancing baby and the sudden bursts into song distracted me. Lol! Man oh man, I can't wait until that comes out of DVD!
WB: yes, I am a WB freak. Hubby and I are a WB family. Although we do watch other stuff (in fact, we probably watch too much of everything!), the WB has got us tuned in almost every night. Plus, they just got, in my opinion, the best of the best music out right now.
Sunday: Charmed, Jack and Bobby
Monday: 7th Heaven, Everwood
Tuesday: Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
Wednesday: Smallville, The Mountain
Thursday: Survivor, ER (non-WB night)
Honestly, I can get by with only watching on Tues. and Wed. (Gilmore Girls and Smallville are a MUST!), but I've been seriously hooked to these new shows. Even though I'm only tuning into Charmed recently again, not only do I love the fact that it's set in da City, but it's just so cool to see some girls kick ass! (I am woman, hear me roar! Lol!)
7th Heaven, well, there's a show that is constantly making me cry over something.
Survivor: Vanuatu...I have to admit, this is something I've never indulged in. Sure, I always hear about who got kicked off, all the alliances formed and broken, and all the backstabbing and strategy involved, etc, but Thursdays were usually set aside for dance practice. Survivor: Vanuatu is cool. It's got that girl-guy competition going and for the first couple tasks, the girls were victorious! On the real? I would NEVER do anything like that, subject myself to those kinds of conditions....not even for money. Know why? Because the first mission would be to get off the boat and swim to the island in sight and well, MnM can't swim for jack...plus, does anyone really know for sure how well those lil' lifesaver thingys survive in ocean-ocean water? Hmmm...I didn't think so. And no toilet tissue? Eating bugs? You've GOT to be kidding me!!! As if...
Gilmore Girls- love the daughter-mother banter. Smallville- c'mon...man of steel? Following the young life of Clark Kent and how he deals with his newfound powers while dealing with his raging hormones for Ms. Lana Lang....just thank goodness there are no red tights involved! btw: I'm so not feeling Lois Lane. Just how old is she supposed to be anyways??? She irritates me. She's gotta go.
If anything, I would highly recommend watching Jack and Bobby. The premise is that one will later become president of the United States. Jack and Bobby...but not as in the Kennedy brothers. Sure, the other WB shows may be geared to the bubblegum high school crowd, but like that really stops me from watching 'em. But this show is intelligent and worth watching. Try it. I bet you'll dig it.
Barbershop101: gave, wait, tried to give hubby a nice fade. If ya'll remember, I did a mediocre job last time. 'Twas nerves, I tell you. Not bad, halfway decent, but far from perfect. Well, it was time for yet another attempt. Hubby said, "If it doesn't work out, we'll just shave it all off. I mean, I don't want to shave it all off, but yah, that's what we'll do."
Well....hubby has been bald for the past week now. I didn't mean to mess up! Aiya! Although it seemed that he caught a cold hella fast without any hair to protect his head, it was a good excuse for him to start wearing hats again without the fear and annoyance of "hat hair." So if ya'll can imagine...hubby with no hair, sporting a goatee to make him look all hard. Oh yah baby! lol! Bald is sexy!
Texas Hold 'Em: still hooked onto the computer game. Found the option to change the default names of the players. Decided to put some familiar names in there to make the competition more interesting. Let's see...I've got hubby, the Lapids, Voodoo, the Weekender, Keyopes, the future Mrs. Gee, RhoRho, J, and myself. It's funny how easy it is to get pissed off at another player for winning a hand. I'd be yelling at the laptop, "Freakin' J, man! Stop raising and let me win already! What a punk!" Lol! (hey J, it's all love, homie!) Like I said, it makes the game a bit more interesting...and I'll keep pretending that I really know what I'm doing. =)
Shout-Outs
-Belated birthday shout-out goes to Mister J who celebrated his 31st on the 1st! Hope you had a blast! Looking forward to seeing you at Voodoo's wedding!
-Among my family and friends, there are a total of 22 birthdays being celebrated this month! Sheesh, October sure is busy....or should I say, that winter month of February sure is busy...Lol!
-A quick THANKS to my hubby for getting me "Dawson's Creek: Season 4" today. Whoo hoo! Yes, I am such a Dawson's nerd and such a happy camper! Other purchases at Best Buy today: Alladin anniversary edition, Shawshank Redemption special edition, Deep Impact special edition (what's up with all these special eds???), and of course for hubby, ESPN 2K5 PS2 game. Whew...that should keep us busy, eh???
Last, but not least
Hubby and I went to the dentist yesterday. Ugh. I'm so traumatized that I can't even blog about it right now! I'm trying to block all of the ugliness out of my mind. Lol! But as I was waiting, I was chatting with one of the dental assistants. We were talking about the weather, which btw, is quickly dropping into the low 30's at night! This is the start people, the beginning of the cold ass weather that is going to descend upon the lovely Twin Cities.
So the assistant mentioned that it must be a Minnesota thing....complaining about the weather, that is. To back up that claim, I even read in a "How to talk Minnesotan" book at Borders that yes, indeed, Minnesotans always always always talk about the weather. (Yes, can you believe such a book exist??? Seriously thinking of adding that to my library collection...) Now this ain't saying that I've become one of them (I REFUSE!), but in my mind, complaining about the weather is totally valid for someone like me who has not adjusted at all to this "all four seasons" crap.
It's getting mighty chilly during the night. They say that since we had such a warm summer, we might be looking at a long, cold winter. Long. Cold. Winter. Shiiiieeet.
Here's a quick rundown of the things I've been up to...
UOP: started up another class (see previous post below) and have been a busy bee with reading and doing research. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I've got all these court cases randomly popping up and meshing to create a singular nonsensical case in my mind. It's been an interesting ride so far. I'm not a usual follower of "Law and Order" (although I did watch "Jag" and "The Practice" for a bit) and so a lot of the terminology is new to me. You'd swear after watching "Ally McBeal" religiously that I would've internalized some of something! I guess the dancing baby and the sudden bursts into song distracted me. Lol! Man oh man, I can't wait until that comes out of DVD!
WB: yes, I am a WB freak. Hubby and I are a WB family. Although we do watch other stuff (in fact, we probably watch too much of everything!), the WB has got us tuned in almost every night. Plus, they just got, in my opinion, the best of the best music out right now.
Sunday: Charmed, Jack and Bobby
Monday: 7th Heaven, Everwood
Tuesday: Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
Wednesday: Smallville, The Mountain
Thursday: Survivor, ER (non-WB night)
Honestly, I can get by with only watching on Tues. and Wed. (Gilmore Girls and Smallville are a MUST!), but I've been seriously hooked to these new shows. Even though I'm only tuning into Charmed recently again, not only do I love the fact that it's set in da City, but it's just so cool to see some girls kick ass! (I am woman, hear me roar! Lol!)
7th Heaven, well, there's a show that is constantly making me cry over something.
Survivor: Vanuatu...I have to admit, this is something I've never indulged in. Sure, I always hear about who got kicked off, all the alliances formed and broken, and all the backstabbing and strategy involved, etc, but Thursdays were usually set aside for dance practice. Survivor: Vanuatu is cool. It's got that girl-guy competition going and for the first couple tasks, the girls were victorious! On the real? I would NEVER do anything like that, subject myself to those kinds of conditions....not even for money. Know why? Because the first mission would be to get off the boat and swim to the island in sight and well, MnM can't swim for jack...plus, does anyone really know for sure how well those lil' lifesaver thingys survive in ocean-ocean water? Hmmm...I didn't think so. And no toilet tissue? Eating bugs? You've GOT to be kidding me!!! As if...
Gilmore Girls- love the daughter-mother banter. Smallville- c'mon...man of steel? Following the young life of Clark Kent and how he deals with his newfound powers while dealing with his raging hormones for Ms. Lana Lang....just thank goodness there are no red tights involved! btw: I'm so not feeling Lois Lane. Just how old is she supposed to be anyways??? She irritates me. She's gotta go.
If anything, I would highly recommend watching Jack and Bobby. The premise is that one will later become president of the United States. Jack and Bobby...but not as in the Kennedy brothers. Sure, the other WB shows may be geared to the bubblegum high school crowd, but like that really stops me from watching 'em. But this show is intelligent and worth watching. Try it. I bet you'll dig it.
Barbershop101: gave, wait, tried to give hubby a nice fade. If ya'll remember, I did a mediocre job last time. 'Twas nerves, I tell you. Not bad, halfway decent, but far from perfect. Well, it was time for yet another attempt. Hubby said, "If it doesn't work out, we'll just shave it all off. I mean, I don't want to shave it all off, but yah, that's what we'll do."
Well....hubby has been bald for the past week now. I didn't mean to mess up! Aiya! Although it seemed that he caught a cold hella fast without any hair to protect his head, it was a good excuse for him to start wearing hats again without the fear and annoyance of "hat hair." So if ya'll can imagine...hubby with no hair, sporting a goatee to make him look all hard. Oh yah baby! lol! Bald is sexy!
Texas Hold 'Em: still hooked onto the computer game. Found the option to change the default names of the players. Decided to put some familiar names in there to make the competition more interesting. Let's see...I've got hubby, the Lapids, Voodoo, the Weekender, Keyopes, the future Mrs. Gee, RhoRho, J, and myself. It's funny how easy it is to get pissed off at another player for winning a hand. I'd be yelling at the laptop, "Freakin' J, man! Stop raising and let me win already! What a punk!" Lol! (hey J, it's all love, homie!) Like I said, it makes the game a bit more interesting...and I'll keep pretending that I really know what I'm doing. =)
Shout-Outs
-Belated birthday shout-out goes to Mister J who celebrated his 31st on the 1st! Hope you had a blast! Looking forward to seeing you at Voodoo's wedding!
-Among my family and friends, there are a total of 22 birthdays being celebrated this month! Sheesh, October sure is busy....or should I say, that winter month of February sure is busy...Lol!
-A quick THANKS to my hubby for getting me "Dawson's Creek: Season 4" today. Whoo hoo! Yes, I am such a Dawson's nerd and such a happy camper! Other purchases at Best Buy today: Alladin anniversary edition, Shawshank Redemption special edition, Deep Impact special edition (what's up with all these special eds???), and of course for hubby, ESPN 2K5 PS2 game. Whew...that should keep us busy, eh???
Last, but not least
Hubby and I went to the dentist yesterday. Ugh. I'm so traumatized that I can't even blog about it right now! I'm trying to block all of the ugliness out of my mind. Lol! But as I was waiting, I was chatting with one of the dental assistants. We were talking about the weather, which btw, is quickly dropping into the low 30's at night! This is the start people, the beginning of the cold ass weather that is going to descend upon the lovely Twin Cities.
So the assistant mentioned that it must be a Minnesota thing....complaining about the weather, that is. To back up that claim, I even read in a "How to talk Minnesotan" book at Borders that yes, indeed, Minnesotans always always always talk about the weather. (Yes, can you believe such a book exist??? Seriously thinking of adding that to my library collection...) Now this ain't saying that I've become one of them (I REFUSE!), but in my mind, complaining about the weather is totally valid for someone like me who has not adjusted at all to this "all four seasons" crap.
It's getting mighty chilly during the night. They say that since we had such a warm summer, we might be looking at a long, cold winter. Long. Cold. Winter. Shiiiieeet.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
And So It Begins....
My new class starts today and just looking over the syllabus, I can already see that it's going to kick my ass. Thankfully, I'm over and done with the 8-week classes. Those were rough, on the real. One good thing about those long courses was that the assignments seemed spread out more evenly. These month long classes just seem jam packed with projects due left and right. In the past, I've been fortunate to get by without reading the entire text. That's bad, I know. Slap me on the wrist if you have to. But for this particular class, I don't see any way around it. Dammit.
I'm hoping that this class will be much more interesting than the last. I was so disappointed and bored out of my mind in the last one. Plus, it didn't help that I had so many technical difficulties that made me want to tear out my hair.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Education. Sounds intriguing, eh? Hahah, actually, yah it does! Every program has to begin with theory and well, no one ever really enjoys that. Then it goes into the Core stuff that you can actually use and that's always fun. I've learned SO MUCH in the last four classes that can be directly applied to being in the classroom. Now, we enter into the legal issues, the rights of teachers, and the rights of students. In this profession and in so many others, it's just so imperative that we're aware and totally knowledgable about the legality of it all. That way, we're better prepared to defend ourselves and what we do without fear of crossing the line and being crossed. Plus, ain't nothing that beats the moment when you can intelligently throw it back in the faces of some obnoxious parents who automatically assume that their condescending attitudes and place in society far outweigh the tiny position of a classroom teacher. Honey, I think not. Yah, this is going to be an interesting class. Quite interesting indeed.
My new class starts today and just looking over the syllabus, I can already see that it's going to kick my ass. Thankfully, I'm over and done with the 8-week classes. Those were rough, on the real. One good thing about those long courses was that the assignments seemed spread out more evenly. These month long classes just seem jam packed with projects due left and right. In the past, I've been fortunate to get by without reading the entire text. That's bad, I know. Slap me on the wrist if you have to. But for this particular class, I don't see any way around it. Dammit.
I'm hoping that this class will be much more interesting than the last. I was so disappointed and bored out of my mind in the last one. Plus, it didn't help that I had so many technical difficulties that made me want to tear out my hair.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Education. Sounds intriguing, eh? Hahah, actually, yah it does! Every program has to begin with theory and well, no one ever really enjoys that. Then it goes into the Core stuff that you can actually use and that's always fun. I've learned SO MUCH in the last four classes that can be directly applied to being in the classroom. Now, we enter into the legal issues, the rights of teachers, and the rights of students. In this profession and in so many others, it's just so imperative that we're aware and totally knowledgable about the legality of it all. That way, we're better prepared to defend ourselves and what we do without fear of crossing the line and being crossed. Plus, ain't nothing that beats the moment when you can intelligently throw it back in the faces of some obnoxious parents who automatically assume that their condescending attitudes and place in society far outweigh the tiny position of a classroom teacher. Honey, I think not. Yah, this is going to be an interesting class. Quite interesting indeed.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Reject Letter
I'm almost too embarrassed to admit this. I mean, it won't be the first of its kind to reach my door, but still. As many of you know, MnM has been in search for any school employment that has now proved to be futile in my eyes. I'm resigned to the fact that I must complete the Masters program and take all the necessary tests to become licensed in MN before any school will take a serious look at my resume.
In the meantime, there hasn't been much to complain about with all the time I have to work on school. I have my own schedule, I can sleep and wake up whenever I want, and hell, I don't have to change out of my pj's if I don't want to! To be honest, and as much as I enjoy my "busy schedule," I have this desire to "contribute." Contribute, as in make some money to help pay the bills. Hubby has been so great and hasn't pressured me to find a job. According to him, I don't need one at this point, but on the real, it's weird not to be working considering that I've always worked since I was 14. From the church rectory, Wells Fargo Bank, Carlton Cards, Arkipelago Books (then Sulu Books), to the SFState bookstore and Cornerstone...I've always been employed at one point or another. So seeing that it has been an entire year plus that I haven't worked (egads, is it really that long that we've been here?!), I thought that it was time to look for at least a part-time job doing something.
The something that I chose was a part-time job at Barnes & Noble. Turns out that they're opening up a new store and a job fair was held to find candidates worthy to work there.
Worthy, my ass. C'mon! We've all been to a Borders or B&N and many of the people who work there don't seem to be busting their ass over anything! Sure, it may require some muscle to shelve those books, but most of the people I see are usually chitchatting at the registers. It's not as if they're working on commission and have to make a sale, you know?
So I went to the job fair, had my 1st and 2nd interviews, had to mask my horror as they told me that the job only paid $6.75 an hour, and smiled my smile that would supposedly win them over.
Well, the letter came yesterday. It wasn't even on letterhead! Honestly, I wasn't holding my breath over this job. It's come to the point where I went through the process of being semi-humiliated to having a screw it mentality, to now not really giving a rat's ass.
The way I see it? I'm overqualified. Definitely. No doubt.
The discount sure would've been nice though, wouldn't it???
I'm almost too embarrassed to admit this. I mean, it won't be the first of its kind to reach my door, but still. As many of you know, MnM has been in search for any school employment that has now proved to be futile in my eyes. I'm resigned to the fact that I must complete the Masters program and take all the necessary tests to become licensed in MN before any school will take a serious look at my resume.
In the meantime, there hasn't been much to complain about with all the time I have to work on school. I have my own schedule, I can sleep and wake up whenever I want, and hell, I don't have to change out of my pj's if I don't want to! To be honest, and as much as I enjoy my "busy schedule," I have this desire to "contribute." Contribute, as in make some money to help pay the bills. Hubby has been so great and hasn't pressured me to find a job. According to him, I don't need one at this point, but on the real, it's weird not to be working considering that I've always worked since I was 14. From the church rectory, Wells Fargo Bank, Carlton Cards, Arkipelago Books (then Sulu Books), to the SFState bookstore and Cornerstone...I've always been employed at one point or another. So seeing that it has been an entire year plus that I haven't worked (egads, is it really that long that we've been here?!), I thought that it was time to look for at least a part-time job doing something.
The something that I chose was a part-time job at Barnes & Noble. Turns out that they're opening up a new store and a job fair was held to find candidates worthy to work there.
Worthy, my ass. C'mon! We've all been to a Borders or B&N and many of the people who work there don't seem to be busting their ass over anything! Sure, it may require some muscle to shelve those books, but most of the people I see are usually chitchatting at the registers. It's not as if they're working on commission and have to make a sale, you know?
So I went to the job fair, had my 1st and 2nd interviews, had to mask my horror as they told me that the job only paid $6.75 an hour, and smiled my smile that would supposedly win them over.
Well, the letter came yesterday. It wasn't even on letterhead! Honestly, I wasn't holding my breath over this job. It's come to the point where I went through the process of being semi-humiliated to having a screw it mentality, to now not really giving a rat's ass.
The way I see it? I'm overqualified. Definitely. No doubt.
The discount sure would've been nice though, wouldn't it???
Monday, September 27, 2004
Simpler Times
I was just watching an episode of "Everwood" and a reference to "simpler times" made me reminisce. The situation involved the daughter having friend issues and the father thought that a trip for rocky road ice cream might cheer her up. I guess I don't even have to think back too far to these times 'cuz I know that having ice cream always makes me happy! lol!
Whenever there's a reference to "the good ole' days" or the like, I'm always brought back to my elementary school days. For example, I always made a point to make it to school a little bit earlier because the times before the bell rang were the times I could "walk around the block" with my friends. Yes, we walked around the block. Our elementary school took up one entire block and so basically, I'd meet my friends early and we'd have our lil' conferences as we circled the school. It was so funny 'cuz back in the day, my friends and I would write letters to each other almost every night. What did we write about? Oh, let's see, we probably wrote about the guy we were liking on, who we thought was cute, or how we felt when so-and-so bumped into us in class...haha, come to think of it, boys were all we wrote about! Mommy Hernandez and I wrote letters constantly, even though we had talked on the phone the night before, too! It always boggled my sister's mind, too. She'd complain, "What do you have to talk about that's so important that you can't tell her tomorrow?!" Of course, me being in grade school and her being in college, well, I'm sure she felt she deserved the phone more. Plus, anyone else at home might've missed an important call while I was on, too! Ah yes, the time before call waiting! Funny how there's a whole generation of kids who don't know anything but the conveniences of certain technology, eh? I'm digressing...
I remember that through the 6th-8th grades, my lil' group of friends would hang out after school. Sometimes we'd hang out in the schoolyard and have these water fights or we'd head down Mission to have pizza. I remember feeling so secure with my friends. We were a mix of boys and girls and we always looked out for each other. Looked out for each other in the whole "Porky's" sense of friendship. "Porky's", as in the movie, yes. Okay, just subtract all of the pent up sexual energy and frustration that the movie centered around and just focus on the fact that these were a bunch of friends who'd do anything for each other. Yah, that was us.
I think this was one of the biggest things that I missed when I got to high school. I missed having guy friends around. The good ole' times will always be my Epiphany days. It'll always be the times when I supposedly went to the library to study (sorry Mom!). It'll always be the times filled with laughter and the only drama that we had to deal with was whose cootie boy's hands we had to hold during square dancing lessons. (Do they even teach that anymore or goodness forbid, were we the only school who learned that???) Of course when we got a bit older, the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thang took effect...egads, can you believe it, in grade school??? I don't even want to think about all the things these kids nowadays are doing today! But overall, I always look back on those years with such fond memories that it never fails to make me smile. Plus, all I have to do is take out my old pictures and check out how high our hair got or the very 80's fashion we donned on free dress days!
Things were just so simpler and easier back then, weren't they? When we were younger, life was so carefree and didn't involve such soap opera drama and bills. Back in the day, 'twasn't anything that some good ole' ice cream couldn't solve.
What I'd give for some Baskin Robbins' pistacio almond and jamoca almond fudge! =)
I was just watching an episode of "Everwood" and a reference to "simpler times" made me reminisce. The situation involved the daughter having friend issues and the father thought that a trip for rocky road ice cream might cheer her up. I guess I don't even have to think back too far to these times 'cuz I know that having ice cream always makes me happy! lol!
Whenever there's a reference to "the good ole' days" or the like, I'm always brought back to my elementary school days. For example, I always made a point to make it to school a little bit earlier because the times before the bell rang were the times I could "walk around the block" with my friends. Yes, we walked around the block. Our elementary school took up one entire block and so basically, I'd meet my friends early and we'd have our lil' conferences as we circled the school. It was so funny 'cuz back in the day, my friends and I would write letters to each other almost every night. What did we write about? Oh, let's see, we probably wrote about the guy we were liking on, who we thought was cute, or how we felt when so-and-so bumped into us in class...haha, come to think of it, boys were all we wrote about! Mommy Hernandez and I wrote letters constantly, even though we had talked on the phone the night before, too! It always boggled my sister's mind, too. She'd complain, "What do you have to talk about that's so important that you can't tell her tomorrow?!" Of course, me being in grade school and her being in college, well, I'm sure she felt she deserved the phone more. Plus, anyone else at home might've missed an important call while I was on, too! Ah yes, the time before call waiting! Funny how there's a whole generation of kids who don't know anything but the conveniences of certain technology, eh? I'm digressing...
I remember that through the 6th-8th grades, my lil' group of friends would hang out after school. Sometimes we'd hang out in the schoolyard and have these water fights or we'd head down Mission to have pizza. I remember feeling so secure with my friends. We were a mix of boys and girls and we always looked out for each other. Looked out for each other in the whole "Porky's" sense of friendship. "Porky's", as in the movie, yes. Okay, just subtract all of the pent up sexual energy and frustration that the movie centered around and just focus on the fact that these were a bunch of friends who'd do anything for each other. Yah, that was us.
I think this was one of the biggest things that I missed when I got to high school. I missed having guy friends around. The good ole' times will always be my Epiphany days. It'll always be the times when I supposedly went to the library to study (sorry Mom!). It'll always be the times filled with laughter and the only drama that we had to deal with was whose cootie boy's hands we had to hold during square dancing lessons. (Do they even teach that anymore or goodness forbid, were we the only school who learned that???) Of course when we got a bit older, the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thang took effect...egads, can you believe it, in grade school??? I don't even want to think about all the things these kids nowadays are doing today! But overall, I always look back on those years with such fond memories that it never fails to make me smile. Plus, all I have to do is take out my old pictures and check out how high our hair got or the very 80's fashion we donned on free dress days!
Things were just so simpler and easier back then, weren't they? When we were younger, life was so carefree and didn't involve such soap opera drama and bills. Back in the day, 'twasn't anything that some good ole' ice cream couldn't solve.
What I'd give for some Baskin Robbins' pistacio almond and jamoca almond fudge! =)
Thursday, September 23, 2004
SlamBooks rule!
Okay peoples, got this one from VirgoCapri. It's actually different from any of the other slambook forwards I've gotten and I thought it was pretty cool. According to the email, it's based on the movie, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Ten Things I Miss
1. My family
2. San Francisco
3. the beach
4. Akagis, E Komo Mai, El Burrito, Baskin Robbins
5. my thinner years...way back when
6. my girlfriends, Hustler crew, O.G. Pacers
7. being debt-free
8. folk dancing
9. being backpain free
10. teaching
Nine Things I Hate
1. Stupid, hypocritical, ignorant, and closeminded people
2. tailgaters and all stupid drivers
3. bugs, bugs, bugs...all of 'em
4. sciatica and other back related pain
5. the dentist
6. chlorox (makes me gag!)
7. typos and grammatical errors
8. being interrupted during my fave shows
9. being referred to as not a "real" Filipino 'cuz I can't speak the language (I understand all that you're saying, putang ina)
Eight Things I Love
1. God
2. Family
3. Husband
4. good hair days
5. books
6. chocolate
7. hot showers
8. anything 80's
Seven Things I Wear Daily
1. glasses
2. undies
3. clothes
4. scapular
5. watch
6. wedding ring
7. lip moisturizer
Six Random Things I Like
1. new shoes
2. movies that make me cry
3. seeing my name in print
4. comments on my blog =)
5. real emails...not forwards
6. feeling productive
Five Things I Touch Everyday
1. laptop
2. thermostat
3. cleaning supplies
4. light switch
5. toothbrush
Four Words That Describe Me
1. Pinay
2. Strong
3. Silly
4. Loving
Three Things I Want To Change
1. my weight
2. my employment status
3. a child's life
Two Things I Can't Live Without
1. love
2. toilet tissue =)
One Thing I Want More Than Anything
1. a happy life
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send a belated birthday wish to Lina who turned 15 on Tuesday! Hubby had a half dozen roses and a teddybear delivered to her school and boy, was she surprised! I know that hubby would've loved to have delivered them personally...man, they grow up so fast, don't they? Nickyboy also celebrated his 29th on the same day, too, so belated greetings to you! Another shout-out goes to Guam1 who turned 31 yesterday...happy birthday old man! Much love to you all...
Okay peoples, got this one from VirgoCapri. It's actually different from any of the other slambook forwards I've gotten and I thought it was pretty cool. According to the email, it's based on the movie, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Ten Things I Miss
1. My family
2. San Francisco
3. the beach
4. Akagis, E Komo Mai, El Burrito, Baskin Robbins
5. my thinner years...way back when
6. my girlfriends, Hustler crew, O.G. Pacers
7. being debt-free
8. folk dancing
9. being backpain free
10. teaching
Nine Things I Hate
1. Stupid, hypocritical, ignorant, and closeminded people
2. tailgaters and all stupid drivers
3. bugs, bugs, bugs...all of 'em
4. sciatica and other back related pain
5. the dentist
6. chlorox (makes me gag!)
7. typos and grammatical errors
8. being interrupted during my fave shows
9. being referred to as not a "real" Filipino 'cuz I can't speak the language (I understand all that you're saying, putang ina)
Eight Things I Love
1. God
2. Family
3. Husband
4. good hair days
5. books
6. chocolate
7. hot showers
8. anything 80's
Seven Things I Wear Daily
1. glasses
2. undies
3. clothes
4. scapular
5. watch
6. wedding ring
7. lip moisturizer
Six Random Things I Like
1. new shoes
2. movies that make me cry
3. seeing my name in print
4. comments on my blog =)
5. real emails...not forwards
6. feeling productive
Five Things I Touch Everyday
1. laptop
2. thermostat
3. cleaning supplies
4. light switch
5. toothbrush
Four Words That Describe Me
1. Pinay
2. Strong
3. Silly
4. Loving
Three Things I Want To Change
1. my weight
2. my employment status
3. a child's life
Two Things I Can't Live Without
1. love
2. toilet tissue =)
One Thing I Want More Than Anything
1. a happy life
Belated Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send a belated birthday wish to Lina who turned 15 on Tuesday! Hubby had a half dozen roses and a teddybear delivered to her school and boy, was she surprised! I know that hubby would've loved to have delivered them personally...man, they grow up so fast, don't they? Nickyboy also celebrated his 29th on the same day, too, so belated greetings to you! Another shout-out goes to Guam1 who turned 31 yesterday...happy birthday old man! Much love to you all...
Monday, September 20, 2004
Fold, Call, or Raise
Although it's been around for a long time, it seems to me that only until recently, hella people have been getting into it. Sure, hubby and I are among the many who watch Celebrity Poker Showdown and/or Texas Hold 'Em series, but I never thought I'd get into it.
I remember when I first learned how to play poker. 'Twas back in the day when my cousins would hang out at our house to play basketball in my backyard with my dad. Yah, we had a hoop in our yard. We had an actual backboard attached to a long ass wooden pole that my dad had to dig into the ground. He even took some white paint and made the half-court lines! Okay, digressing too much... My cousins would bring over their gangster friends who, by the way, were SO polite in my parents' presence that you'd never guess that they were the same houligans hanging out in the Mission or some other place to terrorize and gang up on other people all up in their colors and cigarette burns. No joke. A couple of them taught me how to play Russian poker and although there was no betting involved, it was my first experience with the game.
Fast forward to today. We've been watching a lot of TV poker and hubby has even engaging in some online play, too. I finally loaded up a Texas Hold 'Em game on my laptop and as addicting as it is, I'm proud to say that I cleared the entire table on my third try! Now it ain't anything to be worried about 'cuz it's not like I'm betting real money. Playing mah jong, haha, now that may be a different story! On the real, it's my new and fun distraction. I don't see myself actually playing in a real game, but if I did, I'd like to think I'd be decent. Oh well...'tis best to stick with playing against the computer!
Shout-Outs
- Belated Happy Birthday to Part I who celebrated her 31st this past Saturday! After having moved from New York to California, Part I was the new girl in school in 6th grade. Because we were seated alphabetically back in the day, we sat next to each other and became inseparable ever since. Boy, looking back, we got ourselves into a lot of trouble during our gallivanting adventures. 'Twas a good thing that my parents loved her 'cuz whenever she offered any explanations of what we'd done or where we've gone, they ate it all up! I know, I know...that's bad, but hey, we were young. The Part I nickname stems from the movie "Summer School." For some odd reason, we loved that movie and if you've ever seen it, there are these two teens who do practically everything together. Well, that was us. Part I and Part II. Inside joke. Anyways, after our 8th grade graduation, (or more like the day right after!), her family moved to Vegas. (And no, she's NOT a showgirl! Hahaha, homegirl is way too short for that!) She's been there ever since, but in the times that we've kept in touch, it's always picking up where we left off. The last time I saw her was probably about 2 1/2 years ago, but time and distance is never a factor in our friendship. It's been 18 years and going strong...damn, are we that old already??? Happy 31st Birthday, D! Much love...
- Sports Center deserves a shout-out here simply because they have the best highlights, flashbacks, and overall, they're just the best damn sports program out there. We weren't able to watch SF Giants Barry Bonds' historical #700 live, but we got to enjoy the moment nonetheless this morning. Better late than never, eh? It was awesome and even though we were glued to the game that they played in Milwaukee (just a hop, skip, and a jump from where we are!), I was glad that he was able to hit it at home in da Bay. Congrats Barry and thank you Sports Center!
Although it's been around for a long time, it seems to me that only until recently, hella people have been getting into it. Sure, hubby and I are among the many who watch Celebrity Poker Showdown and/or Texas Hold 'Em series, but I never thought I'd get into it.
I remember when I first learned how to play poker. 'Twas back in the day when my cousins would hang out at our house to play basketball in my backyard with my dad. Yah, we had a hoop in our yard. We had an actual backboard attached to a long ass wooden pole that my dad had to dig into the ground. He even took some white paint and made the half-court lines! Okay, digressing too much... My cousins would bring over their gangster friends who, by the way, were SO polite in my parents' presence that you'd never guess that they were the same houligans hanging out in the Mission or some other place to terrorize and gang up on other people all up in their colors and cigarette burns. No joke. A couple of them taught me how to play Russian poker and although there was no betting involved, it was my first experience with the game.
Fast forward to today. We've been watching a lot of TV poker and hubby has even engaging in some online play, too. I finally loaded up a Texas Hold 'Em game on my laptop and as addicting as it is, I'm proud to say that I cleared the entire table on my third try! Now it ain't anything to be worried about 'cuz it's not like I'm betting real money. Playing mah jong, haha, now that may be a different story! On the real, it's my new and fun distraction. I don't see myself actually playing in a real game, but if I did, I'd like to think I'd be decent. Oh well...'tis best to stick with playing against the computer!
Shout-Outs
- Belated Happy Birthday to Part I who celebrated her 31st this past Saturday! After having moved from New York to California, Part I was the new girl in school in 6th grade. Because we were seated alphabetically back in the day, we sat next to each other and became inseparable ever since. Boy, looking back, we got ourselves into a lot of trouble during our gallivanting adventures. 'Twas a good thing that my parents loved her 'cuz whenever she offered any explanations of what we'd done or where we've gone, they ate it all up! I know, I know...that's bad, but hey, we were young. The Part I nickname stems from the movie "Summer School." For some odd reason, we loved that movie and if you've ever seen it, there are these two teens who do practically everything together. Well, that was us. Part I and Part II. Inside joke. Anyways, after our 8th grade graduation, (or more like the day right after!), her family moved to Vegas. (And no, she's NOT a showgirl! Hahaha, homegirl is way too short for that!) She's been there ever since, but in the times that we've kept in touch, it's always picking up where we left off. The last time I saw her was probably about 2 1/2 years ago, but time and distance is never a factor in our friendship. It's been 18 years and going strong...damn, are we that old already??? Happy 31st Birthday, D! Much love...
- Sports Center deserves a shout-out here simply because they have the best highlights, flashbacks, and overall, they're just the best damn sports program out there. We weren't able to watch SF Giants Barry Bonds' historical #700 live, but we got to enjoy the moment nonetheless this morning. Better late than never, eh? It was awesome and even though we were glued to the game that they played in Milwaukee (just a hop, skip, and a jump from where we are!), I was glad that he was able to hit it at home in da Bay. Congrats Barry and thank you Sports Center!
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Sayaw
"Sayaw" (which is Tagalog for "to dance") was the name of the cultural show that hubby and I watched on Saturday. When I first heard that the Kayumanggi Philippine Performing Arts of Manitoba, Canada were going to be in town, I was stoked. Not that I knew of this particular group personally, mind you, but because groups like these visiting MN are far and few between. The show was held at a theater on the Hamline University campus. If I were to compare it to something more Bay Area, it might be close to SFState's Knuth Hall, but definitely much nicer. All in all, the theater holds 311..and it was packed. Yessir, all the Filipinos in the Twin Cities were there. All of them. Lol!
Actually, there was a matinee and a gala show. From what I heard, both shows were sold out. This got me thinking how totally awesome it would be to have Likha come and do a show out here...but more on that later.
My honest opinion? The show itself was good. Of the 20 dancers, mostly all of them were in every dance! Now you know there has got to be some damn quick changes going on in the wings! Lol! There were some dances that I've never seen before (Sayaw sa Palaton and Legend of the Sarimanok)and some of the routines were, I think, a bit too show-style. I thought it was cool that there was a voiceover at the beginning of each suite to describe the people and region of which the dances derived. For example, for the Barrio Suite, there were different scenes silhouetted in the background and when the lights went on, they would portray a group of ladies doing laundry by the river, another group planting rice in the fields, and still another that illustrated the happy and carefree atmosphere of fiesta. The setup was nice. With each suite came different hanging decorations of colorful malongs or other such accoutrements. The costumes, for the most part, were really nice and bright. I especially loved the Tribal costumes. My second favorite are the Muslim costumes, but this time around, they were just too bright and sequinned out for my taste. And the Spanish costumes? Haha, when the lights went on, there was this ooohhh and aaaahhh from the audience and I remember looking over to hubby and saying, "Those dresses are pretty ugly." And he agreed! Okay, the styles weren't bad, it was more of the patterns they chose. Lol!
Though the show was good, I wasn't highly impressed. I think that after one has spent time in a dance company, you tend to be more critical of other dancers. It's as if our eyes are trained to spot those who are late or whose movements are a bit more exaggerated than others. It would've been a GREAT show had there been more precision. Precision in their foot stomping, their arm movements, their head placements...to me, it's about precision, accuracy, and attitude. You know, even if people mess up, it's all in the way deal with the mistakes. I do have to give certain dancers credit for being really slick. They kept on going despite the lil' mishaps they had. Good for them! The show must go on.
Not that the show dragged on or anything, but I found myself being really interested in the Tribal and Barrio suites, which coincidentally were the last two in the repertoire. The Tribal suite is one of my favorite and the Barrio suite was just plain fun to watch. They did an awesome job at the "background" making it seem like we really were in the middle of a fiesta! As hubby mentioned in his blog, their version of the Tinikling was dope and made for a great grand finale.
It was so great to watch a show like this. It really made me miss dancing and performing. As I watched, it was as if I could call the next figure or movement. The lineup and some of the routines were oddly familiar! Of course I realize that all dance companies have their own interpretation of certain dances, but there were some in particular that had more of a get-your-freak-on-at-the-club feel. There are some dances that require the women to use their hips. The hip movements that I saw were more like hip-grinding almost nasty style! I was constantly having my "Hmmm...that's different" moments.
All in all, I was glad we were able to see this group. It brought back a lot of good memories. Now seeing that this group was sponsored from Canada, that got me thinking how possible it would be to get Likha to the Twin Cities. I will definitely have to look into it. One things for sure though. If the Filipinos were impressed by this Canada group, they are going to be knocked off their feet by Likha! Honestly, they may not be ready for it 'cuz Likha is 10x better!
Hmmm...let's see what resources I can pool and make contact with my peoples back home. It would be SO dope! Stay tuned...
"Sayaw" (which is Tagalog for "to dance") was the name of the cultural show that hubby and I watched on Saturday. When I first heard that the Kayumanggi Philippine Performing Arts of Manitoba, Canada were going to be in town, I was stoked. Not that I knew of this particular group personally, mind you, but because groups like these visiting MN are far and few between. The show was held at a theater on the Hamline University campus. If I were to compare it to something more Bay Area, it might be close to SFState's Knuth Hall, but definitely much nicer. All in all, the theater holds 311..and it was packed. Yessir, all the Filipinos in the Twin Cities were there. All of them. Lol!
Actually, there was a matinee and a gala show. From what I heard, both shows were sold out. This got me thinking how totally awesome it would be to have Likha come and do a show out here...but more on that later.
My honest opinion? The show itself was good. Of the 20 dancers, mostly all of them were in every dance! Now you know there has got to be some damn quick changes going on in the wings! Lol! There were some dances that I've never seen before (Sayaw sa Palaton and Legend of the Sarimanok)and some of the routines were, I think, a bit too show-style. I thought it was cool that there was a voiceover at the beginning of each suite to describe the people and region of which the dances derived. For example, for the Barrio Suite, there were different scenes silhouetted in the background and when the lights went on, they would portray a group of ladies doing laundry by the river, another group planting rice in the fields, and still another that illustrated the happy and carefree atmosphere of fiesta. The setup was nice. With each suite came different hanging decorations of colorful malongs or other such accoutrements. The costumes, for the most part, were really nice and bright. I especially loved the Tribal costumes. My second favorite are the Muslim costumes, but this time around, they were just too bright and sequinned out for my taste. And the Spanish costumes? Haha, when the lights went on, there was this ooohhh and aaaahhh from the audience and I remember looking over to hubby and saying, "Those dresses are pretty ugly." And he agreed! Okay, the styles weren't bad, it was more of the patterns they chose. Lol!
Though the show was good, I wasn't highly impressed. I think that after one has spent time in a dance company, you tend to be more critical of other dancers. It's as if our eyes are trained to spot those who are late or whose movements are a bit more exaggerated than others. It would've been a GREAT show had there been more precision. Precision in their foot stomping, their arm movements, their head placements...to me, it's about precision, accuracy, and attitude. You know, even if people mess up, it's all in the way deal with the mistakes. I do have to give certain dancers credit for being really slick. They kept on going despite the lil' mishaps they had. Good for them! The show must go on.
Not that the show dragged on or anything, but I found myself being really interested in the Tribal and Barrio suites, which coincidentally were the last two in the repertoire. The Tribal suite is one of my favorite and the Barrio suite was just plain fun to watch. They did an awesome job at the "background" making it seem like we really were in the middle of a fiesta! As hubby mentioned in his blog, their version of the Tinikling was dope and made for a great grand finale.
It was so great to watch a show like this. It really made me miss dancing and performing. As I watched, it was as if I could call the next figure or movement. The lineup and some of the routines were oddly familiar! Of course I realize that all dance companies have their own interpretation of certain dances, but there were some in particular that had more of a get-your-freak-on-at-the-club feel. There are some dances that require the women to use their hips. The hip movements that I saw were more like hip-grinding almost nasty style! I was constantly having my "Hmmm...that's different" moments.
All in all, I was glad we were able to see this group. It brought back a lot of good memories. Now seeing that this group was sponsored from Canada, that got me thinking how possible it would be to get Likha to the Twin Cities. I will definitely have to look into it. One things for sure though. If the Filipinos were impressed by this Canada group, they are going to be knocked off their feet by Likha! Honestly, they may not be ready for it 'cuz Likha is 10x better!
Hmmm...let's see what resources I can pool and make contact with my peoples back home. It would be SO dope! Stay tuned...
Friday, September 17, 2004
Too Much Excitement for a Friday!
I can't remember being so nervous in a while...for my life anyways.
Hubby shook me awake this morning with this wide-eyed look. He was holding the propane tank that is used for the Q-grill. The words took a moment to register, but hubby said, "I accidentally left the tank in the grill and now there's an odor. And look, the tank is frozen over." I remember shooting up from bed and immediately walking out to the living room and sure enough, there was this strong smell that was enough to make me start gagging.
I told hubby to open all the windows in the apartment. Hubby started to look for all the Q-grill pamphlets for any information on what to do in these kinds of situations. I browsed through them and right there on the first page were all the danger symbols. It basically validated our fears about the gas being toxic (carbon monoxide)and flammable. At this point not knowing whether or not our apartment was going to explode, I began to worry. I think we should call somebody, I told hubby. We should call the fire department.
Hubby didn't call 9-1-1 immediately, but instead called the fire department to confirm that this was indeed a need for them to come. According to him, the dispatcher lady was calm as he explained our situation. After getting off the phone, he said that they were sending someone over.
About ten minutes later, you could hear the distinct and familiar sound of the sirens. Oh wow, is that for us? We honestly didn't think that they would make their usual grand entrance; rather, we were thinking that someone would come with a meter to get a gas reading. Hell, I don't know how they do these things!
After the fire truck pulled into our parking lot, all these concerned folks (rubber neckers) started coming out to see what the heck was going on. Again, hubby had to explain about the grill and how there was this strong odor when we woke up. Two firefighters all up in their gear proceeded up to the apartment to check it out. As all this is happening, the firechief was asking for our information. Perhaps it was all in the excitement, but hubby couldn't remember our phone number! I'm thinking, Maybe it's the effects of the gas taking over! He did say he had a slight headache... Hubby would later tell me that when he was describing the "situation," he could have sworn there was this disappointed look on the firechief's face that seemed to say, "A propane tank? That's it? No action once again...dammit."
The crew of two came back out holding out "the source" of the smell. Yes, they came out holding that lil' propane tank which was now empty. As for the odor, it was nothing to worry about. We did right in opening up all the windows and airing the place out. It was a tad bit embarrassing to have all this attention, but hell, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?
After we thanked them for coming over (and after we watched them TRY to maneuver that huge truck out of our parking lot), hubby jokingly said, "Hey, are all my CD's and DVD's still here?" I started laughing because I was just thinking to myself, Hmmm, I wonder what they thought about our apartment. I have to make it a point to ask homie Firemarshall J if they actually take note of the different homes they visit. Now, I'm sure that they're all professional as they're working, but I mean, do they talk amongst each other and say, "Hey, did ya'll notice that plasma TV on the wall?" or "Wasn't that two-tone living room space pretty?" (obviously a Trading Spaces fan...)Or perhaps, they ARE just professional and it's basically in and out.
In any case, I'm thankful that this wasn't as serious as it could've been. For a minute there, I was seriously thinking the worst. I don't even want to think about what would've happened had it been carbon monoxide poisoning. (Well technically speaking, if it WAS, then I wouldn't be here blogging about it right now, would I? Duh.)
I just praise and thank God that we're okay and that we've been given another day.
Man...too much excitement for a Friday....and it's NOT even 11:30am! Have a great weekend ya'll...hug your loved ones today and tell 'em you love them. You just never know...
*check out hubby's blog for his account of today and the pic that we took of the truck. Yes people, it was a Kodak moment!*
I can't remember being so nervous in a while...for my life anyways.
Hubby shook me awake this morning with this wide-eyed look. He was holding the propane tank that is used for the Q-grill. The words took a moment to register, but hubby said, "I accidentally left the tank in the grill and now there's an odor. And look, the tank is frozen over." I remember shooting up from bed and immediately walking out to the living room and sure enough, there was this strong smell that was enough to make me start gagging.
I told hubby to open all the windows in the apartment. Hubby started to look for all the Q-grill pamphlets for any information on what to do in these kinds of situations. I browsed through them and right there on the first page were all the danger symbols. It basically validated our fears about the gas being toxic (carbon monoxide)and flammable. At this point not knowing whether or not our apartment was going to explode, I began to worry. I think we should call somebody, I told hubby. We should call the fire department.
Hubby didn't call 9-1-1 immediately, but instead called the fire department to confirm that this was indeed a need for them to come. According to him, the dispatcher lady was calm as he explained our situation. After getting off the phone, he said that they were sending someone over.
About ten minutes later, you could hear the distinct and familiar sound of the sirens. Oh wow, is that for us? We honestly didn't think that they would make their usual grand entrance; rather, we were thinking that someone would come with a meter to get a gas reading. Hell, I don't know how they do these things!
After the fire truck pulled into our parking lot, all these concerned folks (rubber neckers) started coming out to see what the heck was going on. Again, hubby had to explain about the grill and how there was this strong odor when we woke up. Two firefighters all up in their gear proceeded up to the apartment to check it out. As all this is happening, the firechief was asking for our information. Perhaps it was all in the excitement, but hubby couldn't remember our phone number! I'm thinking, Maybe it's the effects of the gas taking over! He did say he had a slight headache... Hubby would later tell me that when he was describing the "situation," he could have sworn there was this disappointed look on the firechief's face that seemed to say, "A propane tank? That's it? No action once again...dammit."
The crew of two came back out holding out "the source" of the smell. Yes, they came out holding that lil' propane tank which was now empty. As for the odor, it was nothing to worry about. We did right in opening up all the windows and airing the place out. It was a tad bit embarrassing to have all this attention, but hell, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?
After we thanked them for coming over (and after we watched them TRY to maneuver that huge truck out of our parking lot), hubby jokingly said, "Hey, are all my CD's and DVD's still here?" I started laughing because I was just thinking to myself, Hmmm, I wonder what they thought about our apartment. I have to make it a point to ask homie Firemarshall J if they actually take note of the different homes they visit. Now, I'm sure that they're all professional as they're working, but I mean, do they talk amongst each other and say, "Hey, did ya'll notice that plasma TV on the wall?" or "Wasn't that two-tone living room space pretty?" (obviously a Trading Spaces fan...)Or perhaps, they ARE just professional and it's basically in and out.
In any case, I'm thankful that this wasn't as serious as it could've been. For a minute there, I was seriously thinking the worst. I don't even want to think about what would've happened had it been carbon monoxide poisoning. (Well technically speaking, if it WAS, then I wouldn't be here blogging about it right now, would I? Duh.)
I just praise and thank God that we're okay and that we've been given another day.
Man...too much excitement for a Friday....and it's NOT even 11:30am! Have a great weekend ya'll...hug your loved ones today and tell 'em you love them. You just never know...
*check out hubby's blog for his account of today and the pic that we took of the truck. Yes people, it was a Kodak moment!*
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Procrastination Queen
The assignment is supposed to be 1050-1400 words. It's supposed to summarize two separate interviews that I had supposedly done and basically account for my observations in a classroom environment. This, by the way, was due last night. My excuse, however lame it may sound, is that will all the computer difficulties that I've been having lately, my mind hasn't been mentally prepared for writing mode. Plus, I was so mesmerized by last night's lightning storm that it was hard to concentrate.
I emailed my teacher last night to ask for an extension of another day. No response. She does know, however, that my computer died on me. Hopefully my paper won't be deducted so many points that it will affect my GPA.
I got up this morning with the intention of getting it done early in the day. I'll start after breakfast, I told myself. I opened the blinds and was met by the dreariest and grayest day ever. I know that somewhere out there is some kind of psychological study that explains how weather is a huge determining factor in the effects of one's motivation. It has to do with the senses and the messages that are sent to the brain that affects the entire body as a result. Gosh, are ya'll buying into that psychological crap? Lol!
I loaded up the cd changer with the following: 1) Jamie Cullum, 2) Jason Mraz, 3) Pure Aloha, 4) No Doubt, and 5) 50 First Dates soundtrack. My breakfast was done by the second or third track of Jamie Cullum and I am now halfway through Pure Aloha.
Seriously don't know why I can't get into school mode. I just want to crawl back into the warmth of my bed and sleep for another couple of hours. How pathetic!
It's 1:56pm right now. I will officially begin my paper at 2:00pm. For reals. I'll let you know how I'm doing.
The assignment is supposed to be 1050-1400 words. It's supposed to summarize two separate interviews that I had supposedly done and basically account for my observations in a classroom environment. This, by the way, was due last night. My excuse, however lame it may sound, is that will all the computer difficulties that I've been having lately, my mind hasn't been mentally prepared for writing mode. Plus, I was so mesmerized by last night's lightning storm that it was hard to concentrate.
I emailed my teacher last night to ask for an extension of another day. No response. She does know, however, that my computer died on me. Hopefully my paper won't be deducted so many points that it will affect my GPA.
I got up this morning with the intention of getting it done early in the day. I'll start after breakfast, I told myself. I opened the blinds and was met by the dreariest and grayest day ever. I know that somewhere out there is some kind of psychological study that explains how weather is a huge determining factor in the effects of one's motivation. It has to do with the senses and the messages that are sent to the brain that affects the entire body as a result. Gosh, are ya'll buying into that psychological crap? Lol!
I loaded up the cd changer with the following: 1) Jamie Cullum, 2) Jason Mraz, 3) Pure Aloha, 4) No Doubt, and 5) 50 First Dates soundtrack. My breakfast was done by the second or third track of Jamie Cullum and I am now halfway through Pure Aloha.
Seriously don't know why I can't get into school mode. I just want to crawl back into the warmth of my bed and sleep for another couple of hours. How pathetic!
It's 1:56pm right now. I will officially begin my paper at 2:00pm. For reals. I'll let you know how I'm doing.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Just A Few More Months...
I am itching to move already. Ever since hubby and I visited our home-to-be, we are anxiously awaiting its completion.
It has been raining like a b*tch tonight. It's been pouring for the past how many hours, the sky has been lighting up like the Fourth of July, and the thunder is so loud it's creeping me out. (Wow! Can I just say that immediately after I wrote that line, the LOUDEST crack of thunder hit?! Eerie...)
The last time it rained like this, hubby and I unfortunately noticed that we had a mini leakage problem in the closet of our spare bedroom. Since we are on the top floor, I suppose it was inevitable (although problems like this shouldn't be happening at all had the apartment complex been as efficient in maintaining the place...). Well, we informed the leasing office and they told us that they would get right on it. Yah right. Just like they said they would get right on the broken towel rod in our bathroom. It's been how many months now?! At first, it didn't seem like a big deal, but when that rod pops out and sends our towels straight into the toilet, well, you can imagine how annoying and frustrating that can be. Plus, when you're standing buck naked in the shower and you're reaching for your towel and the rod suddenly pops out, it's an accident waiting to happen as you try to quickly maneuver yourself to catch the towel AND rod. You know what they say...the majority of accidents happen in the bathroom. Dammit.
So it's raining and we've got leakage once again. It's weird because the leak is coming from a hole right above the lightbulb. Y'know how you usually have a light cover over the bulb itself? Well, that was overflowing with rainwater! Hoping to goodness I wouldn't get electrocuted in the process, I got the stepladder and got to working on unscrewing the cover off. In the meantime and just my luck, the screws are not coming off easily making the damn thing spill all over me. By this time, we've got a steady stream of water coming down and the only thing that hubby and I could is to put something in the line of fire to catch the rain. I used flower vases. How ghetto! As I write this, I can hear the steady sounds of "drip, drip, drip" coming from the other bedroom. Lovely. And the forecast calls for some major rainfall throughout the night. Super lovely.
I can't wait til our place is done. At this point, it can't come quick enough.
I am itching to move already. Ever since hubby and I visited our home-to-be, we are anxiously awaiting its completion.
It has been raining like a b*tch tonight. It's been pouring for the past how many hours, the sky has been lighting up like the Fourth of July, and the thunder is so loud it's creeping me out. (Wow! Can I just say that immediately after I wrote that line, the LOUDEST crack of thunder hit?! Eerie...)
The last time it rained like this, hubby and I unfortunately noticed that we had a mini leakage problem in the closet of our spare bedroom. Since we are on the top floor, I suppose it was inevitable (although problems like this shouldn't be happening at all had the apartment complex been as efficient in maintaining the place...). Well, we informed the leasing office and they told us that they would get right on it. Yah right. Just like they said they would get right on the broken towel rod in our bathroom. It's been how many months now?! At first, it didn't seem like a big deal, but when that rod pops out and sends our towels straight into the toilet, well, you can imagine how annoying and frustrating that can be. Plus, when you're standing buck naked in the shower and you're reaching for your towel and the rod suddenly pops out, it's an accident waiting to happen as you try to quickly maneuver yourself to catch the towel AND rod. You know what they say...the majority of accidents happen in the bathroom. Dammit.
So it's raining and we've got leakage once again. It's weird because the leak is coming from a hole right above the lightbulb. Y'know how you usually have a light cover over the bulb itself? Well, that was overflowing with rainwater! Hoping to goodness I wouldn't get electrocuted in the process, I got the stepladder and got to working on unscrewing the cover off. In the meantime and just my luck, the screws are not coming off easily making the damn thing spill all over me. By this time, we've got a steady stream of water coming down and the only thing that hubby and I could is to put something in the line of fire to catch the rain. I used flower vases. How ghetto! As I write this, I can hear the steady sounds of "drip, drip, drip" coming from the other bedroom. Lovely. And the forecast calls for some major rainfall throughout the night. Super lovely.
I can't wait til our place is done. At this point, it can't come quick enough.
$100?!
My computer has died. Died. Died. Died. It has taken with it to computer chip failure heaven all of my school files, my papers, my projects, all that I've busted my ass over, and worst of all, my personal writings that include my poetry and potential million dollar novel projects...yes, that part is wishful thinking, but still. I honestly don't know what happened and in my eyes, if hubby can't fix it, then there's no hope. So since this has happened before, hubby brought my laptop to Best Buy and they say that it MAY be possible to save all my data....for $100. What?! First of all, we bought the fricken laptop from their store and with the warranty that we bought, this service should be free! You know, I'm sure many of you would fork over the hundred bucks, but that's a hundred bucks that could be used for food, gas, rent, and other essentials. Though I'm totally bummed over losing all of my work, it ain't the end of the world. At the time, it was almost enough for me to crawl under a rock and cry, but I think I'll be okay. Still though...$100?! Kiss my ass, Best Buy!
Flubs revisited
Remember how I had those "three flubs" before the girls came to visit? Well, I think it must be rendezvous 'cuz I had yet another three. It's crazy how all things happen in threes. I mention the whole laptop crashing thing, too. Sucks big time, for reals. You can read all about it on Tha Wood and while you're there, check out the new pics that hubby posted of the girls' visit to MN.
Belated Shout-Outs
- Happy 1st Anniversary to Eastbay and AI! They celebrated da happy day this past Sunday- whoo hoo! I was telling hubby that he should call them and greet them, but we figured that they might be "busy" doing their thang...if you know what I mean. ;-) Hey guys...any babies yet??? Hope ya'll had a good one and wishing you two more happy and wonderful years together. Much love...
- Happy Birthday to my Apu! My dad's mom celebrated her 88th yesterday. Out of all the people that I know in this world, when you ask her how she's doing, she will tell you EXACTLY how she's doing. "Well, I went to the doctor's last Friday because my neck was hurting. He tells me it's arthritis. It's very painful, but the doctor gave me medicine. I think it's making me sick. My feet have been hurting, too, because of my gout. Hopefully it will be okay for my birthday party this Saturday..." Not that I'm making fun of her ailments or anything, but my Ate and I always trip out how she responds to that question. It's endearing really.
My Apu is the cutest thing, I swear. She was the one who insisted that I stuff some frozen tocino and longanisa into my luggage to bring back to MN. Ever since we were kids and she knew that we were coming over, she'd always cook "pindang" (Kapangpangan for tocino) for us 'cuz she knew it was our favorite. Probably not too healthy, but yummy for the tummy!
In any case, it was so great to talk to Apu. To me, she is the ultimate grandmother. It never fails that when you visit her, she has countless hugs for you and whenever you talk to her, she never lets go of your hand. She got nuthin' but love to give! She'll be celebrating her 88th this Saturday and though we can't be there, we'll be there in spirit! Love and miss you!
My computer has died. Died. Died. Died. It has taken with it to computer chip failure heaven all of my school files, my papers, my projects, all that I've busted my ass over, and worst of all, my personal writings that include my poetry and potential million dollar novel projects...yes, that part is wishful thinking, but still. I honestly don't know what happened and in my eyes, if hubby can't fix it, then there's no hope. So since this has happened before, hubby brought my laptop to Best Buy and they say that it MAY be possible to save all my data....for $100. What?! First of all, we bought the fricken laptop from their store and with the warranty that we bought, this service should be free! You know, I'm sure many of you would fork over the hundred bucks, but that's a hundred bucks that could be used for food, gas, rent, and other essentials. Though I'm totally bummed over losing all of my work, it ain't the end of the world. At the time, it was almost enough for me to crawl under a rock and cry, but I think I'll be okay. Still though...$100?! Kiss my ass, Best Buy!
Flubs revisited
Remember how I had those "three flubs" before the girls came to visit? Well, I think it must be rendezvous 'cuz I had yet another three. It's crazy how all things happen in threes. I mention the whole laptop crashing thing, too. Sucks big time, for reals. You can read all about it on Tha Wood and while you're there, check out the new pics that hubby posted of the girls' visit to MN.
Belated Shout-Outs
- Happy 1st Anniversary to Eastbay and AI! They celebrated da happy day this past Sunday- whoo hoo! I was telling hubby that he should call them and greet them, but we figured that they might be "busy" doing their thang...if you know what I mean. ;-) Hey guys...any babies yet??? Hope ya'll had a good one and wishing you two more happy and wonderful years together. Much love...
- Happy Birthday to my Apu! My dad's mom celebrated her 88th yesterday. Out of all the people that I know in this world, when you ask her how she's doing, she will tell you EXACTLY how she's doing. "Well, I went to the doctor's last Friday because my neck was hurting. He tells me it's arthritis. It's very painful, but the doctor gave me medicine. I think it's making me sick. My feet have been hurting, too, because of my gout. Hopefully it will be okay for my birthday party this Saturday..." Not that I'm making fun of her ailments or anything, but my Ate and I always trip out how she responds to that question. It's endearing really.
My Apu is the cutest thing, I swear. She was the one who insisted that I stuff some frozen tocino and longanisa into my luggage to bring back to MN. Ever since we were kids and she knew that we were coming over, she'd always cook "pindang" (Kapangpangan for tocino) for us 'cuz she knew it was our favorite. Probably not too healthy, but yummy for the tummy!
In any case, it was so great to talk to Apu. To me, she is the ultimate grandmother. It never fails that when you visit her, she has countless hugs for you and whenever you talk to her, she never lets go of your hand. She got nuthin' but love to give! She'll be celebrating her 88th this Saturday and though we can't be there, we'll be there in spirit! Love and miss you!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
All I'm Saying Is...
...it ain't hard to respect sh*t that ain't yours.
Maybe I'm a tad bit overprotective of all things mine. I don't consider myself to be stingy...unless we're talking M&Ms. I'd like to think that my teachers marked the "shares well with others" category of my report cards. But something seriously gets under my skin when people borrow something that belongs to ME, continue to use it in ways aside from its main purpose, and then casually discard it to the side when the fun and games are done.
Let me get some things off my chest.
Filipino folk dancing is a love of mine. In my naive and selfish younger years, I was too relunctant to join a dance company because I thought it would be embarrassing to be barefoot. Barefoot, wearing funky looking clothes, and doing folk dances. Didn't seem to be high on the cool meter at the time. But as I immersed myself into my culture through movement and song, I slowly began to realize how rich and beautiful it was. I began to learn about the different kinds of dances that derived from places in the Philippines that I probably will never visit. I came to understand the meaning and history of the dances, the symbolism of certain hand movements, and as a result, had the opportunity to see what it means to be a Filipino.
If and when the opportunity presents itself to drop some knowledge of the Philippine culture and history, I'm always glad to oblige. If it is through dance, even better. I love to share what I know. I am so distantly far from being an expert on anything Filipino folk dance related and I don't try to pass it off like I do. BUT with the years experience that I have behind me on top of my love for it, it is more than enough to announce that I take it seriously.
Perhaps it was the discipline that came with dancing with two prominant folk dance groups from San Francisco...or maybe it was just common sense. But we were taught to ALWAYS take care of our costumes. First of all, they don't come cheap. Even if they are not authentic Philippine made, that just means that someone had to bust their ass over the sewing machine for them. If someone wears a costume, it is their responsibility to take precautions to care for it. (Perhaps the constant nagging to "be careful" went in one ear and out the other???) Second of all, a skirt is a skirt is a skirt. Same thing goes for a bandana. Lastly, respect it for what it is. In its simplest form, it IS a skirt...but it's a skirt used for a folk dance...potentially to be used again...to represent our culture.
Whenever I wear a costume and perform, I am representing my culture. It's something that I'm proud to do each time. Sure, I may be distracted by the next figure eight, if my costume is falling off, if my partner remembers his next move, if my bun is staying in place, etc, but what it comes down to is PRIDE. Yes, many times after I have performed, I have rushed to the nearest bathroom to change into my regular clothes. But each time that I did, I always made sure that the costumes were returned the way that I got them. When I see costumes discarded on a table or stashed quickly into a bag, something ain't right...and that doesn't sit well with me.
I don't expect everyone to have the same mentality when it comes to folk dancing. It's just me. But when I share something that means a lot to me and any part of that is dissed in any way, shape, or form, I begin to think that it might've been a mistake to share the knowledge in the first place.
Now I know that this venting session of mine may strike a chord with a particular few. Honestly, it's all good now. I'm over it. I ain't hatin' on anyone or anything. Next time, be a bit more respectful. Don't get it twisted that this b*tch session was focused on the costumes. More than the costumes itself, it's what they represent.
p.s.
Ya'll don't want to have MnM get in your faces now, do we??? ;-)
...it ain't hard to respect sh*t that ain't yours.
Maybe I'm a tad bit overprotective of all things mine. I don't consider myself to be stingy...unless we're talking M&Ms. I'd like to think that my teachers marked the "shares well with others" category of my report cards. But something seriously gets under my skin when people borrow something that belongs to ME, continue to use it in ways aside from its main purpose, and then casually discard it to the side when the fun and games are done.
Let me get some things off my chest.
Filipino folk dancing is a love of mine. In my naive and selfish younger years, I was too relunctant to join a dance company because I thought it would be embarrassing to be barefoot. Barefoot, wearing funky looking clothes, and doing folk dances. Didn't seem to be high on the cool meter at the time. But as I immersed myself into my culture through movement and song, I slowly began to realize how rich and beautiful it was. I began to learn about the different kinds of dances that derived from places in the Philippines that I probably will never visit. I came to understand the meaning and history of the dances, the symbolism of certain hand movements, and as a result, had the opportunity to see what it means to be a Filipino.
If and when the opportunity presents itself to drop some knowledge of the Philippine culture and history, I'm always glad to oblige. If it is through dance, even better. I love to share what I know. I am so distantly far from being an expert on anything Filipino folk dance related and I don't try to pass it off like I do. BUT with the years experience that I have behind me on top of my love for it, it is more than enough to announce that I take it seriously.
Perhaps it was the discipline that came with dancing with two prominant folk dance groups from San Francisco...or maybe it was just common sense. But we were taught to ALWAYS take care of our costumes. First of all, they don't come cheap. Even if they are not authentic Philippine made, that just means that someone had to bust their ass over the sewing machine for them. If someone wears a costume, it is their responsibility to take precautions to care for it. (Perhaps the constant nagging to "be careful" went in one ear and out the other???) Second of all, a skirt is a skirt is a skirt. Same thing goes for a bandana. Lastly, respect it for what it is. In its simplest form, it IS a skirt...but it's a skirt used for a folk dance...potentially to be used again...to represent our culture.
Whenever I wear a costume and perform, I am representing my culture. It's something that I'm proud to do each time. Sure, I may be distracted by the next figure eight, if my costume is falling off, if my partner remembers his next move, if my bun is staying in place, etc, but what it comes down to is PRIDE. Yes, many times after I have performed, I have rushed to the nearest bathroom to change into my regular clothes. But each time that I did, I always made sure that the costumes were returned the way that I got them. When I see costumes discarded on a table or stashed quickly into a bag, something ain't right...and that doesn't sit well with me.
I don't expect everyone to have the same mentality when it comes to folk dancing. It's just me. But when I share something that means a lot to me and any part of that is dissed in any way, shape, or form, I begin to think that it might've been a mistake to share the knowledge in the first place.
Now I know that this venting session of mine may strike a chord with a particular few. Honestly, it's all good now. I'm over it. I ain't hatin' on anyone or anything. Next time, be a bit more respectful. Don't get it twisted that this b*tch session was focused on the costumes. More than the costumes itself, it's what they represent.
p.s.
Ya'll don't want to have MnM get in your faces now, do we??? ;-)
Saturday, September 11, 2004
We Will Never Forget
It's hard to believe that it's been three years since that fateful day. It is a day that no one will ever forget. It is a day that ranks up there with the many "where were you and what were you doing when....?" For the older generations, this fill in the blank could be completed with Kennedy's assassination or Pearl Harbor. My generation will recall the Challenger explosion and for those living in San Francisco, the 7.1 Quake that rocked the Bay. Today's generation will remember the Columbine shootings or the Oklahoma City bombing. For all of these tragedies, it is utterly impossible to rank which was the worst because these were events that should not have happened at all.
On September 11, 2001, our nation was changed forever. To watch the horror unfold before our very eyes is something that will remain with us forever. It's ironic, yet wonderful how a tragedy so great can bring so many people together. The entire country was glued to their TV sets as if holding solmemn vigil for anyone who might have survived. We grieved for the victims and for those who were left behind. We cried for the many firefighters and police officers who risked and lost their lives to save others only to realize that we have taken them for granted for the real heroes they are on a daily basis. We cried even harder as we heard story after story of a survivor's tale, how they miraculously escaped death, and how their friends, coworkers, and loved ones weren't so lucky.
Though it was three years ago, the memory is still fresh in my mind. The images on TV are still difficult to watch and never fail to trigger an emotion that has not yet healed. To say that we have been blesssed because of this tragedy seems inappropriate, but the matter of the fact remains that we are. Families are a lot closer than they were before, parents are spending more time with their children, people are taking the time to say I Love You, and more and more people are thanking God (or a god) that they never believed in before.
I just want to take a moment to remember and honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day in September. May you all rest in peace and may you all continue to smile down on your loved ones from heaven.
It's hard to believe that it's been three years since that fateful day. It is a day that no one will ever forget. It is a day that ranks up there with the many "where were you and what were you doing when....?" For the older generations, this fill in the blank could be completed with Kennedy's assassination or Pearl Harbor. My generation will recall the Challenger explosion and for those living in San Francisco, the 7.1 Quake that rocked the Bay. Today's generation will remember the Columbine shootings or the Oklahoma City bombing. For all of these tragedies, it is utterly impossible to rank which was the worst because these were events that should not have happened at all.
On September 11, 2001, our nation was changed forever. To watch the horror unfold before our very eyes is something that will remain with us forever. It's ironic, yet wonderful how a tragedy so great can bring so many people together. The entire country was glued to their TV sets as if holding solmemn vigil for anyone who might have survived. We grieved for the victims and for those who were left behind. We cried for the many firefighters and police officers who risked and lost their lives to save others only to realize that we have taken them for granted for the real heroes they are on a daily basis. We cried even harder as we heard story after story of a survivor's tale, how they miraculously escaped death, and how their friends, coworkers, and loved ones weren't so lucky.
Though it was three years ago, the memory is still fresh in my mind. The images on TV are still difficult to watch and never fail to trigger an emotion that has not yet healed. To say that we have been blesssed because of this tragedy seems inappropriate, but the matter of the fact remains that we are. Families are a lot closer than they were before, parents are spending more time with their children, people are taking the time to say I Love You, and more and more people are thanking God (or a god) that they never believed in before.
I just want to take a moment to remember and honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day in September. May you all rest in peace and may you all continue to smile down on your loved ones from heaven.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Rated PG
If you direct your attention to the right of your screen, you will notice a new link entitled Tha Wood. Hubby thought that it would be cool to create a more "family friendly" blog for our loved ones to visit. He says that our personal blogs can get too angry sometimes....angry?! What the freakin' hell are you talking about?! Hahaha, oopsie, I slipped. My bad. Forgive me.
I actually thought it was a cool idea. After our move to MN, I had given my blog address to lots of people....family, co-workers, lil' cousins. I do admit that sometimes the content of my writing may be questionable, but for the most part, I like to keep it real. If I have offended anyone with any thoughts and opinions, well, you know what? Screw you! For reals, I don't feel that I have to censor myself to keep a "loyal fan base" of readers. In all honesty, if ya'll don't like what you read, don't read it at all. It's as simple as that.
BUT, if you'd rather still like to see what MnM is up to and how she is faring out in the Midwest, then perhaps a bit of change of scenery is in order. Like I said, our joint blog is more family-friendly oriented, more PG-rated, if you will. Please don't be a punk and leave "non PG-rated" comments on that site...use this one instead to air out any frustrations and crude commentary. It'd be much appreciated. =)
Whether you visit this site or the other, it's all love. Happy blogging ya'll!
If you direct your attention to the right of your screen, you will notice a new link entitled Tha Wood. Hubby thought that it would be cool to create a more "family friendly" blog for our loved ones to visit. He says that our personal blogs can get too angry sometimes....angry?! What the freakin' hell are you talking about?! Hahaha, oopsie, I slipped. My bad. Forgive me.
I actually thought it was a cool idea. After our move to MN, I had given my blog address to lots of people....family, co-workers, lil' cousins. I do admit that sometimes the content of my writing may be questionable, but for the most part, I like to keep it real. If I have offended anyone with any thoughts and opinions, well, you know what? Screw you! For reals, I don't feel that I have to censor myself to keep a "loyal fan base" of readers. In all honesty, if ya'll don't like what you read, don't read it at all. It's as simple as that.
BUT, if you'd rather still like to see what MnM is up to and how she is faring out in the Midwest, then perhaps a bit of change of scenery is in order. Like I said, our joint blog is more family-friendly oriented, more PG-rated, if you will. Please don't be a punk and leave "non PG-rated" comments on that site...use this one instead to air out any frustrations and crude commentary. It'd be much appreciated. =)
Whether you visit this site or the other, it's all love. Happy blogging ya'll!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Back to School Blues
Though I've been back in class for a couple of weeks already, I'm totally not feeling it. The class isn't interesting enough and my classmates just talk way too much! Thank goodness that it's only a 4-week class, but geez, I was looking forward to something a bit more exciting. I'm taking a Social Studies / Fine Arts class. I love Social Studies and I loved teaching it. But this class sucks. I'm not sure if it's the content, the instructor, or the people. Maybe it's a combination of both. Whatever it is, I'm already counting down to the last day of class. I don't even think I've got enough energy to B.S. my way through the final project. Crap. Just two more weeks and I'm free.
Barbershop 101
I never said I could cut hair. I mean, I don't even trust myself with scissors and my own hair unless it's taking out split ends. I still have the embarrassing evidence of my 2nd grade class picture when I thought it would cool to trim my own bangs. Big mistake. Huge.
If ya'll remember, hubby has been quite dissatisfied with many of the barbers over here. He's even tried going to the upscale salons where they offer you tea or coffee, but he is yet to come out smiling in the end. Seems that hubby is tired, tired, tired. He want to take matters into his own hands...er, my hands. Went to Target and bought himself a clipper/haircutting kit. He's stoked. He's excited. Says, "Wouldn't it be cool if you could learn how to fade my hair?" Yah, I think. But I have absolutely no clue how to do it.
The kit comes with an instructional dvd. I watch it closely taking note of the different techniques used. Hubby says it ain't hard. Um, yah, okay, if you say so. As I'm watching, my confidence builds up and I think to myself, "Yah..how hard can it be? I can do this!"
We grab a stool and make a place in the bathroom. Hubby dons the plastic body cover as I lay out the different size guards. Hubby decides that we'll start with a one and fade up as we go. As soon as the buzzing begins, my fears start to creep in. Hubby has this look of confidence on his face that I wish I could exude. Then he says, "Well, if you mess up, I'll just shave my head. I don't want to shave it, but if I have to, I will." Great.
Seems like it starts of okay. No blood. No funky out of the way lines. So far, so good. When it got time to start fading, that's where hubby's face falls. Seems that I can't get the hang of the concept; I'm either cutting too much off or not enough off. After a while, hubby looks so blown and has this resigned facial expression as if to say, "Good Lord, why did I let this woman use the clippers on me?" I felt bad, I really did!
A ray of hope came when hubby actually said, "Hey, that was nice! That looks really good!" Nevermind that it was already near the end of the session. In all honesty, I don't think he likes it. And I'm totally okay with him not asking me to fade his hair ever again. It can't be that bad though...he didn't shave it off!
Belated Birthday Wishes to....
My blog! Yes, Dakilang Pilipina turned ONE this past August and hubby thought I should acknowledge the fact. I distinctly remember when I first heard about the blogging world and I had made the decision right then and there that I would NOT participate in having one. Aiya...call it peer pressure or call it boredom as we were settling into Minnesota.
In any case, here's a little flashback for ya'll. This was my third post ever and my reasons for naming the blog what it is.
Dakilang Pilipina
What is "Dakilang Pilipina?" I actually got this from the title of a PCN at UC Berkeley. It's funny how two words can have so much meaning. From my understanding, it translates to "A woman of might; a woman of strength." In my opinion, it is so deserving that "Pilipina" is attached to it. Dakilang Pilipina is the embodiment of every mother, daughter, ate, tita, and lola that I know. It embraces the many different obstacles, sacrifices, every trial and tribulation that we Pilipinas have endured. Pilipinas are known to be strong women. We are the pillars of strength in the family. And when LIFE knocks us down, WE get up again.
I have chosen this as a name for this blog because Dakilang Pilipina is what I strive to be every day of my life. I feel that in my 29 years of existence, I have definitely had my share of obstacles. I have fallen and been kicked down so many times that honestly, the act of getting up again seems impossible at times. It is so much easier to give in and give up. But I don't. I always remember the saying, "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger." Gee, if I could get a nickel for everytime I've said that, I'd be rich! Okay, not rich...hell, not even close to rich, but you get the jist of what I'm saying. I've had my share of good days and not-so-good days. Although I do remind myself of that lil' saying many times, I have a new quote that I would rather live by: "If God brings you to it, God will pull you through it." I don't know where it originated. Think I got it on a forward through email. Those words and the fact that I have faith in the Almighty One bring me comfort and strength to go on.
Dakilang Pilipina- a woman of might, a woman of strength. That's me.
Though I've been back in class for a couple of weeks already, I'm totally not feeling it. The class isn't interesting enough and my classmates just talk way too much! Thank goodness that it's only a 4-week class, but geez, I was looking forward to something a bit more exciting. I'm taking a Social Studies / Fine Arts class. I love Social Studies and I loved teaching it. But this class sucks. I'm not sure if it's the content, the instructor, or the people. Maybe it's a combination of both. Whatever it is, I'm already counting down to the last day of class. I don't even think I've got enough energy to B.S. my way through the final project. Crap. Just two more weeks and I'm free.
Barbershop 101
I never said I could cut hair. I mean, I don't even trust myself with scissors and my own hair unless it's taking out split ends. I still have the embarrassing evidence of my 2nd grade class picture when I thought it would cool to trim my own bangs. Big mistake. Huge.
If ya'll remember, hubby has been quite dissatisfied with many of the barbers over here. He's even tried going to the upscale salons where they offer you tea or coffee, but he is yet to come out smiling in the end. Seems that hubby is tired, tired, tired. He want to take matters into his own hands...er, my hands. Went to Target and bought himself a clipper/haircutting kit. He's stoked. He's excited. Says, "Wouldn't it be cool if you could learn how to fade my hair?" Yah, I think. But I have absolutely no clue how to do it.
The kit comes with an instructional dvd. I watch it closely taking note of the different techniques used. Hubby says it ain't hard. Um, yah, okay, if you say so. As I'm watching, my confidence builds up and I think to myself, "Yah..how hard can it be? I can do this!"
We grab a stool and make a place in the bathroom. Hubby dons the plastic body cover as I lay out the different size guards. Hubby decides that we'll start with a one and fade up as we go. As soon as the buzzing begins, my fears start to creep in. Hubby has this look of confidence on his face that I wish I could exude. Then he says, "Well, if you mess up, I'll just shave my head. I don't want to shave it, but if I have to, I will." Great.
Seems like it starts of okay. No blood. No funky out of the way lines. So far, so good. When it got time to start fading, that's where hubby's face falls. Seems that I can't get the hang of the concept; I'm either cutting too much off or not enough off. After a while, hubby looks so blown and has this resigned facial expression as if to say, "Good Lord, why did I let this woman use the clippers on me?" I felt bad, I really did!
A ray of hope came when hubby actually said, "Hey, that was nice! That looks really good!" Nevermind that it was already near the end of the session. In all honesty, I don't think he likes it. And I'm totally okay with him not asking me to fade his hair ever again. It can't be that bad though...he didn't shave it off!
Belated Birthday Wishes to....
My blog! Yes, Dakilang Pilipina turned ONE this past August and hubby thought I should acknowledge the fact. I distinctly remember when I first heard about the blogging world and I had made the decision right then and there that I would NOT participate in having one. Aiya...call it peer pressure or call it boredom as we were settling into Minnesota.
In any case, here's a little flashback for ya'll. This was my third post ever and my reasons for naming the blog what it is.
Dakilang Pilipina
What is "Dakilang Pilipina?" I actually got this from the title of a PCN at UC Berkeley. It's funny how two words can have so much meaning. From my understanding, it translates to "A woman of might; a woman of strength." In my opinion, it is so deserving that "Pilipina" is attached to it. Dakilang Pilipina is the embodiment of every mother, daughter, ate, tita, and lola that I know. It embraces the many different obstacles, sacrifices, every trial and tribulation that we Pilipinas have endured. Pilipinas are known to be strong women. We are the pillars of strength in the family. And when LIFE knocks us down, WE get up again.
I have chosen this as a name for this blog because Dakilang Pilipina is what I strive to be every day of my life. I feel that in my 29 years of existence, I have definitely had my share of obstacles. I have fallen and been kicked down so many times that honestly, the act of getting up again seems impossible at times. It is so much easier to give in and give up. But I don't. I always remember the saying, "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger." Gee, if I could get a nickel for everytime I've said that, I'd be rich! Okay, not rich...hell, not even close to rich, but you get the jist of what I'm saying. I've had my share of good days and not-so-good days. Although I do remind myself of that lil' saying many times, I have a new quote that I would rather live by: "If God brings you to it, God will pull you through it." I don't know where it originated. Think I got it on a forward through email. Those words and the fact that I have faith in the Almighty One bring me comfort and strength to go on.
Dakilang Pilipina- a woman of might, a woman of strength. That's me.
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