If I am not singing, I am humming.
If I am not humming, I have a song in my head.
If I don't have a song in my head, well,
I might as well be dead. -- Maudester
1. Live outside Pinas 2. Marry a great guy
3. Have kids someday
4. Be career-successful 5. See Coldplay
6. See Radiohead
7. See Depeche Mode
8. See Dave Matthews
9. Go to Europe
10. Spend time with Jen Garner
11. Own a business
12. Bungee jump
13. Be healthy and fit
14. See an F1 Grand Prixe
15. See a Wimbledon match
16. Watch a Laker game
17. Watch a Broadway show
18. Meet sports legends such as Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Schumi,
Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Jabbar, Dorothy Hamill and several others
19. Join The Amazing Race
20. See the Great Wonders of the World
21. Hug a penguin,panda or polar bear
22. Skydive
23. Own a house
24. Finish a graduate degree
25. Be cancerless
26. Have twins
27. Have all my fam in the US
28. Have that Harem world tour
29. Learn French
30. Be a millionaire by 35
31. Work for Google (preferrably with Leg and Jown)
THIS is why I love GSP!!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
"I eat ealthy foods." "I am a usually... a appy person." "I try to be umorous." "I ave a eart" "I come as much prepurd as I can." HAHAHA!! Gotta love the French-Canadian English! Great athlete. An even greater person. Humble, funny and just... normal. No fuss!
Last night was my first school night. I had done some advanced reading on the book JUST ENCASED our professor turned out to be one of this acidic types. But Lori Simonsen was the exact opposite. She was young, she was fresh, she was very pretty and most of all, she was very eloquent. I loved her pace and the fact that even though we had to move from one topic to another pretty fast, she tried her best to make us understand some of the alien accounting jargon. But what I really loved about her was that she didn't give any pop quizzes or surprise tests until, say, Mid-terms and Finals. Assignments and notes are all posted on our online blackboard and THAT is something I really dig. I mean, I still took notes and all but it's good to not have to chase her lecture with my slow pen.
The class was packed, 31 people. But what surprised me was the dress code. As I have been in the campus a lot of times, I would see people wearing short shorts and short skirts and tank tops and such. I always thought that these people were in High School and that's how they are able to go to school looking like THAT. But yesterday, several of my classmates actually looked so summer-y with their eenie-mini skirts and their boxers-looking shorts. And matching dirty slippers! One even wore a torn tank top with a shimmering pink bra underneath. Whoah! I asked Hoen earlier if I could buy some "serious looking" clothes because I thought this class was going to be like the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. I told him, "I can't go to school wearing my sundresses!" He told me not to worry about it and that they are pretty loose on the dress code. Little did I know how decent my sundresses looked like compared to those girls' outfits.Not that I plan to wear a skimpy outfit the next time. I am just so relieved to know that I can actually show up wearing casual clothing.
This has been the mantra of the Dabarkads wives' cheer. Jessie, that player wearing the no. 20 jersey, is a young Fil-Am teammate. He has become the group's sort of younger brother. You know how we cheer by saying, "I love you, "? Welp, it kind of spiraled into this huge play-cheer! Beth is the number Jessie fan, much to Chandi's subtle jealousy. "Ba't Jessie ng Jessie ang lumalabas sa bibig mo ha?" Hahaha. We love it! Beth even came up to him, rubbed her palms on his arm and went, "I love you, Jessie." The 20-year-old Creighton student froze up! Hahahaha. Classic! We make fun of it during our Friday dinners and Jessie just goes along with it. If he only understood EVERY TAGALOG word. Sus intawn.
Last Sunday during our post-game picnic, it was Jessie madness all over. Then Elean came up with this idea. This Friday, during post-practice dinner, we are going to write "Dabarkads" and "Jessie's Girls" on our shirts with matching Banners. They will be going up against the Blue Team, the only team who has beaten them, so they need all the boost. I even plan to ask Allan for his cymbals because everyone has practically heard my drum beats. I want a KLING! right after! Championship day is on my Birthday and we will be in Chicago then. We were supposed to fly back to Omaha on Monday yet, the 10th, but we don't want to miss the Championship dinner the group has planned for the team. So Joen called Ate Joyce and asked her if it's ok we fly back early and she was fine with it. So even though we will miss the game, we will be there for the banquet.
Woohooo! I will be on a plane again on my birthday. Hehe. My BIG 3-0!!
Not the Billy Joel song. Talking about our Saturday night!
Since Jeremy and Kristin's wedding pretty much had us booked the whole day, what with the wedding at 2 and cocktails at 4 pm, we couldn't make any REAL plans just yet. It was our first traditional American wedding so I was excited to see how it all goes down. Only to realize that there was nothing traditional about it. First off, the couple faced the crowd the entire time, they went around the altar a lot- walking beside the priest, standing beside the priest and sitting in front of him. The groom walked both parents to the altar like an escort. The bouquet offering to the Blessed Virgin was all a part of it, part of my surprise. I remember Mommy thinking of that for my brother's wedding and the priest then went, "Hmmm. No one's ever thought of that before." Anyway, the wedding rite lasted longer than one hour much to my surprise. Kristin cried, of course ,while Jeremy was smirking the whole time. I was also surprised at how the wedding invitation colors were NOWHERE to be found in church. The card was pink and brown so I thought that was the wedding motif. But the church was bare, there were no pink and brown ribbons and the bridesmaids all wore black with yellow flowers! So different from how Pinoy weddings would usually go. As expected, there were no veil and cord rituals or arrhae displays. Very toned down yet, according to Carrie, very NON-traditional.
Cocktails and dinner followed at 4 pm but we arrived at around 4:30 pm. We were tabled with the rest of the First Data mates and their wives so the conversation was always interesting. Dan was with Carrie, Doug was with Connie, and then there was Keith who had just arrived from Hawaii. No trace of tan anywhere though! The dinner was light and lovely... lots of vegetables and then some pasta. Very simple which was the way to go what with all the dancing that followed after. The weather was unexpectedly PERFECT that day! I mean, after a week of Thunderstorms and downpour and drizzles, it was 78 degrees! FERPECK! We spent a lot of time outside enjoying drinks and talking to peeps. Kristin was obviously tipsy'd out so she was just dancing and chatting up and basically having a good time. They are such a lovely couple. Their kids will... not be short. Hehe. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take any picture with the couple because we were too busy chatting up a storm and dancing. Congrats to them both and I just know they will live a very fruitful and happy life starting with their Italy honeymoon this October. I am so jealous!!
We had decided early on to skip Aida's reception for the HUGE UFC 74 Match.I mean, my crush George St. Pierre fighting the CRAZY and unpredictable Koschek. PLUS the legendary veteran himself, Randy Couture to defend his title against Gabriel Gonzaga. Why would we miss THAT?! So we headed out to Fox and Hound, our usual UFC joint. A lot of people at the wedding had to leave early to watch the Huskers vs. UCLA volleyball game so the place was packed with volleyball and UFC aficionados! To make a long story short (and even though I went outside the paid UFC room when GSP played because I was TOO nervous to watch it), GSP won and so did the AMAZING AMAZING Randy Couture!!!! I mean, THIS guy is just unbelievable!!! At 44 years old, he is ever humble, ever strong and ever intelligent on the octagon! He just carried the heavy Gonzaga and took him down! YEAH!!! Such a riot! I am soooo loving Couture now. Makes me remember that time we saw him early this year. He didn't look too big and he was so down-to-earth. Just an amazing person. Oh and the Huskers won too! GO, GO, HUSKERS!! Still no. 1 in Women's volleyball. Oowa! Oowa!
We went home feeling very fulfilled and happy. We saw a close friend get married and our manoks won. I could not get over it. I practically went to bed smiling. Now if I can only find a video of that GSP fight that I was too nervous to miss...
My loosest jeans fit now! I bought the pair summer of last year from the GAP with the thought of wearing them while on the plane to and from Pinas. I am all for comfort when in a plane. Now, they fit so well on my butt and around my legs! Hahaha! I guess coz I got them when I was 101 lbs? Now that I've been between 105 and 107 (thanks to the gym!), they've become my UNloose favorites. So... and this one I really dread... if my loosest jeans now fit me, what of those jeans that already did? Clean shopping for my new weight? Hoen won't like that. But if I am going to start working in 2 months and with school next week, some SORT of shopping should be in order. I've been embracing wide-legged jeans for a while now so that should be weather appropriate at least. I just hope the stores will still be on sale in a couple of weeks or it's going to be credit nightmare!
Estudyante MIDNIGHT blues
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Last Monday, I went to school to buy the Accounting Book we will be using. I was very impressed with our bookstore because it really looks like a small Borders. For some reason, the police were everywhere (not Campus Security, mind you. The actual Police) manning almost every door in the campus. Anyway, I showed my schedule and course number and this ditz pointed the book out to me. The cover said, "Economics and Business Strategy", which puzzled me because I was taking Accounting and Finance. So I approached her again and she said that that book was it and she's sure of it. So I leave and get on with my day.
Today, I went back for Orientation which I had to skip because 1) my insomnia kicked in and I only had 2 hours to sleep and 2) I had heinous cramps again. Turns out, mandatory attendance was supposedly just for the 1 pm TB test. I told the operator, "I'm already done with the MMR shots and the TB test." But as if to get rid of me already, she says, "1 pm is mandatory. TB test is mandatory. Thank you." So I slid my tired crampy ass of our bed and went to school. What's worse is that it poured cats and dogs!! So I had to park in the free lot, run 4 buildings to the Student Health Services ONLY TO LEARN THAT TB TESTING WAS NOT MANDATORY BECAUSE OF MY H4 VISA. Tanisha, the desk clerk goes, "Hunny, you don't owe us anything. You're cleared. I don't know who told you to come here but you don't need no tests." Aaaarrrggghh!!! Samoka! And since I couldn't go anywhere just yet because it had rained lions and buffalos I decided to hit the bookstore once again. I was right after all! The book the idiot gave me the other day was wrong! I got the right book this time. Might have been more pricey (a whopping $147.50!!!) but at least I can now start studying. Tomorrow, when I come back for REQUIRED orientation, I will be returning the old $115 book and I am so shoving it to her face. Samoka. What a waste of time and card swiping.
I accomplished one thing today though. I finally got my student ID. This is my menstrual cramps-plus-saput-plus-lack-of-sleep-dashed-with-downpour-on-my-hair ID. Not too shabby but the frown that formed right after could not be avoided. Hoh well. Estudyante MIDNIGHT blues.
Last Saturday, right before Date day, Hoen checked the mail. There it was. 2 enveloped documents from the Immigration Office- one for me and one for Hoen. We hurriedly opened it and the moment we saw "Appointment Notice", I shrieked!!! Because we were expecting to get our EAD case number first, I then made this email telling everyone the news that we had gotten our EAd case numer already. I even Chikka'd our fam at 3 am Philippine time. But after further reading, Hoen realized that it was our GREEN CARD number and not the EAD. Which made us wonder. Where is our EAD Mail? Since we sent both our Green Card and EAD applications on the same day couple of months ago, the fact that we already got our GC Notice should mean that our EAD is on the way.
Just yesterday, while Hoen decided to work from home while I suffered from criminal cramps, Joann Feller, our Visa officer, informed us that she has 6 receipts for Joen and myself. It was our EAD case number!!! Woooohoooo!!! She then told us that she is certain I will be able to work already by October and in ANY FIELD I desire. Hoen, though, will have to stay within the field he was hired in the first place to work in. Meaning, he cannot stray and fulfill his barista dream job. While I... I can be a janitor for all I care and it would be totally fine. Hehe.
This is just super news to us. I have left the work force for 2 years and now is really the time to go back. I can't wait to get back to work. I can finally contribute financially to our little family. =)
When gore and goth authors like Anne Rice convert to Born Again Christianity, you start to wonder... when nothing surprises us anymore, what are we all here for then? What shakes us and affects us to the core? What wakes us up?
Just simple ramblings actually as I realize just how simple my life is. Simple yet very fulfilling. No credit to Anne Rice's conversion actually, just that we seem to be surrounded by a lot of crazy stuff all the time yet some of us seem to hold out on going totally insane. Especially here in the US where people of all kinds, colors and nose rings rub elbows with you, what seemed shocking is now expected. What was highly appreciated is now perfunctory. I write this because I do not see uniqueness anymore. Music has become so mainstream that as much as I admire Mandy Moore' matured voice and Hilary Duff's new found groove, singing about "that boy and how he broke her heart" makes me want to cut their cds to pieces.
So what really shakes me? What makes my blood circulate and my mind race?
1) My love for Hoen. I love him so much that I prefer watching him as he watches TV. There is something about my husband's face that I can't get enough of. At times I want to kiss and hug him until he melts but most of the time, I just want to look at him. Watching him sleep is another experience altogether. The snore used to ruin things but looking at him curled up like an actual baby, shiny white butt and all, makes me want to carry his son. I had never wanted to "stare at someone's face" ever before and I guess that's how I knew he was the one for me. He keeps me still and that makes me look forward to each day and minute that I spend with him. Last Friday, after the usual basketball practice, the gang gathered at Beth's for dinner. We stayed there until after midnight. The next day, I was crying and I didn't know why. It was only after that I realized that it was because Hoen and I weren't able to have our WE time last night, what with our dozenous friends around. I know it's corny but I really love our times alone. I relish it and I do the whole this-day-might-be-our-last bit.
2) The anticipation of having our family here in the US. Everytime we go someplace nice or when we're at a nice restaurant, we always says, "Sus, inig anhi nilang Mommy ug Mama, dad-on gyud nato sila diri. They would love this food." OR "Magpa-member gyud tah diri if they are around." Mama and Papa haven't been to the US yet as their applications have been turned down by the embassy a good three times. Mommy and Daddy might have lived in the US before but the rest of us were in Pinas. I would've loved to enjoy the US with them and I'm sure the same feeling goes for them. It is this anticipation, this longing for family that makes us daydream. As Mama would say it, "Libre bitaw ang magdamgo so damgo lang."
3) The thought of raising a family together. I, for one, am not quite ready yet to be a mother but we talk about having kids a lot. We imagine what if that couple across the table was us and how we would be taking care of our baby and how he or she would look like and where he or she takes after. As much as I love Hoen, I pray to God He doesn't give me a son as kiatan as he was when he was a kid. "Mas ki-at pa ni Juancho" says a lot. I actually dread it. Hoen finds it very funny. Siya gyud akong pagukdon sa iyang anak na igwad ug lobot. Hehe.
4) My friends back home. How I miss them so. They make me look forward to going home! I want to experience the-way-things-were with them even if dozens of things have changed and we live very different lives now. I want to see Doogie stroll with Isa at 5, 10, 15 years old. I want to see Buttwipe healthy and glowing and become a millionaire at the age of 50. I want to hear Leg's sex stories (ha! tough luck!) and witness her blow the minds of her corporate colleagues as she becomes VP of some internet company. I want to be a witness to their amazing future, being their cheerleader and all.
5) Megan. She makes me self conscious of what I should become. I think, "Knowing how much she idolizes me, I cannot screw up. I cannot let her down that way." A lot of things aren't right for her now-- her domestic situation is a huge bump, but I want her to get the best out of everything and everyone else.
It's nice to know and be able to jot down what stirs my life. Thank you, Anne Rice.
Mandy can take my candy
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
And this is why Mandy Moore is one of the more respected young artists we have today. This girl will last long in the business. I just LOVE this rendition! After hearing a dozen renditions of Rihanna's "Umbrella", this is my favorite. The transition sounds very original and her voice is actually very crisp, very pure. Totally dig this.
By the way, Hoen and I have our own version,. It's called, "I want my Salmonella...ella..ella.. in Manila... nila.... nila... eh... eh... eh.." hehe.
How can you know someone and yet not know them?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
That was the question I asked myself last night when a really good and supposedly lasting friendship took a huge flip. 360 degrees. Chair legs up. I'm not one to pull the plug on someone right away and I'm all for difference in opinion. But when it comes down to insulting the very core of what you believe in and degrading the value of what you hold true in your life, that's enough reason to doubt the essence of what exactly is there left to hold the friendship together. 2 decades we've known each other, been frank and dead honest to each other. But I guess when you've lived very different lives, and somehow the other changes to have become the worst version of herself, somewhere, something gets destructed.
Maybe I should give it more time. I don't want to harbor ill feelings. They're just a waste of my time. But right now, at this very second and this very moment, I don't want to have anything to do with someone who does not respect the very thing that's made her what she is. I call that stupidity, ungratefulness, ignorance and pride. And that, my friends, won't get anyone anywhere.
As promised, here I am, blogging about the second home we can't seem to have right now.
We have gotten very acquainted with Lifetime Fitness' Omaha center. So huge, it's bigger than a supe'd up Walmart. Thanks to Allan, we were able to get a 7-day trial pass and we are so taking advantage of it. This place is HEAVEN TO US!!! It's not enough that we are both gym freaks, what with hundredsss of cardio machines. They had to have 2 basketball courts, 2 racquetball rooms, 2 wallclimbing studioes, 2 huge yoga and pilates room, 2 ZEN rooms for special yoga and pilates, hundreds of strength training machines, 3 huge lapping pools, 2 water park-style pools, a big jacuzzi, a big sauna, and a special spa. And if that's not enough, they have massage parlors, a cafe, a salon and a Childcare center that takes care of kids under 12 years old for 2 hours. Waahhh!! I just love this place!!!!
Unfortunately, Hoen and I can't afford it pa for now. Plus with the 15 minute travel time and with winter fast approaching (moan), we are still unsure if that route is safe with snow all around. We will definitely sign up when I have work already and maybe towards the end of winter. That way, we can stretch buck for buck. I am in love with this place. Our trial ends on the 16th and I feel some separation anxiety already. :(
Cardio; Childcare Center; Wall climbing; Weights; Front Desk
I asked Hoen that regardless of my body clock, when he would really want for us to get pregnant. And his time frame was the same as mine. Two years. We feel like we haven't fully indulged in ourselves yet and last weekend was a perfectly good example.
Last Friday, Hoen had to practice basketball with this team and Allan, being a member of Lifetime Fitness, recommended that they practice there. So I gym'd as they practiced (I am so in love with this place that I will blog about it separately). After that, we all met up at Sharon B's house for some much needed dindin. Just 5 families were there but the signature grilled squid stole the scene. We just love Jovy's grilled squid! After much conversing and chika2, we went back home spent and yet, even more hungry. I thought, "Had we had kids, we would never be able to cuddle while eating, or stay out with friends at night or massage each other everyday." The next day, our mornings were kicked off with Hoen playing Call of Duty on Wii for HOURS while I marathon'd over Voltes 5 (c/o Sharon B). Then we did our usuals but the goal for the day was to order a new suit for Hoen and buy a shirt and tie to go with it. All this is for Jeremy and Kristin's wedding. Buying formal clothes for men is sooo much fun! I had no idea! This was my first time to get Hoen cleaned up with new stuff.The whole mixing and matching is something I can do with my eyes closed but to do it for my guy? Exciting! After at least 2 hours and a dozen fits or so, we finally settled with a shirt and a tie. What's better was that both turned out to be on sale! Woohoo! We paid 1/3 the price we were ready to bill ourselves with. I love August! Then we got me some shoes. Aaah, bliss.
The plan was to watch Stardust after but the clothes shopping took longer than we thought so we headed to Lifetime Fitness instead. We spent 2 hours there just swimming and then headed home. Again I realized, "If we had a kid now, we would never have enjoyed the day as much as we did. No schedules, no worries." The next day, Sunday, after church and a short lunch, Hoen's team, Dabarkads, won against the supposedly BEST Yellow Team. This team was young and TALL. But I guess since they were still a bunch of kids, they got easily rattled when dealt with head-on. Our cheering didn't hurt either as the wives were in their element. I had just bought this tambourine set and it made for very good cheering percussion. My palms are swelling though. We lost last week so this was payback. Hoen was able to do several VERY good rebounds. WE WON! WE WON!! Woohoo!!! After the game, we went to Lifetime again and did the whole nine. We worked out, yoga'd, sauna'd, spa'd and swam. We were there for almost 4 hours just chilling and doing our bodies lots of good. After a final stop at Walmart, we went home to watch The Company. I was able to consume an entire can of fat- and sugar-free TCBY yogurt with Hoen, chat with Leg and Buttwipe (so long overdue conference) and give Hoen a full body massage.
We told each other how much we still enjoy spending our days the way we want to. We still very enjoy each other's company and I guess, we still can't imagine owning the responsibilities of having a kid. Call it convenient or selfish but I guess what I'm trying to say is that we want to indulge in ourselves first before giving up the very freedom we have now. True, if I get pregnant, I get pregnant and babies are always a blessing. But if we had our way, and I am not sure if we do with my Big 3-0 next month, we would hold off on the kids part a little longer.
Yesterday was another eventful one for us. It was weird, bizarre and highly utimely.I was on a mission to find a wedding dress for our friends' weddings. I was willing to drive around the city to buy a dress and that meant possibly 16+ miles of just parking and fitting. I must've tried about 30 dresses yesterday.
Anyway, after dropping Hoen off at the office, I had to go home because I had forgotten to bring something. As I parked in the garage, I noticed that Hoen had turned the headlights on. I turned it off, went inside the house then left for the mall. I made stops at the Oakview Mall which is at 144th WEST and decided later to go all the way to Village Pointe which is at 168th West of Omaha. Now Hoen's office is at 68th East so that's a lot of miles in between. It was already about 6 pm when I FINALLY got a dress at White House, Black Market (by the way, I had this scratching feat after trying on one of the dresses in the mall. Good thing I had my trusty chinese skin cream with me. I was starting to itch all over my torso! Eeyuck!) . I decided to just go East and wait for Hoen to be done with work at the nearest Caribou Coffee. I frequent the place for their free Wi-Fi. Hoen arrives about 7:10 pm and we head to the car shortly after.
Hoen starts the engine. The engine is dead. We wait a few seconds, start it again and still nothing. We wait for a couple of minutes and it's the same. There's just this clinking sound whenever we turn on the ignition. At this point, Hoen calls AAA. We had JUST signed up for membership this year. Wise decision! So I ask this couple who was outside the Coffee shop if they had been their for long and if so, did I leave my car lights on. She said, "No. It just blinked when you turned on the alarm. And if you left it on, I would've gone inside and told you." Hokay. I was a bit relieved because I was so sure I had turned the lights off at the garage. And I didn't leave the lights on inside nor did I leave the door ajar because the alarm wouldn't have gone off if such was the case.
Now while Hoen was on the phone, this girl in a white car attempts to do a straight U-Turn. I remember muttering, "Back up, back up, there's a puddle of water from the rain over the gutter." But she rams it anyway and rrrrr... her right front tire gets stuck. This car behind her stops and Hoen and I go over and offer to lift the car while she swerves. But it would've left a huge mess with all the mud. I was beginning to think that this joint was a Twilight Zone of car wrecks. We told them that we were having some car trouble ourselves and that AAA is on their way and might be here IN AN HOUR. The girl didn't know what to do so the driver of the car behind her offered to steer out of the pothole. After several tries, he was able to move the car forward. Yey! Moreover, this guy volunteers to help us jump our battery with his battery. The only problem was I was parked RIGHT IN FRONT of the coffee shop and the owner of this car beside us was nowhere to be found. Since we had to jump the batt, both cars had to be next to each other.So I tried to go on Neutral while Hoen and this bartender push the car to the parking space behind us. But the shifts wouldn't nudge. I tried over and over and over... stepping on the brakes, not stepping on the brakes but nothing happened.
We were now starting to wonder that maybe this is more than just a battery problem. Something may have short circuited inside. At this point, this other guy walks by and offers his help. Turns out be an expert on cars so he made us turn on the ignition and looked at the engine and studied the battery. He taught us this trick on being able to shift gears while the shift lock was child-protected. There is this hole beside the gear and in there, you can stick your car key in and the gears turn loose. Magic! Hoen and I had no idea about that feature so we were grateful. Finally, we were able to back up the car and the bartender jumped our batt using his batt. We rev'd it for a few minutes and said our thank yous (these guys were doing a lot of diagnosing and advice giving). AAA arrived just in time. He looks at the battery and says, "I don't even have to test it. That green stuff on top of the battery? That's acid. That means it should've been replaced" So he calibrates it and true enough, his device read "REPLACE BATTERY."We were on the road after that and after going back and forth deciding whether to go to Walmart 99th, Walmart 156th or the nearest Sears, we parked up the Sears Auto Center. Hoen then tells me to back the car up and park to the office garage so I tried to. The engine was dead again. AT LEAST WE WERE ALREADY IN THE FRIGGIN' AUTO CENTER! Phew! So half an hour later, we bought a new battery, not budgeted by the way, had them install it and drove on home. Batteries usually last about 3 years. Ours lasted 4 years and 3 months. What really scared me was what if the car had died at the Village Pointe at 168th? Or even at Oakview at 144th? And I would've been all alone and desperate for help from strangers? Good thing about Omaha is that people are usually so nice that they really go out of their way to help you.
I was just thankful for 2 things: First, that all those people came by to help and second, that it all went down at Caribou and not in the middle of the road. Susmaryosep, unsaon nalang. We are so marking our calendars for the next battery change. August 8 2010. Hehe.
Does that chicken really dance?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Since Ate Joyce and family were not able to make it here due to the passing away of John's grandma, Hoen and I were able to attend BOTH the wedding and the reception of Alex and Elean. Lucky for me, I was still able to find a dress in time. I had no idea that they hadn't gotten married in church yet after being together for 10 years. Such cute kids! Alexis is always game for a chat or two. Being the gymnast that she is, she is always lovely to watch! AJ is like a little Alex, willing to share his smile for cheap. SUPER CUTE!! Such a lovely family.
The wedding was at 11 am so the gang decided to have lunch at Charleston's since the recep was at 5:30 yet. We went there and IT WAS A NIGHTMARE!! First off, we had to separate the men from the women and the kids for bonding purposes. But Joyce told the waitress AND hostess that we were going to be paying separate. that we could pay individually or as a family. There were probably 30 people in there so we expected them to work things out for us. Instead, they expected us to do all the work. Like, hello! We told you beforehand how this was going to settled and you want us to labor over the bill?! It's supposed to be for the customers' convenience, not yours! Not to mention several dishes came out soooo late that Roni, Rani's daughter, wasn't able to eat until the end of the course, as did Joyce's kids. And it was just pasta!! Moreover, the kids (4 kids) HATED the chocolate drink. And being chocolate drinkers, THEY would know if there was something wrong with it. So Titit tells the manager to "please, just give my son some pineapple juice". He comes back and she asks him if he did give the drink to her son. He responds, "I asked the kids on the table if any of them wanted some pineapple juice and no one said anything." HELLO! They're kids! They're too busy playing and talking! Stupid manager!! We were there from 12:30 to 3 pm, settling our bills individually AT THE CASHIER'S COUNTER! Aaarrrgggh. We are so not going back to that posh place ever again. They don't know how to handle big parties and their neophyte servers don't even know how to apologize.
But at least the reception was fun. We were seated at the last table because we confirmed our reception attendance very late. But our tablemates were cool peeps who didn't mind the whole crazy Filipino 'tude during weddings. Both mothers-in-law DISHED OUT their disapprovals on the relationship early on and IT WAS HILARIOUS!!! Alex was looking down and sideways while taking sips of champagne when Elean's mom called him "Below average" HAHAHAHA!!! And Elean turned red when Alex's mom mentions his long time girlfriend's name, Irene! HOLY CRAP. It must've been a little embarrassing but all in good humor at the end. Phew! Maayo nalang kay nabawi. Hehe. So after much dancing, electric sliding, chicken dancing and games, we retired for the night feeling a bit exhausted and not over the whole mom-in-law speeches. Hehe. Hoen and I looked at each other. We were both thinking, "Had those been our parents, we would gotten up and unplugged the mic from the power outlet". Haha.
20 things I learned from The Bourne Ultimatum
Monday, August 06, 2007
1) When in doubt, tie your shoelaces.
2) It sucks to be a part of the CIA's Information Systems and Tech department. You get zero sleep and you get reprimanded in front of your colleagues.
3) Your ex clearly isn't over his past love if he makes you dye your hair to be the same color as hers.
4) When threatened, why go for a huge flower vase when a book makes a better weapon?
5) Journalists never follow directions.
6) If you need to go through your neighbor's firewall, just roll a pair of boxers around your hand and you will be shard-free.
7) Upon knowing that the enemy is within 1000 yards, it is not wise to leave the building empty and vulnerable.
8) Rappers can afford bullet-proof windows in their cars. NYPD can't.
9) Bourne is a much higher priority than terrorism.
10) Bourne prefers Google. And Motorola RAZR.
11) You don't necessarily get hear loss or any ear injury for that matter when you're situated right next to a motor bomb.
12) Sidewalk-vending cellphones is a very good business especially when you're in assassin infested countries.
13) CIA agents always talk on their phones near a glass window.
14) Why leave bread trails when you can break your cellphone into pieces?
15) Be careful of sliding blinds ad boards. There's bound to be a sniper in position there.
16) Turns out it's easy to get a job in the CIA. Just show up with a sad face, throw in your dogtag, take a dip in the tub with a bag over your head and that's it. You're hired.
17) CIA agents use Norton Anti-virus.
18) When Jason Bourne pays you a visit in your house it only means a family member is dead.
19) If you're a high ranking official in the CIA with a lot of secrets, it is best not to place TOP SECRET in bold red letters on any of your documents. Too obvious, eh?
We are invited to four weddings within the month of August. FOUR! And three of them take place on the same day- August 25th. My cousin, Cielito's wedding in Canada, then there's Aida Anderson's wedding and finally there's Jeremy and Kristin's wedding. And to top it all, the Ultimate Fighting Match which I've been dreading happens on the same day! It will be the first time my idol George St. Pierre gets inside the octagon since he lost his championship belt to Matt Serra. Randy Couture will also be going up against the guy who beat Cro Cop, Gonzaga. Too good to miss!!
MA-BUANG KO ANING ADLAWA! We still don't know how we can watch the match with 2 weddings to go to. I hope we'll figure it out.
Yesterday was one of my unlucky days. The unbelievable kind, that is.
I went to Marshalls to look for some much needed Queen-sized pillow cases which have gone kapoosh in the major stores. I was about to enter when this guy who must've weighed 3 tons was so in a rush behind me that he stepped on my foot. Not my slipper, MY FOOT! I tripped and I could tell that he felt so bad about it. So I let it go, he apologized and moved on. I grabbed a shopping cart in case I see some household furnishings along the way. 3-ton guy was so in a hurry that the front wheel of his cart got under my left slipper and snapped one of the thongs out! I let out an "Ack!" because I still hadn't fully recovered from the trip, my slippers had to be injured too. Again, he apologized PROFUSELY this time but in this rush rush rush to get to the store, he might as well have said his sorries over a megaphone from the back. I was already annoyed because clearly this guy wasn't watching where he was going. But, I thought, he weighs 3 tons, so I'm going to word him. I told him to, "Please, next time, watch where you're going, Mister, ok? You end up hurting people." A P O L O G I E S again. So I let it go. I figured I can just push the thong back with a safety pin later.
Hokay. Now Marshalls sells cheap branded and authentic goods. And that is why a lot of people shop there for last year's or last season's goods at marked down prices. As much as I wanted to buy another shoe, I would never wear a pair of shoes without applying some alcohol inside it first. God knows how many people have tried shoes there and with my skin allergies, I have been very sensitive lately. So I limped while shopping around the store and settled for these ballet flats that I didn't need. They were the easiest to find.
So I head to the restroom after my purchases and washed my hands. In walks this mother with a very adorable toddler. The mom goes inside a booth while her son stands behind me. And as I was humming a tune while washing my hands, I could feel my shorts moisten. I couldn't figure it out at first but when I turned around, JUNIOR in there was taking a piss and the trajectory was aimed straight at me!!! In other words, GI-IHIAN KO SA BATA! I go, "Oh my God! What are you doing?? Where is your mother!!" He just laughed and smiled and continued to pee ON THE FLOOR. At that point, I had already looked in the mirror and saw huge islands of wetness at my back and ON MY CROTCH. He was so short, he got me at the worst wet spot ever. He crawled under to get inside his Mom's booth and I think he got a verbal spanking. The mom apologized to me and even offered to buy me new shorts in the store. But knowing Marshalls, nah, I would never wear something off the rack there. So I stayed in the restroom for a while, cussing the fact that there was no air dryer. Thankfully, I brought extra undies because it was soaked in the back. Aaarrrgh, I had a long day of shopping planned ahead and I had to be stuck in the restroom while I waited for my shorts to dry up. I ended up buying a pair of shorts at Old Navy. I had to ask the Area girl to iron it first before I wore it just to make sure.
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