Ulam (Food)

I have a craving for garlic fried rice, the way my mom makes it. Does your mom/dad make it for you? You know, leftover rice sauteed in garlic and oil, served with Pinoy-style omelette with scallions inside and maybe some fresh diced tomatoes, scallions, onions on the side and some fried, salty, dried fish or even fresh fish. Now that's breakfast. Sometimes the fish would be substituted with Vienna sausages 'cause you don't want the whole school smelling that strong fish aroma on ya. Ka hiya. (How shameful.)

I don't have any fish, scallions, vienna sausages but I have leftover white rice that comes with Chinese food orders and garlic, I also have some eggs. But knowing me I'd probably make it too oily. Now if only I had a recipe...

Oh I'd kill for some of those sweet sausages, Langonisa. I'm gonna have to drive over to the local Vietnamese store.

Me.

Sunshine Superman

As a kid I totally believed that once I reached puberty my mutant powers would burst forth and I'd find out about it by being at some friend's party and playing seven minutes in heaven and realizing that the geek I was kissing in the closet was dead because I had sucked out his life force.

Yep, that's the kind of powers I had imagined I had. I was going to be "Widow Maker" or "Black Widow" or "Siren" something sweet like that. Of course I would be somewhat evil because I would have been turned from "normal" society and ridiculed and maybe persecuted. But I'd be mad sexy, provocative, and irrisistible. (Something that a geeky, chubby girl fantasizes about.) And then I'd go around killing men, not only through my deadly powers, but through breaking hearts as well.

Sometimes I think that by marrying I am truly fulfilling my childhood fantasies.

Me.

P.S. If you've received your save-the-dates for my wedding and go to the website, we're not really registered at Bloomingdale's. I'll try to update that asap.

On Christmas Day In The Morning

We celebrated Christmas yesterday, so you find me here, awake, still full of rib roast, rolls and pumpkin bread, and of course the little candies that plague us at this time every year.

I just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas and hopefully you all got good gifts this year. And if not good gifts, then great gifts. Tell me about your gifts tomorrow. I got a good haul this year and surprisingly it was a very good Christmas. I think because there were no expectations of good gifts. haha.

Happy Holy Days.

Me.

Everybody's Working For The Weekend

except for me, 'cause it looks like I have the Christmas weekend off. Yay. I am however, working the next weekend, for New Year's Eve, til midnight. hmm. How strange. Maybe I can get someone to switch with me...

I remember when we were kids New Year's Eve meant more to us than Christmas. Christmas consisted of opening presents, going to church and spending a quiet day at home after taking pictures. But New Year's Eve was an EVENT. We looked forward to going to someone else's house or preparing our house for the arrival of people. Together we would usher a new year in together with everyone we cared about.

It was the only party where it was okay that no one showed up until 8 or 9 at night and where it was okay that they stayed until 4 in the morning, laughing and singing and dancing.

Then the next day was spent watching the Twilight Zone marathon.

It was great to get your fill of odd and scary things on the very first day of the new year. I never got why the TZ marathon ran but it is a tradition. Then later I'd make my new year's resolutions more tangible by writing them down in my journals or on a piece of paper.

Yah, those were the good ole days.

Me.

p.s. this just came into my head while I was typing this, but do some of you remember a few years back we all went to A.C. and ate at a restaurant with all the families and we actually got the parents to play telephone. haha. We would all tell our mom and dad, across the table, not to ruin the game, and they'd "pass it on". That was awesome and extremely hilarious.

Happy Birthday to you!

Hope you have a good one, don't do anything too straining, who knows if your old bones can handle it.

Be careful when you walk because your eyes are going as well.

Don't blow out your candles in one big breath, you might pass out.

You probably don't even remember that it's your birthday, poor senile old thing.

Just kidding. I love you. Happy Birthday.

Pertains More To Me

heehee, I just realized sometime in my sleep that I am off from work on Christmas Eve. I sat bolted upright and was like, this can't be true. So I had to check, and lo and behold I was!!! This is exciting news because we actually celebrate Christmas on it's eve, but y'all know that already. Have a great weekend and have a great time at the Pinoy Christmas Party!!!! If you eat too much just dance it off.

I wish I could be there to see y'all and to hear all the great singing.

Me.

Although It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways

There are about two Christmas songs that really make me feel as if it's really Christmas, and I need it because there are only 12 more days until the day and I don't feel too Christmas-y. I know it's a state of mind but it's hard to concentrate when the weather only teases us with cold and no snow. Brings the humbug outta me. Maybe when I start buying gifts it'll get better but for now I'll listen to the music.

First song: Feliz Navidad. I know. I love it too. ha ha. It's so upbeat and cheery, none of your, "I'm upset and homesick for you during this time of year and you're just not around" nope. It's, god-damn it I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas! Yeah! Makes me wanna dance around and understand that Christmas is a joyous event, something that you want to wish on everyone. (Note: Only the Jose Feliciano version though)

Second song: The Christmas Song. The Nat King Cole version is the best but I'll take anyone elses as long as it keeps the same beat and time and melody.
I mean, the name basically tells it all. What I love about it is it's nostalgic and warm and always always makes me think of firesides and children peering out at frost covered windows and the feeling of walking down a cold, slushy, busy street, with the light from store windows and decorations guiding you down as you carry armloads of presents. It just puts me in the Christmas mood.

Okee, be good all!

Good luck Julie!!

See you all on the flip-side,
Me.

Sunday Morning Blogging

Is meant for reminiscence. The morning is chilly and reminds me of early fall and New England, the tentative days of being some place new and alone.

When I was a freshman in college I took public transportation to and from school, with the occassional exception of being picked up by Rich when he got off of work and my schedule was just right.

The mornings were brisk and I'd trek down our street to meet up with the 7:50 bus. I'd busy myself watching the lines of traffic form and people sitting alone in their cars sipping on coffee they picked up or else talking to their carpool. In the bus it would be slightly warmer, with the smell of coffee, smoke, diesel, aftershave and morning breath lingering in the close air. What usually takes 15 minutes by car becomes a half hour of stopping and waiting and going some more.

The driver would deposit us at the T and I'd take the red line over to my college, only three stops away, but in actuality a very long train ride. Of course the train was busy but I never minded hanging on with one hand to the cool thin poll and watching the view through the doors: the different ragged homes with crumbling porches, the empty back streets, an elevated view of marshes that ran into the harbor and far to the right, in the distance, my school. It was an urban brown brick set against the cool blue of Dorchester bay. From there I'd take one of the free shuttles to the school and if I had time I'd wander through the cold, darkened avenues that made up our own private little citadel. Sometimes I'd stand at the back watching cars pile into the north lot behind Wheatley and beyond them the city of Boston lay to the left. My eyes would water from the cold wind that would beat against my face and I'd grudgingly walk back to class and sit there waiting.

Yes, I loved it.

The bus trips consisted of me studying my fellow passengers, though if there were a need I'd be busy reading some book that needed discussion. Some days it was psychology other days the Greek myths. There would be days, uncomfortable as it was, that required that I drag along my black art portfolio bag that was big enough to hold my masterpieces in. These were my hours of solitude, the times when I'd really get to know this new city, this new route, this new life. College was one of the best experiences I had ever had.

My college was not a typical, just got of high school, living in a dorm, partying and getting drunk with my roommates type of college. I was 18 and would be in a class with a 24 year old, a 44 year old and a 75 year old. All of them bringing in whatever experience they've had into the conversations. It was never dull and it was never uninteresting.

Time to call my mom.

Me.

P.S. Julie are you okay? Did you ever receive the letter I sent you, like a month ago? I hope it didn't get lost in the mail, or if you wrote to me I hope that didn't get lost in the mail! Hope you're okee.

Blog Stealing

That's right I said stealing. Don't be upset, or maybe you're just mad I didn't think your blog was worthy enough to steal.

So I was reading one of my favortie blogs, if ever that person had time to write everyday I'd never get to work... I will post it here in coherent phrases, or just half the blog...Okay I'll put those silly quotes up so you know I'm just quoting someone and not stealing.

One evening the three of us were having dinner, and Sarah said, "I think the world can be divided into two groups of people." I was interested to hear what her two groups were, as I myself usually divide the world into two groups of people; namely, people I hate on the one hand and me on the other hand, but I suspected her groups would be constituted differently. Indeed, I was right. When I asked her what the two groups she was referring to were, she replied, "People who had head injuries as children and people who didn't."

I blinked. "What?"

"Yes. You had a head injury as a child, right?"

I had to admit that yes, I had been injured at the tender age of two, cracking my head and bleeding profusely and creating a tiny bald spot on the top of my head. My mother, who had been out shopping, yelled at my father upon her return, "I told you to watch him!", to which he replied, "I did! I watched him climb up on the sink. I watched him fall. I watched him hit his head."

"How did you know?" I asked her.

"Oh, I can always tell." And then she went through our class, dividing its members up. Belen had not had a head injury; Michael had. Gary and Laurent had not; Patrice had. Mario she wasn't sure about but suspected not. And so on.

The next day, before class started, we went around and asked everybody. Sarah had been right in every single case.

And this is one of the many, many, many reasons I will never have children. Because it was crystal clear that people who had had head injuries as children were better than people who had not, so if I were ever to come into possession of a child I would feel compelled to give it a head injury, for its own future good. But I would have no idea how to hurt it just enough to make it interesting but not enough to make it developmentally disabled. And the resulting paralysis as I tried to figure it out would prevent me from ever getting anything done again.

I love that.
Do you know why? Because it's true. I had had a head injury as a child, and so has Rich. So has Mike, because I remember mom yelling at dad for not watching him as he tumbled out of the crib. And so if you ever stop and wonder whether you are a better person or more interesting person that someone else just stop and ask yourself, "did I have a head injury as a child?" And that'll be your answer. Clearly that's what makes me warm up to some people and not to others.

But it's easy to give your child a head injury, just don't pay as close attention as you would to "it" and there you go.

-Me.

Jive Turkey

Back in the 70's when my parents were still young, in love and considerably thinner, I was just a little figment floating along in the air.

I love looking back on those funny funny pictures of both my parents in bellbottomed pants and tight shirts. Mom was quite the looker in other pictures when she's wearing those one piece shirts (as I call it in my mind) although they're supposed to be dresses but if she ever bent over... Yeah, those were the days I've never lived.

They met at a party, one that my wilder aunt, my mom's older sister, was invited to. My aunt and dad became good friends and the night mom and dad met happened to be the night my mom was told to tag along and "chaperone" her older sister.

I like to romanticise it and think that it was across a crowded room, their eyes met and it was instant love. My dad made for a dashing figure because he was in the navy and although starting to lose his hair already, there was plenty of other hair to comb over. Mom was demure and sat alone watching her sister, Fe, hop on tables and gyrate to music. Mom looked very innocent and sweet among those rowdy drugged induced hippies.

They dated, had a long-distance relationship because he was a sailor at different parts of the Pacific ocean. She had her handful of men and he had a girl at every port but always they thought of one another. This was the 70's and they were into all that peace and disco and just being happy.

So that's how I imagined it.

My mom, when she tells the story she makes years fly in two paragraphs. I don't know of any anxiety over war, I don't know of any kind of music, except when they and their friends get up and dance to "Rock the Boat" or when they sing along to tunes on the radio. I don't know how happy their romance was, or was it in defeat that they settled for one another. All I know is when the music faded and they came to their senses I was there, ready to burst forth and usher in a new era. Goodbye yellow brick road.

Me.

Great Catapulting Cashews, Batman!*

Hey all, long time no write huh?

*I was driving in my car this morning and had thought of something short and sweet to write but I forgot it and now I've decided to allude to a lewd something.

I love it: allude, a lewd

God, what's it like not being an english major?

Write more tomorrow,

Me.

525,600 Minutes

Okay guys, we're gonna lower the lights down, we have one song left for tonight, grab a partner and pull 'em close.

I know I have about a month and two days before the official end of this year but I'm feeling sentimental. Wow, what a busy year for me, for us. This time last year we weren't feeling too Christmas-y because we had to keep the house spare and clean for prospective buyers. Sometimes we'd spend a full day inside a cold camper trying to explain to an upset kitty cat that there were strangers in the house, and that was the reason she couldn't go and play in her room.

I was worried about getting to New York, some time in April to get married, then later upset that we had to move in April so we moved the wedding to March.

A long drive down to our new home, worrying over Soot hiding in the closet, worrying that we'd die in a horrible accident because we couldn't pull ourselves together over laughing so hard at Brian Regan, worrying that the person in front of us was weaving back and forth because they were on the phone, worrying that I wouldn't get any good fried chicken when I got there.

Busy with work and weddings. Exploring the new surroundings and going to Disney and having family visits.

New job, new people, new environment, new weather, new house, new routes, new schedules, new sunsets and sunrises.

How does one measure a year in the life? I don't drink coffee, but I measure it in laughter and strife, food, and sunsets, midnights, in inches and miles, in journeys to plan, in looove.

Seasons of love...

Me.

P.S. Didn't see Rent and probably wont see it. But I love that song.

"Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing—a grateful heart!"
[George Herbert 1593- 1633]

So, how was your Thanksgiving? Stuffed your face, I suppose.

We went to the Hollywood Brown Derby for Thanksgiving, instead of eating home. The food was excellent, however, I was praying to God that if he got me home to the bathroom, without having an accident in the car, I would be forever thankful.

We suspect it was the appetizer of scallops and pork. I am deathly allergic to scallops and have since avoided them, which, at that time I did, but I had a bit of the pork which was rubbed up against the scallops and perhaps they sprinkled scallop juice on top of the whole thing. The other two or three incidents with scallops were worse because I woke up in the middle of the night ready to vomit my guts out. But it coulda been the fish I had, or the three rolls with slabs of butter that I ate or the cream cheese icing on the grapefruit cake... Note, that was the only meal I had that day, besides a bit of soup early that morning. Then I had the shats again yesterday morning twice in a row. That's with only having had dinner the night before.

So thankful I was that I didn't have the shats in the car ride home I praised the lord in all his glory, making it a truly wonderful Thanksgiving.

We had planned a week earlier that we would have a big thanksgiving the day after with pies and rolls and the works. NO TURKEY. I dislike turkey immensely. And we did. We have food to last us until the middle of next week. All good, yummy-nummy food. I wont start my wedding diet until the week after...

I am also thankful for having a wonderful family, who came for a visit and with whom I had a wonderful time with and Mick was in our thoughts 'though he could not come down. :o(

I am extremely thankful that I got my dress yesterday!!!!! I drove amidst the waves upon waves of crazy black friday shoppers, like a woman on a devine mission, parting the sea and calming the masses. I got there 20 minutes before the store opened and resisted all urges to enter at 9:50 when they placed their "open" sign up. Yes, I need to practice patience. But I got there, my dress was waiting for me and the best part I got it for under $500. Well, alterations will fix that but I still wont have bought a wedding dress for $1000. The thrifty side of me repels.

And now it hangs in a closet in the other room waiting for 7 months and 2 days when I shall unveil it and parade it around in all its glorious splendor for around 5 hours and then put it away, never to wear again. That's $100 an hour.

Ooh, I hope I have a daughter and I hope she wears it. heehee.

I'm thankful for many things this year, wont go into it now, just know that I am.

Me.

Cinderella: Oh, no... er, I mean, I do, but don't you think my dress...
Fairy Godmother: Yes, it's lovely, dear, I...
Fairy Godmother: Good Heavens, child. You can't go in that.


Yesterday, Tuesday, November 22 2005 I went with both parents to go dress hunting. I had found a store that stocked the dress that I wanted. First store: I had a page from a magazine I had that I ripped out, the model number and anything else they could've wished for. I even had a telescope and floss in my purse just in case Monty Hall was waiting around the corner for me.

Was met at the door and I handed over the dress and the model number, a few minutes I was told that it was in one of their dressing rooms waiting for me to fit into. In I stepped, away with street clothes and I donned on the dress, which literally weighed 75 lbs.

It was PERFECT.

I stood there waiting for the lady to help lace up the back of the dress and I told her, "this is the first store and first dress I've tried and I this is the only store and dress I'm gonna try,"
she laughed scoffingly but I knew.

One little, itty-bitty problem.
IT'S NOT Virginal WHITE...

It wasn't a problem for me, like I said, it was perfect, but if you're shopping with your mother... there are other issues.

It's gold and ivory.

So we stood there while we discussed why I can't have a gold and ivory dress. So I looked at other dresses, my heart not in it at all.

We went to another store, looked and found nothing, of course.

Thank God for fathers. He asked why I didn't get the dress in the other store and mom said, "oh she didn't want a dress that wasn't white," and dad said, "i think it's you that didn't want a dress that wasn't white, Michelle probably liked the dress." Then mom started laughing and said, "you're right," then dad said, "what's the problem? If that's the dress that Michelle wanted then you shoulda just gotten it."

And that's how I got the dress I wanted.

But not really, I'm waiting for Friday because then it'll be 40% off, making it officially $450 instead of $750.

Here's a preview. (I forgot my camera of course.) God I love it and I know the gods wont like that.

Hubris.

Wish me luck, and if you love me do something to distract the gods.

Michelle.

File It Under "H" For Hectic

Been busy and crazy. Trying to get everything done. Have lots more to go.

Wedding paperwork, work, parents, invitations, dresses, colors, emails and emails, clean room, cat vomit, laundry, plant grass, new costumes, show id at front desk, write out individual messages for Christmas cards, worry, stress, tv, diet, tempting cakes and chocolates everywhere.

EVERYWHERE!

I'm afraid I'm not spending enough time with my cat.

I'm afraid I wont be able to see the Potter movie soon enough.

I'm afraid that I'll buy a dress I wont like it too much because it's the ONLY. ONE. that I like marginally.

I'm afraid my mother will talk me into a dress that I don't like at all because she's my mother and she has that power.

I'm afraid that no one will show up or stay at a Disney hotel and I wont get my free night at a cottage suite!

I'm afraid to entertain my parents without my brother.

I'm afraid that I'll eat too much this WHOLE. ENTIRE. WEEK. and have to lose twenty pounds by the end of it instead of ten.

I'm afraid that someone will catch me wearing socks under my pantyhose and point it out to me and I'll get in trouble.

I'm afraid that I'll forget all my deadlines and other things that are floating around in the ether because I'm just not concentrating quite enough.

I'm afraid I will spontaneously combust and only the smokers will notice, and only to light their cigarettes with my burning effigy.


But:
It'll be all over sometime soon.

Have a good weekend and rest of the week all.

Me.

Accomplishment

I have a dirty little secret to share with you all. I know, you're all on the edge of your seats just ready to hear something that would finally confirm what you've all thought about me!

I know some of you are like "Nah, she can't be that innocent, that sweet, I know there's a hidden secret lurking in there somewhere." Well today, lucky readers, I will divulge on one of my dirtiest little secrets.

Why?
Because I've finally cleaned it up.

Here it is:
For years I have let the email in my first ever yahoo address just pile up with spam. I didn't want to get rid of it because it's so old that my password is only 4 characters long. How can I get rid of such a relic? Or to put it more kindly, an antique!?

How much spam and other emails? Nearly in the hundred thousands! Hmm, I should have taken a picture of it before I decided to clean it up.

So about a month ago I decided that I would clean it out slowly. I set the minimum views per page at 200 emails and then everyday I would wipe out maybe 2000, doing so everyday until reaching the end, which was about 10 minutes ago.

Now the only problem is the upkeep. That means every few days I'll have to sign on and clean it up again.

That's the part I hate, the upkeep. That is true with almost everything. You can't just go on a diet once and lose all the weight and then go back to eating like a pig and not gain any weight. You can't get into an exercise regimen once and not keep it up for the rest of your life. You can't shower once and be clean forever, you gotta shower everyday, or else you're dirty again! And of course if you fall off you gotta get back on again and do double time to maintain. This is all to maintain!!! How horrible is that? I hate the upkeep.

The secret is to find everything you do awesome, that way you wouldn't hate it. Like I read all your blogs almost on a daily basis. Who am I kidding? I do read it on a daily basis. How can I do that but not something else everyday? Because reading about someone's life is awesome. Even the more boring ones. You know who you are...

So, in short, do everything with an open mind and willingness and all you'll have to upkeep is your love for life.

This was brought to you by the saint hellegood foundation for reading blindness.

Me.

Just Ad Lib It

Below is a true tale, but thanks to y'all it's now a wacky tale. Thanks all for participating in the 2005 Hellegood Mad Libs fiasco. And now without further ado, I present to you your mad libs:


The other day Colon and I were walking through the cd-rom. After a few lightyears of flying on the main road we decided to take a smaller path used for pedestrians. We meandered through the opera singer, near neighbors and goats. Then that path hopelessly grew denser, with vines creeping closer to us.

We followed it to the end and were about to turn back when we spotted a hidden saxophone and penlight walkway through the brambles. All along the path there were trees and branches strewn, leaving our way but we pumped beneath or mitigated over each one.

We continued on the path when suddenly he let out a "Oh snap!" and there, beside him was the prettiest alarm clock I had ever seen only a nautical mile from his face. I let out a crap! and we both made a mad dash past it. We continued on, livers bursting out of our chests.

Slowly we made our way through the banana which was getting denser by the century. We had to keep a finger out for spiders above us and missing planks below us. Eventually the boards rotted out altogether and we found ourselves walking on neon, decaying ground.

Suddenly we stepped away from the dense forest and found ourselves in what appeared to be a dome of vines, trees and leaves. "Why are we in this human moist tank?" I asked. That was when we found out that the trail had stopped. We had reached a carbonated end.

Then we heard something creeping along behind us. Would we survive? Stay tuned.

If you think Colon and Helle should run back towards the sound turn to page 28.
If you think Colon and Helle should avoid the sound behind them by making a new trail past the dome turn to page 74.

-Me.
(Since I don't get to sign off at the bottom, why not sign off right here.)


Alrighty!! Hello boys and girls! Since it will be a long weekend for me I will not be able to post anything for the next few days, therefore we will play a little game. Okay?

Have you all ever played mad libs? That happened to be a big game for us when I was little and also a game Rich and I played while driving down to Florida. I wasn't a good player because I managed to always guess a good word so that the story never sounded outlandish or stupid, no matter how silly I thought the word was.

But now you get to participate! Be creative and have fun. On Monday I will post the story with your choice of words in it. No need to leave your name or anything, just type in the number that's next and the appropriate word, in the comments section of my blog.

Here is an example.
1. Adjective
2. Verb past tense
3. Noun

The red-headed girl jumped to the whale.

Got it?

Without further ado I now present to you Hellegood's Mad Libs c.


1. Male Name
2. Noun
3. Unit of Distance
4. Verb ending in -ing
5. Noun
6. Plural noun
7. Plural noun
8. Adverb
9. Noun
10. Noun
11. Verb ending in -ing
12. Verb past tense
13. Verb past tense
14. Exclamation
15. Adjective (ending in -est)
16. Noun
17. Unit of distance
18. Exclamation
19. Plural human organ
20. Adverb
21. Noun
22. Unit of time
23. Part of the human body
24. Adjective
25. Adjective
26. Adjective

And He Didn't Even Shave His Belly Hair


I get ansy around 4 pm on Halloween, watching, waiting, anticipating that there might be early candy enthusiasts, settling in for a long 4 hours of hunting. I get afraid when it gets to 6 pm and no one has come to the door. Then, timidly, around 6:30 a hesitant ring at my door and there stood a lone boy of about 5, dressed in some netherworld fashion, yelling for treats or else... and with a "thanks" he opened the flood gates...

to ninety (90)!!! others. I got little boys and little girls, big boys and big girls. I got moms and dads and yes, even grandmothers with curlers and a robe. I had girls dressed as boys and men dressed as girls. And there was a tense ten minutes where we ran out of candy and had to give out our secret stash of Dove chocolate bars!!!

It was pandemonium!! It died down around 8:15 with an estimated 5-6 bags of candy given.

I was kinder to the little ones, giving them three and once five pieces but for the adults and the rude children (the ones that ring the doorbell more than twice) only one piece!!

"Here we are children!!! come and get your lollipops!!... ice-cream, chocolate... all freeeeeee today!"

The stats...? well more girls to boys, about 51 girls to 40 boys. The breakdown of races, about 60% caucasians, 35% latinos and 5% other. One being a brown little asian girl whose eyes got big and wide when she saw me. She went so far as to pull her "white" mother over and point to me. She stood on my lawn staring and staring at me until her mother called her to "come!"

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

So begins our holidays. Please don't eat the candy that isn't securely wrapped and make sure your mom or dad (or other responsible adult) checks your candy.

See youse guys.

Me.

P.S. I was a cuddly, pajama with feet, clad person ready for bed. My costume included a teddy bear and sleep mask. I was going to be a New Yorker in October.

Howl-O-Scream

Halloween is in just 3 days. I still have no idea what I want to be and 'though my thoughts on being a lighthouse still throws its beacons at the back of my mind, it just seems too difficult to create my costume. Especially if I'm going to make the day of.

Any plans for Halloween? I'm not doing anything at all except make a costume and pass out candy. This is our first halloween here. There are lots of kids in this neighborhood and perhaps our doorbell will be rung more than a handful of times. In our old house we'd just get about a dozen kids. Luckily I knew how much to give, so by the end of the night we'd only have to eat a few bars. So starts the holidays.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Probably my third favorite after The Annual Great American Smokeout and Mad Hatter Day, which I just celebrated on the 6th.

I hope no one tp's our house. It seems to be a common phenomenon in our neighborhood. Hopefully someone bought the good candy and not the tootsie rolls... dad.

Be safe and don't consume too many sweet treats.

Me.

Yabba-Dabba-Doo!

I just can't put my finger on it, but something ominous this way comes. There seems to be strong winds and rain overhead and bouts of lightning and thunder... came back from the kitchen a few minutes ago and they mentioned something about a tornado warning and it seems they have closed work. Well technically not where I work but the rest of it is closed down. Luckily I was not scheduled for work... it sounds as if the whole world is coming to one messy, windy, wet end. As if God just squatted over us and let out a huge fart. I wonder what could be happening...


WILMAA!!!!


be safe all. I'm home and cozy so dontcha worry 'bout me.

To Autumn

Yesterday at 4:45 in the morning I drove to work.

The windows were rolled half-way down and as I passed the field where the spotted cows grazed I saw nothing but low-lying mist and felt only a warm blanket of earth's breath. Alone on the road I heard only the sound of the wind caught up in the opening beside me, whipping my hair around.

Ahead of me an almost full moon marked my course on the dark roads. I remembered that in China, the mid-Autumn moon is celebrated by women because it is in the dark or feminine half of the year. Here I was, celebrating some ritual from unknown ancestors, coming out and praising the moon.

I felt the fullness of living, when Summer has o'er brimmed and spilled its intoxicated madness, blending in with the mellow softness of fall days creating the sweet ripened, richness of life.

I was surrounded in moonlight, mist and wind. My cup runneth over.

Me.

I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.

Between the two of us, Rich is more a chocoholic than I am. He will gorge out on chocolate while I will eat a few pieces and call it a day. Don't get me wrong, between a yellow cake and chocolate cake, chocolate cake will win the day. But between a peppermint stick or chocolate... well it's better when it's minty chocolate.

However, I digress from my main point.

We believe that chocolate has a laxative affect (taken in excess consumption). 'Keeps my man regulah'. But I read someone's blog today that suggests that it actually does the opposite. So of course, I pulled out my trusty google and looked it up. But unfortunately could not find any evidence that supports that it causes constipation. It might cause constipation when you stop taking it because you're body's used to the regulation... I dunno.

Yeah, kinda leaves you hangin' doesn't it. Sorry, will work harder next time.

Me.

I forgot that everyone likes visuals.

The fireworks were breathtaking.

We Saw Kool and the Gang last night at EPCOT and saw the fireworks as well.


It's been nearly a week since I last blogged but in that time blogger has managed to fix whatever was wrong with it so I've had two easy sign ons since last Wednesday. I'm trying a new blog template but I gotta look for a new one since the last few I've tried seem to want to erase my blogger bar that brings you to the next blog and so on. I hate that.

I finally got my Age of Empires II game for my mac. It has taken a month to finally get into my hands but we wont get into why that was. Trust me, it was very frustrating.

I've been depressed lately. It has everything to do with PMS and work. It doesn't help that I hate everyone. It got to the point where I'd see a random stranger in the middle of the street and wished them a horrible, nasty, painful bowel movement. Yep, even babies. Especially the ugly ones.

Seen any good things lately?

Me.

Harrowing Accounts

Saw this on someone else's blog. Watch it, I thought it was hilarious.

It's still pretty warm here, somewhere in the 80's, although, yesterday was kinda cool (mid-70's) but humid as heck. Blah.

Heard from my mom. She and dad are coming down here sometime in November. Yay! I'm excited, if only to see them. But really it's to finalize my wedding plans and look for a dress. I figured I could lose 15 pounds by the time they get here...

I still need my guest list mailed over so that I can put it all in and get that over with. Then I'll "work" on the webpage. Y'all know I'm having it at Disney and they provide a special webpage for you. That way y'all know when, where, how, who, what exactly is going on and all that fun stuff.

I need to look around for tuxes. I'll try to finalize that by the time they come down too. And I seriously need to sit down and think of everyone's role in the wedding.

Alright, so maybe these weren't so harrowing... but it's all I had for now.

Me.

Well at least we know that when she moves into their homes, it's down hill from there.


I would update more often if only blogger didn't test my patience Every. Single. Time. It's getting on my last nerves.

In other news...

My stupid sister-in-law has gotten engaged to her third fiance. Oy, someone is rolling around in their grave right now. She hasn't even known this guy for a year and we all are aware of the bad choices she's made with men. Gah.

And they want a Disney Wedding.

That's really what's eating me. The audacity to have a wedding competing with my wedding.

Is it my dramatic day or what?

Hope you're have a great Saturday and an even better week.

Michelle

"It Turned Colder, That's Where It Ends"

There are some redeemable qualities about summer, and now that it's over I can speak of them.

Often, in the summer we would travel with other Filipinos to water parks and amusement parks, bringing along picnics. We would meet up at someone's house or apartment and caravan (quite literally because this was the age of mini-vans and some actually had Dodge Caravans) to different places. Each family would pack food, soda, rice, fruits and other things, like a beach ball.

My favorite spot to have picnics was Glen Island in New Rochelle. We'd arrive as early as 11 A.M. and would leave when the sun set because that was when the park would close.

Some of the dad's would bring together three wooden picnic tables, while others manned the grill which would be casting off delectable scents of barbecue and charcoal. The mothers would be plating chips, cutting up fruits and keeping an eye on the children. We would start off with a game of volleyball, then make our way across the island: at the swingset, then the beach and inevitably we would end up at the "ruins" of the "old castle" where we would sit at the boarded well and discuss everything and nothing. Then we'd head back for more food, watching the sun set and feeling the air get cooler.

The hardest thing was always being the first family to leave and in order not to do that everyone left at the same time, driving in different directions to get home.

Now it's hard to keep this up since the second generation has grown up and we are in different places and families move and grow and change.

I wont be to many if any at all of these since I've moved down here.

I never get homesick but I still yearn for those summer days when all I had to worry about was getting a ball over a net and not being the last family to go. I miss the days when we watched the sunset and talked of nothing and everything.

I guess it's time for me to head home, in another direction.

The hardest thing was being the first one to leave.

Me.

Pickles and Prunes

I haven't blogged for a few days, I sit here and rack my brain for something to say but alas, there are only two things that come to mind (and only two things) at this very moment.

I thoroughly dislike pickles.

I hate the feeling associated with having hands* wrinkled from being in the bath for a long time.

*This goes for feet as well but it really is more hands than feet for me.

So how's your weekend going?

Me.

One Down. Only A Handful To Go.

Yesterday, driving home, I finally saw what I thought to be an alien ship. It was a quick set of, larger than normal jet's, flashing lights. It zoomed through the clouds and disappeared. I tried to point it out to Rich but the two seconds that it took to cross my view and vanish it was too late. (Isn't that always the case?) I tried to dismiss it as if my heart had not quickened a step.
"Oh it musta been some kind of firework", or since we live close to the airport, "musta been an aeroplane". mm hm. And I'm a monkey's uncle.

I have yet to live in an area that contains a bigfoot/yeti/sasquatch/abominable snowman. I'll get me a quick looksie at one of those too, when I do.

No loch ness monsters in my repertoire since I've yet to go to Scotland.

No mermaids although I thought I've heard them as a child, growing up in the Philippines. Calling to me with their songs, begging me to step foot into the ocean. Drowning in the process. Or are those sirens? I must be 1/8 siren.

No chupacabra or mothman. No faeries or trolls, goblins or boogeymen.

Now elves...
When I was 8 we went to the Phils for vacay and stayed in my grandma's house. (My family, I secretly believe we're the Filipino version of Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches.) I apologise, I've been immersed in so much superstition and supernatural to be able to shake it off...
Anywho, my cousin, Isa, introduced me to this stump where the "elves" lived. I ran with it, of course. Then some "kind" aunt told me that the food we left them was secretly gotten rid of by Isa when I wasn't around. umm. Yeah I knew that, thanks for ruining the fantasy.

Then one of the last nights I was there Isa and I went out at twilight to leave them their nightly victuals, we started heading towards the house and we turned around heeding some childish instinct, and there around the stump were tiny lights swirling. We ran to the house.

Don't ruin it with your logical comments...

I'll cast a spell on you.

Haha.

Me.

Birthday Weekend

I use to love it when my birthday landed on a weekend but, alas, when you only work the weekends, well that just defeats the purpose doesn't it?

Thanks to everyone for the greetings. yay!

I am now a quarter of a century old, as everyone at work couldn't wait to tell me. And no, I'm afraid I do not feel old. I never feel old, except perhaps when June and graduations come around but that'll wear off... I hope.

What did I get? I bet you're all on the edge of your seats wonderin'. Okee, I got money and cards, best wishes, a cake and a half, balloons, pepper spray, Age of Empires (Conquerors) for the mac, dinner with Rich, and dinner with the in-laws. Hopefully the dinners will be yummy because I have yet to eat them. heehee. Also, as luck would have it, I got to do nothing but sit and occassionally use the company car for going places for two days of work. Yes.. I got tired of that real quick.

When my mom was 25 she had me...

I'm just saying.

Me.

"Jurassic" Park

Before I begin to tell you about our harrowing adventure I'd just like to say Happy Birthday Mikey!

Now on with the tale...

For months Rich and I have been trying to find a park where we could be one with nature, some place to stretch our legs and breath in some wholesome air, or something like that. We always take trips around where we live, slowly taking a wider circumference, exploring everything around us.

So one evening a few weeks ago we found what seemed to be a perfect area. A park a few miles from where we live, and it included a lovely view of farmlands and hills drenched in the velvet indigo light of sunset. We didn't venture into the park that time since it was late and we didn't want to be wandering around a park at dark. Then perhaps a week ago we decided to go back again and just as we approached the park a downpour came suddenly and we had to turn around with promises to come back at another time. That should have been a foreshadowing.

Today, on my day off, we decided to go park hunting, heading over to another park that Rich wanted to view. When we got there we found that it was just a big ol' soccer field and nothing more so I steered the car in the direction of our previous park. When we got there we had to pay a fee to get in and I didn't mind since it looked quiet, shaded, and flanked on either side by two lakes. There didn't seem to be too many people and that was fine with us. I took the car for a once over to decide where we should park and I found a spot that was close to the water and a few paces down was a grove of trees that housed a picnic table. That was the perfect spot to eat the lunch that I packed for us.

We walked on a pine needle strewn path toward the grove of trees and picnic table. To our right was one of the lakes and just before that was white sand that hosted a volleyball court. We sat at the table and I took out our sandwiches and we ate them, looking at everything around us. Then we heard this loud noise. I looked over at Rich and he wondered aloud whether it was construction or some sort of animal. I thought it was the group of people further to our left who were launching off in their inflatable motorized boat. We thought no more of it and continued to eat our sandwiches.

"Oh my god!" I said. Rich looked toward where I was pointing. Coming toward us determinedly were two massive birds about twenty feet away from us. When I say "massive" I meant that they were about 4 feet tall, walking on long, bird-stick legs.

They must have smelled our food.



"Whoa, they're cute huh?" I asked as they made their way ever closer toward us.

They stood across the table from us and I could hear them making a purring noise. Of course I think things that purr are cute, but then I noticed their somewhat pointy beaks and how they almost towered over us as we sat at the table. I also noticed how they were suddenly coming closer, with hungry intent in their eyes. Rich then told me to get up from the table and to make our way around it, playing an unenjoyable game of ring around the rosie. But they were too smart to play such a game.

"Where's the other one, Rich?" I asked, my voice quavering.

That was when I realized it was trying to get at us from under the table. But luckily it seemed unable to go that way and we continued with our game of going around the table as they stilt-stepped toward us. Then I realized that while one was chasing us in one direction the other had stopped completely in time for the two of us to walk right into it. I passed Rich the food so that I could take pictures and he made his way away from the table and I took pictures while they followed Rich. He had made his way to a grill and I was taking a quick video of them when the closest one let out a hair-raising call. That was when we decided to head toward the car.

"Slowly. You never know. They may have a chase instinct," Rich called out to me.

So we walked slowly, apart, through the grove of trees, in what seemed an endless march toward an elusive destination. I look over and realize that it's caught up with me. But Rich distracts them and they head over to him.

"One of us has to open the car door," Rich says, and he hands me the food, to distract them, and they begin to follow me while he sprints over to the car to open the door. Thanks. So then I'm trying not to run but I could feel them just a few feet behind me. I could hear their steps on the pine needles and I could also hear my heart pounding in my chest.

"You need to slow down, they're speeding up!" Rich yells over to me.
"They're slowing down now. Head over to the car."

So I walk to the car, taking the long way around to the driver's seat so that it gave Rich and I just enough time to get in while they made their way up into the pavement and right beside the car.



They peered into the car, the pair of them. Watching as Rich and I breathed a sigh of relief. Rich decided it would be a good idea to open the window for a good shot of the bird with the camera and I closed it just in time because the bird had tucked it's head and was about to lunged into the car.

I decided to move the car to a different location so we could eat in peace. When I parked at another spot two other birds headed over towards us. They stood beside our car and they looked at us through the window, patiently and Rich and I discussed how birds are related to dinosaurs. They watched us through the window with their orange eyes, and we felt helpless and afraid.



We decided that that was the last time at that park and headed home, but a few miles away from the park I had to slam on the brakes because there was another one crossing the road before us. I think they've followed us home...


Me.

P.S. I looked them up online and found that they were "sandhill cranes". If you'd like to hear their purring sound go here and click on "contact call".

Monkey On My Back

Last night, while watching The Daily Show, Rich said clearly and concisely "I love monkeys" and then he looked at me, shocked and a little perturbed that I burst out crying and wouldn't speak to him. (All right it didn't happen quite like that). But he said the above phrase. We had the following discussion:

Me: How can you use that word so flippantly!
Rich: What are you talking about? Monkey's are so cute!
Me: You can't barely manage an "I love you" to me!
Rich: Oh you were talking about love...

Then he reached over and started some monkey business.
I guess his philosphy is, why say anything about love when you can make it.

I think he whispered something about having little monkeys running around. Better than poor Charlotte's "you f-ing bitch, you f-ing whore" line. Heh.

Me!
yes we try to end everything with an exclamation.

A Difference To The Human Race

Yesterday, I had a one-on-one (does that require dashes?) with one of my managers, and he posed this question to me, "what do you see yourself doing in three years." And I sat there, stunned and speechless and I said to myself, "quick make something up!" and so I said, "oh i doubt I'll be working for this company in three years. I really want to teach."

The other day I was speaking to a co-worker about corndogs and how I've never had one in my life. He was appalled by my obvious unconcern at never having eaten "the greatest food known to man" or something like that. (He obviously has never had any of my food.)

Whilst contemplating my upcoming birthday and reflecting on things that I had not yet accomplished, I thought about all the aspirations I had as a child. I wanted to be a lawyer so badly, the next one (this time not so badly) was to be a criminal psychologist (I've since forgotten the fancy word I had for it), and now I'm not really excited by anything in the realms of "careers".

So let's wrap this up...
When I was in my one-on-one I thought, I hafta tell Soobs about this. While discussing corndogs I thought, how can I make this into a story? And while thinking about my past childhood fancies I thought, I need to write about this in my blog. That's when it hit me. My passion is and always has been writing and telling stories. It's been such an understated, intimate part of my life now that it goes unseen, weaving through everything I do. It's always been as easy as breathing.

I will make my mark in this world! I will write and write and write until I die.

Always end on a high note huh?

Me.

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live
-Unknown

It's that time of year again. My birthday's coming up around the bend and I will be 25 in one week and a day. 25! Yikes.

The other day I looked back on the things I wanted to have done by the time I was 25 and most of it I did get accomplished. We wont get into all that now...

I will have to write myself a note for 30 and give myself 5 years to accomplish whatever it is I need to accomplish by 30.

On the upswing of my acknowledgement that I soon will be in my mid-twenties (because 24 is not mid-twenties!) I still get carded for buying lottery and I'm usually a significant amount of years older than the person asking for my id. Also, people think that I am younger than my brother who is 6 years younger than me! And I also got carded for a rated R movie a few months ago (we haven't been to the movies since then, but not because of my carding... just because we weren't interested in any movies that have come out since then).

Wow, life went by too quickly. I need to be healthier in mind and body so I will look upon 25 as the ribbon cutter into the new and better me! I hope I'll forgive myself when I gorge myself a few days after my actual birthday at a buffet. hehe.

I keep feeling as if some curtain will lift any minute now and I wont be in this state of unknowingness. As if I will be told what to do and I'll do it and it will solve everything, easily.

Hmm, time to take out my tarots and see what this new year has in store for me.

Have a good weekend all!

Me.

Nitpicky

When I was in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades I had a best friend named Janet. She and I were inseparable, or as inseparable a girl who wasn't allowed out of the house by herself, could be.

The summer right before I was about to attend fourth grade I had spent two weeks in the Philippines (this happens to be the last time I was there). While there I was always told not to stand too near to people, not to share hair brushes or let people touch my hair, because of head lice. This happens to be a common phenomenon there and my parents were afraid that we might not be allowed back into the US carrying such vermin.

Of course we were checked out at the immigrations building and having been found clean let back into the country. Now I had seen evidence of these head lice from family members and know exactly what to look for. And so our quick story begins...

We were a few weeks into fourth grade and of course Janet and I were sitting beside one another. One late September afternoon I happened to glance over at her smoothly combed back hair and saw a tiny, hairy, little creature weaving through her strands of hair and I leaned in closer, fascinated that I had found something, and saw that close to her roots were some white specks that I knew to be nits, or baby egg sacs that the lice deposit. I was an explorer and I had struck the mother lode. The only dilemma was that she was my best friend and I did not want to be a tattle tale.

It went back in forth in my head for the next fifteen minutes, tell or not to tell. Then the final bell of the day rang and I made up my mind. Once everyone traipsed out of class I stayed behind and told the teacher that I had seen a tiny bug crawling in Janet's hair. She thanked me and I headed home. The next day the teacher called Janet outside and spoke to her in undertones. When Janet came back to her desk her looked ruffled and she looked upset. I asked her what had happened and she said that the teacher checked her head for lice.

I don't know if she was ever found to have lice but I know that the nurse came in to talk about it and then we were searched. She never found out I was the one who told.

Me.

General Malaise and Other Symptoms

I find that I tend to be a hypochondriac. Nothing too serious, (although I've successfully convinced myself that I am living with some form of cancer and a brain tumor that causes me to inexplicably smell the scent of oranges). I love to self-diagnose and it never helped that I had parents who were nurses and had an array of books lying around for me to peruse. Now it's even easier with the internet. All one has to do is to google search "sore throat", "achiness" and "runny nose" and I have either a cold or some form of an STD. You never know in this day and age...

Well I gotta run... I think this stomach cramp must be a form of some kind of ulcer...

Me.

Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.

I've found out how Florida charms people into coming here. I always thought that it was because of the heat, the sunny days, the feeling that one is younger here in this eternal summer sunshine, stuck in a time warp where nothing changes. But really it's not that at all. The magic is not of the halting of time but rather the reliving of the best days of your lives: summer nights of youth. It's the twilight and the night that comes creeping in, cool and drowsy after a long hot day. It has the essence of all those magical childhood summers. Quiet, soft, lulling and alluring. Those summers where you were on vacation, at camp perhaps, some place new, inviting, different, where you've met new friends and everything was right in the world. It reminds me of the few summers when you've just touched that breach between childhood and adulthood when everything was enchanting because you've found someone and summer nights seem to be your very own, lending a feel of the surreal, where you feel as if the whole world was yours and you could do anything you wanted.


One month before I turn 25. God, am I that old?

Okee, gotta run.

Me

Comments Spam?

I didn't read the comment left by the second person in my last blog so I'm not sure if it was spam or just a joke...

Today, Monday by the looks of it, is going to be a busy-bee day for me. I've got laundry to catch up on, cleaning room, changing litter, vacuuming, calling of family members, getting caught up on shows, getting lists down for guests, looking up officiants, buying cat food and other grocery items, finish my current book, reading of H.P. for Soo, tidying up of car, practicing my vocal chords, cooking the various meals of the day, and of course the writing of a blog about the list of things I had to do. That is one down, only a hundred more things to do.

Ciao.
Me

P.S. Final thing to add: must write long emails to Aunt and cousin.

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
~ George Burns

And a few wedding details.

So today my family departs from Florida, to return to New York. I've come to realize that I can only take them in dribs and drabs. It's strange how seperately they're good and amusing but put them all together and it takes effort for me to continually stop myself from rolling my eyes or blushing with embarrassment. Now, this is not to say that I am embarrassed of them, it's just that often I find myself in queer and comedic situations when I am with them.

We took tours of the theme parks of Disney and on Wednesday we had lunch with the mothers (Rich, his mom and my mom and I, at the Magic Kingdom), after we viewed the "wedding locations". We are planning on having the wedding in the wedding pavilion, which we saw in rl and I was amazed at how big it was. I've seen pictures, of course, but this was breathtaking and beautiful. Then we went on a little series of trips to look at where we want the wedding held.

More on that at another time. Don't worry, we chose a place to hold it.

Now it is up to you, dear readers, to go out and tell your families of the plans. Rich and I have to choose an officiant, get our clothing and things organized, go to food tastings and cake pickings, settle the guest list, pick out invitations, decide a few things, such as charter buses, and overall get cracking.

The date? June 28, 2006. Please write this down! And if you are coming please choose one of the three Disney hotels that we will have listed on the "please remember the date" papers they will be sending you! It makes it tons easier that way. I am excited and scared, achey and exhausted. The four days that I had off were spent with family, lines and walking, walking and walking, spending a large amount of money on water because I was getting dehydrated after only an hour of walking beneath Florida's intensely vicious sun.

Alrighty, gotta get going. See y'all soon.

Me.

Halleluiah

So I found out today that I made it into the Christmas Chorus at work. I'm surprisingly enthusiastic. Yes, I know, that should be the norm reaction but then I was having doubts about it because that would mean that I would be spending more time in my working environment than one should sanely have. But then I think of work as school and things done within it's confines but really are outside of the definition of "work" labeled as extra curriculum, such as twirling and glee club. And yet it's hard to shed the idea that it is wrong, that is, the idea of enjoying myself at "work". I'm afraid that I do, however. I've felt part of a little family with squabbles and secrets and behind the back malevolence, but it's also filled with out right jolliness. Everyone likes me (except for two co-s) and I like them back (except for two co's).

Shh, we wont discuss the whos and whats here.

I'm tired. I can't wait for summer to be over. I dislike summer. I wont even give it capitalization in spite. It's drowsy and lumbering and hot and is taking it's lovely time to step out the door and bring some of the coolness and loveliness of Fall. I shouldn't hate summer though, since technically my b-day lands in the summer span but I claim it in the name of Autumn!

Just a month and 9 days until my birthday. And just a month and 15 days until Fall. Halleluiah!

Keep cool.
Me.

P.S. I'm awfully excited to have my family fly down tomorrow. We shall have ourselves a visit. Whoop-de-doo.

The Whole World Is Conspiring...

To shower me with good thoughts and warm wishes. Thursday's, I always feel, are my lucky days. Not only do I get paid on Thursdays but the realization always hits me that it is a good day because I never work on Thursdays. I get paid and I am not working. It's a great combination.

Two examples of lucky Thursdays:

Today as I was paying for my groceries at the supermarket I swiped my debit card and before I grabbed my receipt the cashier said in awe "wow! you're the first one that that's work on today! My last 6 costumers who've used that machine had to pay over there but it worked for you." I just smiled and said "neat" and went on my way. Then I had a second thought... why not purchase a scratch ticket, just to test this lucky Thursday theory. Well up I went, took the ticket, scratched it and found I won $25, from a two dollar ticket. Sweet. We will be treating ourselves to take out tonight.

Two Thursdays ago I said, "what the hey let's buy a scratch ticket" and did so only to find that I had won $25. Sweet.

And that concludes my essay on why Thursdays are my lucky day. Last Thursday I did nothing special.

Thank you.

Me.

Yeah I know I need to fix my side title bar so that it fits everything.
So what's new with you?

I have signed up for the company's annual Christmas Choir. They made it simple and easy, the first 300 people to sign up are in, so hopefully I was one of the first. I'll have to check again on Monday to see if I made it. Now everyone's scarying me, telling me that I have to audition singularly to see if I can get in. Wha? They didn't mention anything about auditions. crap. Well I was on the glee club and college choir so I guess I'm not too terrible. Just don't like the idea of singing in front of a bunch of people all by myself. That's why I joined up for a "chorus" and not a "soloist". Besides, they'll employ the help of the professional singers anyway. We're just backup. I have to memorize 16 songs for the performance and there's something like 50 hours of rehearsals from now til the end of November. Not too bad.

Also, I'm getting along with my wedding plans. We're going with the moms next wednesday to look into a few things and then hopefully we can finalize a few things. yay!! Will write more in a little while.

Me.

Happy 3rd Blogiversary Day!!!


So, try not to laugh at the Finding Nemo layout... I find it terribly cute although it wasn't my favorite movie. It'll only be up for a few days until I put up my "Fruit of Summer" layout. On this day 3 years ago I began my blogspot blog. I had a xanga, two actually (of a similar name), but moved over here. Lots have come and gone and come again in the past three years and hopefully I'll continue this for 3x3 years. (That's meant metaphorically, like Jesus' 7x7). okay, gotta run now. See y'all soon.

Me.

Just A Plane Ride Away

So I found out yesterday that my parents and brother are coming down to see me in two weeks. I am absolutely excited. I love seeing them and having them around to hang out (for a few days). Mike just called me and we came up with a very rough itinerary of things to do whilst here in Orlando. We're definitely going to Disney and they're actually going to stay at a Disney Resort. I wont write which resort right now but after their trip I will try to post up pictures and tell you all about it.

Hopefully I can also finally settle my wedding plans once my mom comes around! Yay. And I hope my hubby, who managed to have a little minor amnesia about those "plans", will remember himself and his promises!! Ahem!!!

Okee, I gotta run!

Me.

Runaway

When I was in fifth grade I had a best friend named Rachel. She was one of those spunky, tomboys who made up for being scrawny by being a tough cookie. In many ways I tried to emulate her and tried my best to imitate the way she spoke, the way she wore her hair, the way she acted. Needless to say I got in a few scrapes in that school year because of her. She was a new kid and the way she carried herself made everyone wary of her. She also had the help of her two stepbrothers; Josh, who was a grade older and way taller than all of us and Carl, who was in our grade and who was blond and blue-eyed with a daredevil attitude to everything.

I only knew them through school and had nothing to do with their outside lives but oh how I wished I could live with them. They always shared their adventures to me and it seemed as if they were orphans and in my imagination I saw them running the concrete jungle in packs like street rats. And in my romaticized view of it I saw them pilfering their food from unknowing vendors and robbing unsuspecting walkers in a crowded street. I wanted to know what that adreneline was like and I wanted to prove that I could do it too. I was in awe and a little afraid of their unscrupulous ways. It seemed so full of danger and for a 10 year old who lived a lot of her life in books, cooped up in her room this was the real thing and it made me yearn for it.

Then came my chance to be part of their little family. One day we were outside in the parking lot of the school, which also was our play area and Rachel and Carl pulled me aside and we walked the perimeter of the yard talking in whispers. They were planning to run away from their home for a few weeks and wondered if I was interested in joining them. They had found that in the park below us there grew these trees/bushes that covered everything beneath them. They were the perfect "homes" because the underside was bare and protected anyone from rain and from people who would be looking for them. They had already tried one out and had found one that was hard to get to but was big enough to fit all of us. My heart and mind raced. They planned to go through with it in a few days, their mom would be going out one afternoon and that was when they would leave. We decided that I would come later that evening when my parents were asleep.

The night came when I was to do the deed and I waited for my parents to finally shut off all the lights and close their door. While I waited I imagined the route that I would be taking. First I would be going out the fire escape, and walk down the hill, then take a left onto Carpenter road and walk past our school one block and go down to the park and find the tree where they would be waiting for me. I was both nervous and exhilirated. I didn't plan on bringing anything extra but my jacket and money.

Ten o'clock rolled around and it had been half an hour since my parents had shut the lights and closed their door. I had to be sure they were really in bed and asleep before attempting anything. I walked to the living room, carrying my sneakers in hand because I figured my padded socks would make less noise than sneakers. I climbed onto the sofa to get to the fire escape and unlatched the lock to the accordian gate we kept over it. I then slid the window open, afraid that my parents would hear that squeal of protest that the never opened window gave. I froze waiting for to hear their door open but it didn't.

From the window a cold night breeze blew and I stepped my socked foot onto the grates of the fire escape and eased the rest of me onto the landing. I stood there feeling the chill of the vertical metal edge pressing against my foot. From the fourth story of my building the street below looked terrifyingly far, the wind also blew my hair around, whipping against my face and I stood there watching as the cars zoomed up the hill. I gazed down toward the bottom of the hill and the streetlamp was bathing the concrete in an eerie yellow light and it looked too far away and strangely empty. My hand was clutching the railing and I realized that it was very cold. I let go of the railing, placed my sneakers onto the ledge of the window and ducked back into the warmth of the house. Closing the window and relatching the gate, I walked back to my room, throwing my sneakers on the floor and crawled into my warm bed and pulled close the book that I was reading.

Me.

I love Chav

New "word" of the day, from Chav... hueva. Get it? "Who ever"!! hahaha. Love it. Thanks to me m8, hus always wiv me, for the site.

Me.

Only Time

I know I said I was going to put up a new layout and update everything but of course I've just been busy doing nothing including not working on my blog. But listen to this... in a week's time, my blog will be turning a whopping 3 years old! Actually my first ever post was written on July 30th so maybe I'll celebrate it's official anniversary on that date. So then I will put up new things and pictures! Don't be too surprised that it shows up in dribs and drabs because I will be doing it in intervals.

So you have plans for the weekend? I don't. do do do do.

One little complaint is that I have to work tonight (and Saturday) til freakin' 1 in the morning. Huh? I asked about that and they informed me that because I was lowest man on the totem poll that I would have to basically just "deal with it". Lovely.

So that's how it's been. But in total not a terrible week. We finally have Florida plates! or plate, I should say. No more hate from Floridians because of our Mass plates, (they hate tourists) but tell no one...I dislike them. Rude and mean and terrible drivers. They're all on their cellies, weaving traffic, and disregarding everyone around them. If driving your car isn't close to the top of my list of self-centeredness. Well, I guess it is personal space. Backoff!!

Me.

Wedding and a Funeral (*Contains a slight spoiler alert to the Potter book 6*)

..."The stars are not wanted now, put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good."

That's a little bit of W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues" which, if you've ever seen the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral", is recited by a character.

So I've just finished the book, which would have been devoured yesterday had I not work to attend to. I've been searching forums to how others have felt about the news but no one seems to have finished the book or are too shocked at what has occurred. I'm sickened and for some reason it makes me crave a nicely grilled hot dog. I wont go on anymore until the significant other has read it as well. I will just state plainly that I am devastated.

Me.

Update and Outdated

Hey y'all, I guess I need to update my blog, not the writing but the sides. Too bad I'm working this weekend, starting tomorrow, so it will not be likely changed until Monday. Yeah, I know, why bother writing about it if I'm not going to do anything about it, but that's just me. lalala.

By the way, I have damned Kelly fuggin' Monico and her General Hospital fan base!

Also, Florida is the lightning capital of the U.S. The lightning capital of the world is Rwanda.

Will try to post pics and maybe change my layout when I can. So expect a new look in the next year.

Tomorrow is Friday and thank God for it. Have a good weekend y'all.

Me.

Guilt and a Close Call

I know we all feel guilty once in a while for what we have done or failed to do (why does that sound like a prayer?*) and I really believe in karma, especially since my mom brought us up with a similar concept that she called "gaba" (Visayan).

Something happened two nights ago to my brother. He was in a car accident and luckily he left the vehicle without a scratch (as opposed to the car which is "wrecked"). Now I feel a lot of guilt for it and I think it's a sign of karma/gaba.

Why should I feel guilty about it? Several reasons:
First off, I woke up that morning and decided that I would bug him for the $100 that he owed me for taking his exam for him while he was in the Philippines even though in the back of my mind I thought, "stop these thoughts right now! You don't need the money and why would money ever be an issue between you and family!" and so because of that I didn't bug him but the thought would reoccur throughout the day.
Second, he had called me sometime later that day (leaving a message) to tell me that if he won the lottery he would call mom first and I would be called third. He couldn't even name a second person and so he changed his mind and put me in second but by then I was offended that I was placed in third and when he said "call me back" at the end of the message I had already decided that I would call him "third" that night... meaning I wasn't going to get back to him. And in full retaliation I turned off my phone and when I got home I took a nap.

Just a side note, I took a nap around 4:30 and my naps usually last for two hours if not more and it's a rare day that I take one lasting shorter than that. My inner clock is pretty good at waking me up at exactly two hours, but that day I woke up just a little before 6. I asked Rich what time it was (being blind by lack of glasses) and was surprised to know that it wasn't even 6 yet. I thought it was strange that I had woken that soon and decided that my body wasn't that tired, so I lay in bed wondering what in the world was wrong with me that I would wake up that early but put it out of my head and got up to make dinner.

Now when I found out that my mother and my brother had tried to call me but I had turned off my cellphone I was immediately full of guilt because I did not find out that my brother was in an accident until the next morning. I knew it was karma or God telling me that being a petty, selfish person almost lost me my only sibling and if anything worse had happened I would have known then because they both tried to call me around the time I had woken up that evening but my cellphone was off!! Now I feel terrible and the guilt hasn't worn off yet.

I have talked to all three of them since and 'though they all claim to be okay I'm still a little shaken by the idea of having lost my brother or even having him slightly harmed. I prayed a little prayer and talked it over with Rich and of course in time I'll just laugh over it but for now I have written this so that I know that it really was something serious.

Be safe out there.
Me.

*Der.. I haven't been to mass in a while and that is part of the Confiteor or the "I confess". What you say at the beginning of mass, a confession of sins, in preparation to mass. I'm sure all you Catholic school kids know this by heart:

I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

(line in italics were placed there by me and is not part of the prayer).

In The Aw-tum


It's too early in the morning but I'm up, getting ready to go to work. One problem with working these times is that I never get enough sleep, but the pro that makes it okay is that I get off early enough to go home for my regularly scheduled nap.

But that's not what I came around to blog about... the other day I called me mum to wish her a happy 4th of July and to ask when my Philippine goodies were coming. I always let her talk because I never call her enough and combining this with the fact that I'm never around, always leaves me feeling a little guilty and sad, and so I let her vent and gossip and we always have a good time on the phone (we always have a good time anywhere). But this time, though we left laughing I was struck by the fact that my mom's getting old and nearly reaching the autumn of her years. I hate thinking about it but she seems only too ready to get to that stage and live out the rest of her years.

I almost disliked her for it because I have abandonment issues.

She went on and on about how she can't wait to retire and how she's going to spend her time, out among her mango trees, or greeting guests and friends at her little Philippines resort and restaurant. heh. She wasn't sure whether she should call the latter "Michelle and Michael's".

I felt a little left out of it and guilty that I don't spend enough time with her and I know that when she goes I will regret not doing enough with her but what can I do? Call her everyday? She and I both know that that would annoy both of us, besides, what can we talk about everyday? I like our two weeks worth of phone calls crammed into two hours. It's just that I don't want her to become inactive and befriending the roofers* because she has nothing to keep her life fulfilled. I'm glad that she does have plans and interests after nursing but I also know that she loves her job and it's something she's done since she was in her early 20's and to stop after 40 years is intense and strange.

What it really comes down to is that I don't like to see her get old and to see one of my in-laws wandering around doing what is the equivalent to nothing, and seeing him deteriorate before our eyes is somewhat scary. He used to lead a busy, scheduled life and I know he enjoys the idea of retirement but to go from doing something 9-5 everday, to nothing, ( this may seem like paradise for some) I can tell you that I am witness to the devil in his idle hands.

I used to hate the idea of getting old and frail and somewhere in there I learned that I can't hate something that is just natural and continual. There is nothing I can do about it and nothing I want to do about it. I don't think I could or would search for or take an anti-aging/anti-death serum because eventually people just get on your nerves and you wish they would die anyway, so better that they do and have you keep happy memories than bitter angry real life interactions.

Where did this blog end up? I don't even know anymore and I'm getting late so I better run. Toodles.

Me.

*This refers to the in-law stated a few paragraphs up.

Blog Withdrawal

Hey there, I know you all are probably just getting through that evil withdrawal stage and might just be getting a few chills but just when you think you've finally overcome the hellegood blog here I am again. I am here to diminish your hunger pangs, headaches and muscle cramps. I'm going to give you a little shot and get you feeling better again. Sorry I've been busy and although a few things have occurred that I wanted to blog about, I have since forgotten the details.

A few notices:

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will be available, for those who care to know, on July 16th at 12:01 AM. If I had a bookstore less than 5 miles away I would be there at their midnight party...

Hurricane Dennis is on its way up and we may see it in two days. Of course it would land on a weekend, the only time I work. I find that joyous, and to think of all the people I will have to deal with that want their money back because of the hurricane. Oh man I love FL.

I spent the fourth of July alone in the house with Rich, celebrating quietly. I also used the pool for the first time and it was set at 85 degrees. It still felt chilly and I got some water in my ear, even with plugs, and for a bit I went deaf. Hope you all had a good time.

Tom Cruise only appears to be maniacal and off his rocker because of K. Holmes. He's c-struck. I'll let someone else explain that part.

Umm, that's it for now. I'll try to blog tomorrow.


Me.

Death By Electrocution

If you haven't seen it yet, you just hafta. Don't forget to turn up your volume. It's just too funny.
Me.

Pages


Just as I was about to do a post on two pages of "interest" Rich pointed out this neat-o page that is: http://earth.google.com where you can download this awesome "3-d interface to the planet" viewer. It's similar to google maps but a little bit cooler because you can view landscapes in 3-d.

Another semi-neat page tells you what kind of person you are from what year you were born, using the music that "rocked" your year. haha. Go here and click on the "What's your sign" link on the left hand side.

One last neat-o page is for Rich (because it's funny) and for those people who want to read the bible but really wish that it came with pictures and was a more summarized version of its former self. So just click this to start you off.

X-tians

Yesterday someone mentioned to us that it was exactly 6 months until Christmas and that brought on a few cheers and I thought to myself, "well merry X-mas to me". The next thought that came to my mind was "Merry X-mas you X-tian" and I was like, whoa, why didn't the hip people that came up with the snappy catch phrases like "generation next" come up with sayings like "hey i'm a generation x-tian" or something like that. So I was like I'm so cool coming up with that saying, so this morning I was on the pooper I pulled out my favorite brother's present to me one year, "The Pocket Encyclopedia of Aggravation" (because lord knows sometimes when you're on the pooper you're aggravated) and for some reason I found a page that I have never perused before. Yes I know, God works in mysterious ways... even on the bowl. And there, right before my eyes was an explanation of where the "X" from Merry X-mas came from. I'm sure many of you know that X was a Greek symbol for the word "chi" and Christ was known by the symbols for the words "chi" and "ro" (it looks like a "P" intercepting and "X") and in Greek Christ is known as "Xristos". So I'm late in my thinking that I am so cool with coming up with "Xtians" because in the 16th century throughout Europe the use of X to replace "Christ" spread. They even used it for words like christen =xren.

Thanks God for setting me right.
I guess I'll refer to Christopher as Xopher and Christina as Xina.
Jesus X.

Happy day! Day off tomorrow. Staying in bed all day!!!

Have a great rest of the week.
Me.

Written On My Forehead:
Deserves a good ass kicking

I am going through training right now for the new position and it is kicking my butt baaadd. It's not terribly bad but it's 9 hours straight, sitting in a frigid room, learning things in a DOS prompt system that involves "tab" "end" and memorizing lots of the function keys. uggh. It's from 8 til 5 and it takes me 45 minutes to drive over and I get up to iron my clothes, make breakfast, feed the cat, get ready for work, get everything together and then drive over (meaning I'm up at 5:30). I also don't get home til 6 or sometime around there because of the rush hour traffic and it seems like I've been working the past year for 365 days straight (when in reality it's been 5 days and first day on Sunday, so only 6 days altogether.) But I've met a few decent people who make me laugh, but I realize that to work for where I work now, you have to be really crazy. I mean you have a mental problem... what does that say about me? It fits, I think.

Yeah, sorry for not having any semi-deep blogs but I'll get there sometime, maybe Tuesday or Monday. We'll see you there and "welcome home".
It's beddy-bye time and my eyes are drooping.

Me.

Lending Library

Now that we live in a new place we decided that we should familiarize ourselves with our local library, so after cruising the dozen or so libraries, via the internet, we picked two that interested us. Then we drove over to the one downtown and I signed up for a library card. But this, my friends, is no ordinary library card. I couldn't even receive it that day. Nope, I watched as he watched me sign the card and then I watched him as he slipped it into an envelope and had me write out my address on the front, give him a secret password that they would ask me when I called in my card to activate it!! It's like a freakin' credit card.

Then I recently received it in the mail and I have yet to call it up, give my "secret password" and identify myself. That evening I watched Penn and Teller's show "Bullshit" which only confirmed what Rich had told me earlier that day, which was that he refused to sign up for a card because they (the feds) can look up what anyone has signed out at the library, under the Patriot Act. This is a quote from some person online "The theory is that people who are checking out what may be considered subversive materials are suspicious and need to be watched." If you'd like more info look up the Patriot Act section 2.15

I hope cookbooks aren't on the list of suspicious/subversive materials

"This Is Nucking Futs!!"


I am an old hispanic man's w. dream. Two cases and a half:

Every time I go through security at my place of employment (I can't mention where I work because they check up on you and by putting "their" name I'll be that more google-able... ) (and they probably don't want their employees mentioning things like this) the guard says to me, "good morning sweetie" and gives me a wink, but he happens to have an accent and it comes out more like "good morning sweaty" and I wonder if he really means the former or since in this blistering heat a walk to the building from the car makes anyone perspire Niagara, he really is more correct with the latter. I also know for a fact that he saves this phrase only for me because he never says it to the old women who walk before me.

Then the other day as I was walking to my locker an older man ahead of me stops to stare and stare at me and so I finally smiled and said "good morning!" and he asks "latina?" and I smiled again and said coyly "Filipina" (those old men like when you flirt around with them, better than being mean and cold, men are more likely to strike back harshly if you put them down) and he said, "you are beautiful" and I looked to the floor "blushingly" and said daintily "thank you" and he says "berry berry beautiful," and then I said laughingly "oh you, just tell that to my husband" (you gotta let em down easy) and he says "you're husband is a berry lucky man, not everyone gets a berry beautiful wife." Then I started laughing and went back to putting things away in my locker.

And I always get the longer than necessary looks and good mornings from the crew that work here.

I swear that in the Aztec, Incan or Mayan jungles, one day when I am on trip to look at them (their structures), I will stumble upon a statue that looks exactly like me. There is a Mayan/Aztec/Incan goddess that bears a striking resemblance to me. Beautiful, brown, big-cheeked and shiny from the dew... or sweat.

Have a berry nice rest of the week.
Me.

P.S. My big cheeks work on small children as well. Strange kids will flock to me just to say hello and stare at my big-cheeked brilliance. Ah-me that's the life of a celebrity. hehe.