Shopping at the mall the day after Christmas is like rummaging through ruins after an earthquake. RobinsonsMay was in shambles!!.... well maybe it was just the West Covina one... but clothes were strewn all over the place, there were lines around every corner, and chances of you finding what you want were very slim. Our inital goal was to order new matresses for the new house. Oh my gosh!! Matress shopping was so much fun! :) Its like the commericals where you see people just lying on the display beds at the matress store... I was going from on bed to another.. to another... and to another..lying down... changing positions, and just getting the feel for it. I felt like Goldilocks.. some were too hard.. some were too soft... and then I found one that was just right... not to mention had a damn good price too.

So once we had that all down, we decided to take advantage of that CRAZY sale and buy some new bedding... and 2 hours later we hauled our new found treasurers to the car. It was really hard cause 1) new house... i have my own room and I want to paint it... soooo.. what kind of sheets should I get to coordinate with the room I haven't moved into yet? 2) YAY!!! found a good patern, nice colors, matching pillows, 250 thread count, extra deep fitted sheet... but not in FULL!!! Curses all too hell... must find new set. Well eventually, we went home happy... I think. :)

Well, afterwards, went to buy new bras... YAY!! I was telling Joe and Luc on Sunday that new underwear, especiallyof they are sexy and cute, will totally boost a girl's spirit. Like I can wear sweats and something oh so crappy... but just as long as I have something cute underneath... its all good. :) (Where did we come up with the topic of underwear?? OH wait.. i remember... Cause it was back on the topic of Christmas gifts and they said it was ok for a girl to give a guy like underwear without having it be like an "intimate" gift... hmmmm.. I didn't know that. ) Its like when you get a new good haircut... you just feel all pretty and pampered. Except I don't really think girls constantly check out and admire their boobs in every reflection... well if the bra is padded.. then yeah.. maybe.

Manny gave me great advice yesterday... Yeah.. i'm still confused as to the opposite sex and I probably always will... but Manny's advice was simple and just what I needed to hear. THANKS MANNY!! :) *nibble*

:0 We're all sick. Well not sick sick... just aching from Christmas Fondue experience. Like I said eariler... Carlene and I got mom this fondue set. :) OK, so if you don't know what fondue is... its when you all sit around a hot pot and you can dip your food. There are like several ways you can fondue... you can.. 1) dip bread into warm melted cheese. 2) you can use it as a dessert.... you know dip strawberries in warm melted chocolate or you can do what we attempted and that is 3) cook meat and veggies in hot oil or boiling broth. We did the boiling broth option.

So my mom prepared an array of raw meat and veggies so that we can dip it and cook it in the boiling broth. BUT... our first attempt seemed good... but I don't think it was entirely cooked. And then the broth just wasn't boiling, so we gave up and put everything in a giant pot. Finally the whole thing was working but the food was just too damn hot and all you can hear was "ahhh... ahhh.. HOTT!" while we were spitting out the food... and all laughing of the absurbity of the situation.

And now we're all slighty sick. I think it was the first round when the meat the LOOKED cook.

But ohhh the memories that we'll have.... :) Fondue Christmas 2001

:) Ah Christmas.... I didn't really ask for anything, but I feel as if I've recieved the whole world.

Everyone is sleeping right now... Carlene and I got home probably about an hour ago from Tito Nandings... Christmas was great! :) My Aunt and cousin came from the Philippines, Jr's cousins John and Gerry were down too, and the usual Concepcion clan was all together with the exception of my mom... who had to stay home cause she was on call and she wasn't feeling well. :( I guess thats the only thing that got to me today... we were all around the table saying grace, and Jr brought up that blood is thicker than water. (an analogy that was used when my mom left my dad so many years ago that always makes me cringe... i don't think they use it as a way to make me feel guilty about the situation anymore, but still...) And yes, I'm sure that my dad's side care for my mom still cause they gave Carlene and I her presents to pass on to her, but still, I sometimes wish things were the same as before... but then again... I probably wouldn't be as happy as I am today would I. Mom wouldn't be either. And dad wouldn't be the way he is now... I guess things can't be all too perfect.

Well at least Christmas day will be spent with my mom... *hopefully she won't be called in to work* We got her this really spiffy fondue set, so she's all ready to break it in for Christmas lunch. And then a movie... :)

Traditions change.

Midnight mass was hilarious though. All the cousins sat in the front pew while the adults sat behind us... and well... they slept during the mass. *tsk tsk* I think we were trying our hardest to stay awake for fear that the priest might come over and scold the whole family for falling alseep.

I really really love my family... :) My cousins and aunts and uncles are the greatest... and pure entertainment. Thank God for them... and that I only see them on occasion, because if I were to see them ALL the time... I'd definitely go batty.

You know what I love? I love it when you walk outside at night and its freezing cold.. but you can smell the wood burning in the fireplaces of your neighbors. It just screams winter!!

With all the last minute shopping and preparations... Christmas is finally here! Last Friday, Carlene and I went over to the Simbang Gabi mass over at St. Paul's. (Simbang Gabi in the Philippines is this traditional dawn Christmas Mass, but here its just a tagalog mass and gathering afterwards) It was really cute because they had some of the little girls in the congregation dress up as angels and they were sitting up at the alter and waving to their parents... :) Afterwards, we met up with some of Carlene's friends over in Pasadena for Cheesecake and shopping. :) OH the weirdest thing... On our way home, we stopped by the 24 hour Walmart to get some medicine (I'm feeling icky still) and it was around midnight... and the place was SOOOOOO crowded. It was like it was 12 in the afternoon there.. the lines were long... i guess last minute shopping huh. Insane...

Saturday was mom's Barkada christmas party... :) I have to admit, Carlene and I weren't too excited to go considering that for the last 5 years, it usually consist of us kids just sitting in the corner, bored out of our minds and trying to think of something fun or interesting to do. But I actually had a lot of fun... too bad we pretty much see each other once a year... or on occasion when Tito Jerry and Tita Thel wanna go camping and go invite the whole clan. So instead of having the adults just line us up and give us envelopes, we had Kris Kringles instead since we are all older. So I had Myles and Arron had me... (yay!! I got my books!! :)) It was hilarious because Adrian had Carlene, and he got her the Shrek DVD... so Carlene was opening it and there was a game piece on the wrapping. Anyhoo, on her game piece, it said "YOU WIN AN X BOX." Of course, Carlene doesn't know what it is and all the boys are screaming at her... :) SO now at least when the Christmas party is back at our house, we'll have something to do! But poor Joseph was so bitter and wanted to kick Carlene's ass afterwards though...

Heheheh.. speaking of Carlene, she's so cute. She just came in right now crying cause she finished reading "A Walk To Remember" by Nicholas Sparks just now with Michael over the phone... apparently he's crying too. :)

On Sunday, spent the day down in Pasadena with Joe, Luc, and Armando finishing up some GO WEST! stuff. :) EEK! I gotta think of clues for the scavenger hunt... *note to self... think of clues* I think this is the most times I have gotten lost in one day... damn those YAHOO directions. There was this old decrepid woman who gave us the evil eye because Joe accidently cut her off... I think she cursed him, his children, and his children''s children. The day was fun though... except when all the guys went into a round of singing OOMPA LOOMPA from Willy Wonka.. *ewwwwww.. its a creepy movie! * I think that maybe they dropped me off first so then they can all go to HOOTERS... ;p At least I got to go see big giant double decker Target!

Anyways, today is Christmas eve... and I'll be going over to my Uncle's for dinner an probably midnight mass. :) Sooooo... Maligayang Pasko!

:) for those who don't understand... Merry Christmas!!

Hope you get all that you asked Santa for...

With so many girlfriends having GUY PROBLEMS... It got me thinking...

I probably can be seen as an optimist... I'm always hoping that the best will happen. But when I realize that I do like someone, I get negative. Not negative like.. OH NO THE WORLD IS GONNA END... but more like.. "he doesn't know I'm alive and therefore nothing will happen with this lil crush of mine." sort of negativity. I'm thinking this is my way of pushing away any chance of a relationship for fear that I'll probably and most likely, will get hurt in the end. But say I DO wanna try something... what do I do? Just blurt out and say I LIKE YOU? That would seem too easy... way too easy and therefore he would end up replying "gee thats sweet and all, but I don't feel the same way." And THAT would be the hitch of this oh so easy approach. I guess I can throw signs of interests.... be all flirty and giggly... but 1) how do I know if he's reading the signs correctly and 2) my personality is pretty flirty and giggly (in a friendly manner) to begin with, so he'd be like..."Nicole is just being same silly Nicole as usual..." Then theres my favortie and most used option... I could wait... and wait.. and wait... and pray and hope that in my shy silence, he'll notice me and perhaps like me back. But usually, nothing happens cause he had no clue that I liked him in the first place.

Are guys just as confused about women just as we are about them?

I've said this before... I think that guys should have a scrolling marquee on their foreheads so that we know what they are thinking. "I'm hot... I'm cold... I like waffles... Nicole is cute and I would like to get to know her better... I want a corkboard for Christmas..." something like that so that life would be easier.

Carlene and I went out to lunch with dad on Monday... turns out he's trying his bestest to get us fixed up with his friend's sons. He's like scoping out his future son-in-laws. Scary... THANK GOD that arranged marriages aren't big anymore or else I'd be so screwed. But then again, life would be somewhat easier without the pressure of finding that certain someone to spend the rest of your life with. Hmmm... but still... I've seen what happened with arranged marriages in the JOY LUCK CLUB... scary.

I think I'm pretty terrified to bring someone into my family... my mom is pretty cool... but my dad... it would take a lot to win him over. And then there are my aunts and uncles... who are all really easygoing, but still... they are some interesting characters that new comers may not be used to.

My parents only knew each other for about 5 months or so and they got married. And look how things are... Something in me is scared that I could be one of them in the future. I'll marry someone who is wrong for me. Its a fear of making the wrong committment... but how will i know if that person is the right one and that I'm not making a mistake.

Notice how I'm freaking out over nothing. Probably when the time comes.. I'll know right? *crosses fingers*

i think im getting sick. :( my throat is all icky and it kinda hurts when i swallow... that cant be good huh. its been really really cold here... insanely cold... cold where i have 3 quilts on my bed and i'm still nippy. Brrrrrrr.

Anyhoo...the weekend was good. Friday, my mom woke me up so that I can run some errands... then while driving in the rain.. carlene calls and she needs me to pick her up cause shes got tire problems... then off to Target to finish some Christmas shopping... meet up with carlene in San Dimas.. get lunch... go shop again at Target... and then back home to get ready for the christmas party, finish baking another tray of baklava, and cook.

The christmas shindig was lots of fun.... pretty chill. :) Lots of eating... I think everyone kept on snacking up until 6am. We played that one Gift Exchange game... YAY HARRY POTTER PIGGY BANK! Cranium went pretty wild... I got to team up with Luc and Ryan Billings... Ryan was our actual SMART guy on the team, whereas Luc and myself... we were the creative forces. ;) Then it was Mafia.. where the bastards kept on killing me. A great big :P to Beth for doing that.

Saturday night was pretty eventful. Big night at D&B. Cept for the fact that I'm incredibly retarded and didn't have a valid CA ID. Luckily Manny and Mondo were still near the door so I wasn't abandoned. I beged with the bouncer... showed him my SS card... Red Cross Blood Doner Card... but nothing. :( So then Mondo drove Beth, Luc, and myself back to my apartment so that I can search for it while Ryan, Kenny, and Manny stayed and waited for the table. I was about to give up.. (and screaming at Luc and Mondo to get out of my room cause it's soooooo messy) when Beth looks inside my closet dresser and finds my new drivers license. YAY!!! =D And by the time we get there.. we have a table! Double YAY!! D&B was very cool.. kinda reminded me of Vegas without all of the ching-ing of the slot machines. Dinner was pretty good... even though the service was kinda eh. Crazy drunkard Beth had one Mudslide and then got incredibly tired and RED. ;) Afterwards, we all just played the games... got lots of tickets (thanks to Luc and Manny for jacking the huge pile of them on the ground) and rubber hammers for everyone! soooo great big THANKs to Beth for finding my ID... Mondo for driving and trying to talk to the manager... and everyone else for not KICKING MY ASS!

Afterwards we went back to Beth's place were we chatted about Christmas gifts for the opposite sex (really.. guys want corkboards, cotton teeshirts, and a pack of pens??) among other things. So yeah... even with all the dorky madness in the begining and i felt incredibly BAD for being such a moron.. I can look back and laugh... and cringe... but still laugh... and cringe.

Today was mainly my SUNDAY FAMILY DAY! (sorry mariss, keri, and tina... :( We'll meet up soon though! Pinky swear!) But before that, it was off to the gym.. and then Mass (where Carlene and I figured out that our highlight of going to chuch for the last 20 years was waiting to sing whatever the next hymn was... we got excited whenever the choir sang anything old from the Holy Name days... hehehe.. yeah... we're dorks.) and then it was off to dinner.. and then some shopping. When we got home, my mom was convinced that she's the next SHAKIRA and proceeded to dance for Carlene and me (and herself) infront of the mirror... Oooo. that was HILARIOUS.

I really don't know whats gonna happen for Christmas. This is what.. my 3rd christmas with the parents being apart and I still don't know how it will turn out. I'm thinking that she'll come with Carlene and myself to Dads on christmas eve (we usually celebrate christmas eve.. kinda like new years... we open gifts at midnight... on christmas day... its just chill basically.) and we'll have a big huge family gathering... At least I'm hoping that.

My mom has turned into the crazy christmas nazi.. and our home has become santa's lilttle sweatshop. RIght after my final this morning, I came home and followed Carlene to the BMW place so she can get her oil changed.. then it was off for an early lunch over at this wicked thai food place on Indian Hill... then back to go pick up her car. By the time we got home, I was soooo tired from my late study session the night before that I basically conked out. I woke up to my mom yelling at me to wrap gifts and to start packing. (*note... we are moving on the 15th of JANUARY... WHY!??! are we packing already? I dunno. ) I have giftwrapping papercuts as my battlewounds. If we had a tree, t would be so pretty with all the glittering gifts underneath.. but with all the moving hassle, we decided not to get one.. or put up mom's GREEN SPIRAL MODERN INTERPRETATION OF A TREE. :( Yeah.. in a way I kinda even miss that ugly monstrocity. NO tree... no christmas lights... just no time and no point cause of this move. Weirdness. Can't wait though to move.. who's wants to help!?! ;)

JR flaked on me again! =P You sooo aren't my favorite anymore.

CPP had their installation on Friday night over at El Toritos... that was fun despite not being able to be completely obnoxious and clap cause then we would have been too loud for the restaurant to handle. :P But had a grand old time trying to get Kenny to break his "clean" streak of not saying anything with a sexual connotation... (which he finally did on Saturday night... YAY! I get $10!) Got to see all them CPP people.. :) . Watched Joe and Luc wing the awards... crazy fools making animal noises in the parkng lot... Mondo got to break in his ID afterwards... too bad we didn't have a camera. Poor Beth was sick that night... Mikie came and stripped for everyone pleasure and showed off all 5 remixes of R Kelly's FEELIN ON YOUR BOOTY (which has to be the most UNROMANTIC song ever made!! Can you imagine if that was your first dance and considered your "song" and late at night when you are alone with out your special someone... you hear R Kelly croon *boooooo-ooooo-tay* and it brings tears to your eyes? EWWW!) :) It was great!

Saturday, went over to the COSCA christmas party. :) It was sooo awesome. They got all the kids to sing, dance, play an instrument... so there was a little program. :) In fact, they had the kids to played an instrument form a band and play JINGLE BELLS.. and it was beautiful, adorable, and horrible...all at the same time. This is where Carlene and I made plans to kick it with Jr... but nope.. he ditched us. :P

After some good shopping in Long Beach, we rushed over to Pasadena to meet up with everyone for the DCM. But since it was at this new pretty shopping complex,,, yeah... I didn't go. Instead Carlene, Beth, and I ran off to look at shoes and make up. *drool* And Ice Cream at Coldstones... *droool* and then off to watch Oceans 11 with Brad Pitt and George Clooney *droool*. I swear, that movie was such an eye candy movie... and oh so dreamy Brad Pitt always had attention directed at this mouth cause in every scene he was eating or talking or just looking SOO good. *drool* OHHH!!! OK.. so Carlene and I were in the car after the movie waiting to get out of the parking structure... and so we were jsut watching the people around us.. SO there was this group of drunken fools getting into their car when one of them starts dancing. At first he gets all freaky deaky with the girl.. and then hes rubbing his ass against the car window.. and then hes trying to get into the car but instead does famous doorway dance in front of it and this girl can't get into the car. (doorway dance Mel!! Bring back memories!?!?!) SO carlene and I are laughing soooo hard at this fool and wonder if thats what we look like when we're acting dorky in public. Probably huh. Anyhoo.. so finally we get up to the ticket window and the car next to us is the drunken fool! Hes hanging outside his sunroof and dancing.. and looks to us and licks his lips most obscenely. So we got freaked out and sped out of there.

Sunday, stayed in bed as long as I could.. and then rushed off to CSUF for some goooooood studying. MmmmMmmmm. Came home and watched Carlene get all googly with Michael on the phone.. and then it was off to Wal-Mart for some nailpolish remover and 1hr photo so that Carlene can look at her J-Lo pictures of her formal. But noo 1hr photo.. instead its overnight. EH. At least we got to see Richard.. HI RICHARD!! ;) Reduced fat oreos and milk for dessert... yum. Carlene plans to whip my ass tomorrow at the gym after my final. YAY?

Well instead of trying to plan a giant cousin bonding trip... we decided that it would be easier if maybe once or twice a month we go out to dinner. :) So last night it was our first night... So I met up with Jay over at Bombie and Michelles.. and we drove to the Loft where Carlene met up with us. Unfortunately, the girls didnt come.. :( but it was still fun. In typical Jr fashion, he was overly specific about his latest conquests with the opposite sex... ;) he's a pimp of all seasons. I swear... I love my family so much. :) Yeah, we all love to make fun of each other... especially Jay cause he's such a character... but we all love each other and always have great times. hehehhehehe... Speaking of... When we were younger... Jay had one of those evil looking tails.. you know.. a long piece of hair at the nape of his neck... and just to be mean... Carlene and I cut off a small piece of our hair and said.. "OOPS!! SORRY JAY!! WE CUT OFF YOUR TAIL"... oooooo.. the boy cried and cried until he realized we were joking. *sigh* :) There was also the time when Bombie pushed Carlene down the stairs.. and she was saved by Carl... heheheh... Or Bombie teaching me how to dance to THE JETS "CRUSH ON YOU"... hehehehe.. Ahhh.. memories...

its crunch time and im basically using my free time to do whatever i need to get done. finish my paper... work on study guide... christmas cards... and think of clever christmas gifts for those i love... :) But after next wednesday... well technically monday since my paper is DUE on wednesday... life will be hunky dory and christmas will be right around the corner.

My mom has been hilarious the past few days.. I guess its probably since I've been home a lot and not all FTC'd out... her and her friend Lori (the crazy one who came on the cruise to Mexico with us last year and who along with my mom got bumper stickers pasted on their boobs by the waitors at PAPAS Y BEERS) are planning this weekend get-a-way in March to Paris cause they found this insanely great deal to fly over there. In my mom's words... "I hope to go to Paris and find some... how do you say... wee wee?" Yeah.. shes a freak. :) I love her... she was telling me today how this 30 something youngin was picking up on her at the gym... hahahaha.. she's such a babe.

Joe came over earlier today and we went over to Target to get some Christmas cards.. (I probably bored him half to death on my quest for the PERFECT card cause you know... the Christmas card reveals so much about your personality...) and then it was back here where Joe took a nap but woke up in time to watch Britney lip-sync on the Billboard awards. I can't stand Shaggy. You know he really doesn't have an accent. He got an award and BOOM.. no accent. And his "It wasn't me" song,... it wasn't Shaggy that made it so popular.. is was his homie Rimrock or something like singing the chorus... Shaggy is barely in the song. Yeah.. Rimrock is Shaggy's meal-ticket. And really, who actually knows what Shaggy is "rapping" in the song. Yeah... he sucks. OH and how he says..."Closer than my peeps you are to me" in that Angel song frustrates me. "Peeps?" Gross.

The day after...

So how do I feel? I'm happy (incredibly), as Melissa says: giggly, relieved, and perhaps just as perplexed as before. The date auction was a complete success and we were able to raise $700 plus for Pediatric Trauma (whooo hooo Mikes whopping $200 bid was a BIG factor) and I'm very happy to say that Alex bought me. :)

The "date" afterwards was dinner over in boonie land at the Macaroni Grill. Although I'm grateful that It was a group date and I was surrounded by friends, I probably wasn't the greatest date since I was surrounded by friends. I swear, I'm like this pathetic kid who gets distracted with shiny and moving objects. :( But it was nice to have his company and hopefully he'll call so then I talk and not be to distracted. *cross fingers* He's a total sweetie.

The whole date auction experience on the other hand was pretty terrifying. I dunno... I tried running away several times.. even thought about jumping off the balcony. I guess it was the anxiety of standing up there with people eyeing you and then BIDDING on you... *shudder* yeah.. I felt like a whore. Thankfully Ryan kept the bidding fast and it was over with... :)

The night before the whole shindig... I was pretty freaked. I guess it was the date auction anxiety and this damn top 10 list thingie. I think what was going on in my mind was that I was having pangs of self doubt that were effecting my way of thinking. Like this list... like I said earlier, I'm flattered... but WHY!?! I have NEVER ever considered myself as hot... lukewarm cute? yeah.. hot? noooooooo. And this is where my self doublts and the female psyche comes in cause then I was wondering WHY... and thinking that others who see it will go.. HEY! I'M WAY HOTTER THAN THAT CHICK! WHY THE HELL IS SHE ON IT!" Perhaps not... maybe though.. or I think of other girls who are way more worthy of it and it affects me. So rather that boasting my self esteem, it was making me incredibly self conscious. But I'm ok with it now. Mom said that I'm a fool and that I should be happy... She's so wise... and silly. She woke me up this morning demmanding "girl talk."

I was supposed to go with Beth to her convention meeting over at Dominguez Hills, but my mom had a long and busy weekend taking care of her friend who was sick... so I didn't have the heart to tell her I couldn't go out due to another CKI event. (If I did, then I know she would say.. FTC IS OVER! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE!) So we went over to Elsinore to get some good christmas shoppipng done over at the outlets down there. :) YAY outlet shopping! Sure I'm still completely cluess about what I'm going to get people because althought there were some REALLY good buys, I had NO idea. :) Oh well.. hopefully somehthing will come to me in my sleep.

Well, FTC offically came to a close for me today... and I think it was the BEST part of my whole FTC experience. Today, we (Beth, Ryan, Petey, Stephanie, Judy, and myself) went over to Longfellow Elementary and delivered the school kits to the kids there. :) It was soooooooo awesome. :) It made up my mind today about becoming a teacher. The kids were so adorable and sweet and it was great being able to talk to him and perhaps touch their lives in some sort of way. I know that they have to mine. So before we passed them out, the school gathered the kids in the library and we (well Pete mainly) talked about CKI and how we werent a convient store (ha.) And then the kids RACED up and formed a line to get their kits. Afterwards, Ryan talked a bit about the service initative, but I don't think the kids understood.. oh well. And then we got asked questions by the kids, such as "what do we do?" and "what do we wanna be when we grow up"... and then they responded with what they wanted to be. Yeah... it was a definite GOOD TIME. :)

HAHAAHHAAHAHAH..Armando has made my day! :)

I'm pathetic... so I cut and pasted it.

Crazymondo's SubProfile
This profile has been viewed 128 times.

Week one poll (10 hottest girls in CKI):

The following is week one rankings based on the the votes of over 10 people (Names to remain confidential). Each week the number of voters will rise and slots will be changing each week. If you see your name on the list and wish not to be on it just tell me and I will remove you. Without furthur delay here is the list:

10) Nicole Conception (Mt. Sac)
9) Stephanie Halgren (USC)
8) Beth Fujiura (CPP)
7) Tracy Ou (UCB)
6) Jo Anne Desengaro (CPP)
5) Christine Lai (OCC)
4) Stephanie Hsu (CSUF)
3) Helen Huynh (Claremont)
2) Julie Tanoue (UCLA)
1) Ellie Kung (UCB)

Others in consideration: Megan Burnham, Jenny Jones, Reina Ligeralde, Laura Appledorn, Kathy Kemp, Carrie Chen, and Jayme Sloan

Note: This is just week one. All people are very close for now. I am 100% they will change as each week passes.

Isnt that HILARIOUS!?!?! I HAVE NOOOO idea how the hell my name got on there. NOOOO idea... I'm HOT?? OH PLEASE!! hhahahah..pshaw.. I know everyone else is laughing along with me. Yeah.. so I guess I'm like hella flattered by this Beth and I were just chillin here watching JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS and then Joe calls. He asks... "Have you seen Amando's profile?" where I repsonded "Nope". And then he proceeded to tell me about this "list".

ARMANDO LOVES ME!! You don't have to hide your secret crush...I think you'e pretty cute too! *wink wink*

hahaha. just kidding..

I think its kinda creepy how there's actually a POLL out there? Is this scienific? And it will change? So now I'm sorta sad cause being number 10, that means that I have more of a chance to get bumped off. HAHAA.. Its ok.. I'm flattered to be on it in the first place. Yeah.. but Beth and I were all giggly and happy when we found out.. and then we were puzzled. Whatever I guess... :) Its all good. Probably gonna get kicked off anyways..

Oh well. at the moment. I'm a happy camper. Weird...

Things are "weird". Good weird though.. so dont you fret your pretty little mind. I think this is where I'll regress back to my high school days and blame the lack of the opposite sex in those crucial years as the cause of my "weirdness" at the moment. So.. yeah. I think I'm in "like." And I'm hoping that he is too... but I dont know... or maybe I do know but I'm trying not to get my hopes up just in case I'm wrong and I'll get extremely hurt. BLEH.. yeah. so Nicole likes a boy... and thanks to Mike ;) , I was talking to him the other night. Its a step and I assume that if something is going to happen.. its going to take a hella bunch of babysteps... or one giant leap that may happen this saturday at this "auction". *ACCCK* Yeah.. so I'm really really nervous... REALLY. Nervous and excited.. but mostly nervous. If anyone out there has a book or has the answers...or who has connections to Miss Cleo.. let me know. :) thanks.

:) just a quickie.. my computer has reverted back to its retarded ways because someone cursed me. im not going to mention any names but it sounds like Armando. :P evil evil...

anyhoo.. so i was talking with beth and she came up with a cute little story that corresponds with my oh so dorky pictures on the side here... :) so enjoy.

1. once upon a time there was a little girl. and she was very happy.
2. because she had a little pet horse named bob.
3. she and bob liked to hang out together, and get boba together, and stuff.
4. but one day, bob ran away, and she was very sad.
5. she looked everywhere for bob... under things and behind things...
6. and then she saw bob behind a tree. he was playing hide and go seek.... and she was like, dude, bob, you're a dumbass.
7. and she was like, ha ha, get it, dumbass, dumb ass?
8. and bob was like, eww, i'm leaving you, and she was like, i'm gonna get you! and she did. the end.

isnt Beth the cutest! :) yay!

I guess the summary of this weeknd is mostly SLEEP. I seem to be taking a lot of naps lately... I guess it's the food coma kicking in after every meal...

Last night was movie night! :) My sister and mom hadn't seen SHREK before, so we rented it... yeah... my mom loved it, as did my sister. But it was hilarious cause Carlene found the oddest things to laugh at... and she kept on laughing at it throughout the whole movie. Silly girl.

Anyhoo, so after another nap on Sunday, went over to Tina's to meet up with Keri and Marissa... kris kringle draw... and then off to BJ's for JP's birthday dinner. :) First of all.. HAPPY 21st JP! :) Yay... he was the baby... and now he's finally a legal drunkard WHOOO! :) Saw a lot of new faces and sadly some who I was hoping on seeing werent there. :( Still had a gosh darn good time... Joey was being obnoxious as ever (and SUPRISE! was wearing pants for once)... and JP had is usual belligerent glow. :)

Came home and went with Carlene to the gas station. :) she's very happy and has her own sort of glow, now that shes "with" michael. We had a good conversation on guys, and love, and I think she summarizes it best: "My ideal guy doesn't have to be utterly gorgeous, he just needs to be able to see me for who I am and say that I'm beautiful." *sigh* Now its all just a quest to find that person... or have that person find me.

:) i love it when it rains. Its oh so cold and you can just snuggle underneath 10 layers of blankets and pillows... sooo comfortable and you don't want anyone to interrupt you from your little bubble of warmth... its just wonderful. And then someone has to come in and ruin it... its usually a family member... perhaps a sister screaming out your name and pouncing on your back... and then calling her boyfriend over and then it turns into a massive dogpile to get you up. EVIL!! But up until then... those moments of warm and lazy slumber were perfect.

Written at 3:28am yesterday, but posterd at whatever time it says on the bottom....

Thanksgiving was good...your usual congregation of family for the sole purpose of absolute and accepted gluttony. :) Had lunch over here with Mom and Carlene.. and then more food over at dad’s and Tita Lagring’s. What madness! Then it was gather around the TV with the cousins for “Friends” with Brad Pitt! (So dreamy!) After “Will and Grace” and talk about possible spending Christmas in Vegas as a family, everyone pretty much took off. On the way home, Carlene persuaded myself, Melissa and Nick that rather than stay home and do nothing, we should work off our dinners… so it was off to the “Bizeee” for some good music and dancing… *thanks guys for ditching me with that one homie! :P*

Madness at the mall the next day because mom got called into work, so I had to drive to Brea to pick up Carlene. Then it was off to West Covina so that she could complete her ensemble. (Actually, the mall over there wasn’t too bad and at least we did get some good parking. ;)YAY!) Met up with Carlene’s friend, Michael and then it was off to Target for gifts and curling irons.

Dinner and then off to Tammy’s for dessert. ;) YAY! Happy Birthday Tam! Girls night IN with Tam, Lisa, Mel and myself… got to catch up with each others lives… the boys and the mini dramas…over cake and ice cream!
Tammy: Its “better than Sex” cake!
Lisa: Whats Sex cake?!??
I swear, everytime I hang out with them, I realize how much I miss them and how much I miss those good times. Its so hard to believe that we were 16 five years ago and dancing around like we were the Spice Girls... :)

Yesterday, I realized that this was going to be my first holiday not in San Dimas... I guess before we sold the house, it wasnt too bad because dd was still living there and there was still the opportunity to going back and celebrating over there. Thats how it was for the last 2 years... I dunno, so its a weird feeling. So as I drove Mel back home, I passed by the old house just to see it I guess. Very weird... different cars in the driveway, giant American flag hanging from the gate, and icicle lights hanging from the roof! The icicle lights pissd me off cause I knew all the neighbors used them from Christmases in the past and I was always proud that our lil house stoodout wth its single strand of old school white lights. SO now I guess all the houses on Maverick will have those damn icicle lights.. Something so menial and yet, it was a reality slap in the face that what was once my home... isnt anymore. So many memories.. good mostly... and still I'm a little sad by all of it. But like they say, home is where the heart is right?

SO in that case,
1) I'm grateful for my mom and dad... I mean even though I don't live with my dad, they are my home.
2) I'm grateful for wonderful and happy relationships... I think its ony like my SL friends and my family who can properly humiliate me and have these hardcore remarks that leave me speechless. :) *muah* guys!
3) I'm grateful that the people in my life are happy and healthy. :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! ;)


Ain't Stuffing grand!?!

Well, its thanksgiving and what are you thankful for?
I'm thankful for God, my family, friends, people who are in my life at the moment in time (even the sucky ones cause they add drama and excitment) good health for all that i know, shelter, the essentials that keep me alive, happy memories and craziness that the future holds for me, AIM, Brita Water fliters, the Downey Ball, DVD special features, fire, sponges with rough edges so that you can take the grime of dirty pots and pans, warm blankets and food on my table, having the chance to prove those wrong, being able to accomplish goals, the gift of common sense and wicked sarcasm, late night chats with my sister and friends, the ability to be able to talk to my mom about guys as if she were a "sista", a better relationship with my dad, being able to really get to know people, miss cleo, TLC channel, Michael Jackson (the early non-freaky years... perferebly his disco era), people who make me laugh, crayola markers, seatbelts, kazaa, refridgerators, mom's baklava recipie, sunshine, lollipops, really rough loofas that make the skin soft, hot water, books that change my way of thinking, blogger, 24 hour walmart, being able to dance and jam in the car with no inhibitations, my friendly mail man who's always super sweet, the ability to put air in my tires when they are flat, people who care and who are willing to make a difference, and then some. :) You know my mind is racing at the moment huh. :)

*muah* take cares and have a good holiday!!

as one would say... "stick a fork in me cause I'm finished!" :)

FTC was AWESOME. :)

Lets start from the very begining...
Thursday: Woke up after scary dream of bears attacking camp while UC Berkeleky were cheering *GO BEARS.* Drove to airport and circled it several times until I finally found Pic. Came back home and finished packing and last minute *mind* run throughs of the weekend. Went to Beth's to meet up with rest of the Board for a night of discussion, fun, planning, talking, and cheers. :)
Sleep time: Approx. 30 minutes.

Friday: Woke up and raced to the camp, only to discover that my 2 hour estimate to get up the mountain actually was only 45 minutes due to the fact that there was no traffic. Played in the parking lot with Pic, Carrie, and Pete Holiday for a good hour waiting for Bruce and Jane to arrive with the van. Board meeting. :) *i love them so much...* lunch, and ftc meeting. SHOWER, scout camp meeting rooms, rehearsal, dinner, rehearsal, OPENING SESSION!! :)
Thats basically when it all hit me. Seeing the members flood the room with their enthusiasm and excitment. the signs, the cheers, the screaming... IT WAS REAL! So then I cried. :) But it was happy crying. :) The Skit went off without a hitch.. :) YAY... the last minute practices really paid off. Ran around when I could and met a lot of new members. :)
Sleep time: Probably about 3 hours... this stuffy nose and uncomfortable bunk bed gave me a hard time.

Saturday: Rise and shine.. BREAKFAST! Workshops workshops workshops, lunch, project, workshop workshop. :) Sukhyung and I had a blast harassing Holiday in his workshop (DANCE!!) and got to help Kathy and Jean out with their Ice breaker one since poor kathy was feeling ill. Previewed the campfire skits with laura and pic, new member rehearsal, dinner (YUM) and then madness for the evening session since we decided that it was WAY too cold for the campfire, so had to adjust everything for the indoors. :) The session was great... even though Pic's, Laura's, and my own improv stand-up routine wasn't all THAT funny and we were sometimes shocked to hear the chirping of crickets in the backroun...but Laura saved the day because of a joke that went wrong and she couldn't contain her laughter... for like 5 MINUTES! :) The Dj got to the camp early, so hence the dance started an hour early!
*weirdness at the dance.. DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED!*
Afterwards, walked the camp while getting to watch the meteor shower... :) Sooooo pretty. Definitely something I will never forget.
Sleep time: 4 hours... thats was REALLY GOOD cause I pretty much conked out.

Sunday: Shit.. its 7:15am! Took fast shower and off to headquarters to finish workshop game and closing session stuff. :) No breakfast, but got to take some pictures with DBoard. Closing session: After humiliation of bad jokes for campfire skits, I like to think that Pic and I saved ourselves and perserved some "coolness" with Delicious Dish GO WEST promo that went well with the audience. YAY! Everyone loved Beth's Convention Promo commerical. YAY! Slide show and special thanks to KICK ASS commitee! Everyone goes off for PTP pieing where Carrie, Peter, Sukhyung, Joe, Scott, Pic, and Holiday get it HARD. :) Whipped cream never looked SOOOOO good.

So the the whole shebang is over and it loks like everyone had fun. :) BUT then.. as Nicole packs her car to leave.. she LOCKS HER KEYS IN HER TRUNK. I guess all the emotions of the weekend FLOOD and I'm crying over this senseless and stupid thing. But thanks to hugging friends and dancing sukhyung, I'm a happy camper once again. AAA guy comes within the hour and using his manual.. he opens my car! YAY!! Finish packing, finish cleaning, clear the camp... and we're off the mountain! :) Back to Beth's.. Over to Denny's... Take Pic to the Airport.. Back to Beth's... Home. :)
TOTAL SLEEP TIME OVER FTC WEEKEND: 7 hours and 30 minutes! WHOOOOOO!! Thats more than I expected!

*good times*
1) YYAAAYYYY!! it was a success! :) I'm grateful that I was able to do this and prove those who didn't think I could do it WRONG!! So here's a great big =P to you SATAN!
2) I'm grateful to have been blessed with such a kick ass committee. :) Stephanie, Rashmi, Ellie, Kat, Laura, Mike, Petey, Beth... you guys ROCK! :) You so get a cookie!
3) I love everyone right now.. I'm so on cloud nine! :) Thanks to everyone who came and made this weekend possible! :) *MUAH MUAH MUAH*

YAY! its fixed. Carlene fixed it and then there was something going on with the colors.. so I figured out how to change them! YAY! I'm somewhat computer savvy! =) I'm happy! Jean says its a sign that my day will be good... but we'll if that really happens. Right after she said that.. good faithful computer froze on me. SHE JINXED me. Evil evil Jean....=P OH well.. happy happy me... =)

:)

ok... im lying.. shes going to fix it later..but for a good 6 hours it was lookin pretty nifty. :)

yay!! lookie!! new look! =) Yup... my kick ass sister saved my blogger! =) So after the wedding yesterday, came back and played and chatted. cept for the gay ass picture of myself on the bottom... it all looks pretty nifty i think.

anyhoo.. 5 more days... =) I'm excited now.

On Friday night went over to USC's banquet over in Westwood, got some boba, and then off to afterparty at USC. =) I've said it once and i'll say it again. I know CKI is for service and for helping out the community, but I seriously love the organization for the people. =) Yeaahh... there are some members out there who are like... EHHHH... but then there are others out there who totally make my day. But we'll hold out on the LOVING CKI blog... most likely you'll read that on Nov. 19... if I survive.

Big wedding for Elaine yesterday. :) During the reception, I figured that the director of "THE DEBUT" should make a sequel called "THE WEDDING" because filipino weddings are pretty damn interesting and fun. Rowdy family in formal wear and barongs.... key to getting party started: play some latin music and all the aunties and uncles are out on the dancefloor showing off the newest line dance! Plus also, I found out that the money dance is a filipino thing? Is it really? I thought everyone did the money dance...

I think i overran my "frustrations" on thursday... *ouch*

ta da!
1) I love my sister!! I'm so lucky to have a great sister... =) She inspires me...
2) I'm grateful I don't have cankels... EWWWWWWWWW.. at least i dont think so... but have been told from my mom and sister that size of ankles are ok...just been paranoid about "cankles". Ewwwwwwwww...
3) I'm grateful for the family on my dad's side so still ask about my mom... about how she is and "tell her I say hi!! we miss her!"...

test test test... CARLENE RAWKS!

ok.. perhaps my last blog was slighty scary.. ok.. it was REALLY scary.. i read that and I get more freaked out and think... WHAT A PSYCHOPATH! CALM DOWN! sooo.. I'm calm. Went to class today. (YAY!) Watched Wedding Story (People in love and happy... YAY!) Sent out some emails... (YAY?) and now in the process of working on some FTC stuff in a calm, happy spirited manner. (YAAY!)

hmmm.. happy thoughts.. happy thoughts.. happy thoughs... I had this dream the other night where I had guts and very casually said to guy I think is cute a the moment.."hey.. wanna go kick it some time" to which he said "yes" and we went to go watch some crazy movie with patrick swayze and zena. yeah... woke up feeling very revitalized and happy... and then realized.. DAMMIT. It was only a dream. Oh curses. But we shall see... I'm a dumbass when it comes to the opposite sex... I can talk, flirt, and be a dork with my guy friends.. but someone cute comes and its BA BA BOO BOO HUH? Its a sad thing.

got to catch up with erin today... shes doing good and not working in old horrid home where children used to beat her and break her car windows. We remininced about the old "crew" and the table... and how we used work under evil president who made us do her evil bidding and how at first FTC in big bear, crazy shennigans that involved earmuffs and glow in the dark paint... *sigh* memories. I miss those days...

anyhoo... life is good.. really it is. just gotta count my blessings. :) have my friends and family.. yay. :) I have a home. yay! I have people who believe in me.. YAY! And isn't that all i can really wish for? I think so. :)

OH!! I love my sister!! she fixed my computer!! whoooo!! so my computer is not being as "difficult" as before. In fact.. I don't think I slapped it silly and scream... YOU FREAKING GAY COMPUTER!! WHY ARE YOU SO PISSING ME OFF SO MUCH" at all today. :) YAY!

.ok.. i feel like i'm going to puke. 11 more days.. 11 freaking more days! where did summer go? what happened? ack! 11 days... and then it will be 10 days... and then 9... and then 8.. and then all of a sudden.. BOOM! FTC is here and I have NO idea whats going to happen. I hear that I'll be on my toes... real busy... getting no sleep... ACK! ACK! double ACK! I should be ready... I have my lil bath and body works "stress relief" pulse points oil... and the support of my friends.. im sane and i have the ability to act calm in stressful situations so yeah. it should be ok. yeah.

im a dumbass. dumbass who is clutching my teddybear as i type. im a wimp. ack. im... FREAKING OUT.

breath.

halloween was good. :) worked at Pomona's Safe Passageways and went trick or treating for cans. :)

went to masquerade ball.. that was cool. was incredibly tired afterwards and pretty much passed out at denny.. Had dinner before hand with stephanie, beth, ryan, mike and some USC peeps.. that was fun. thought we saw ludicrist... but i dont think that was him.

had my last FTCmeeting today. ACK! ACK! ACK! it went really well.. just gotta tie up some last minute details.. now offically in "freaked" mode... i seriouslly feel like puking as i type this. ack ack ack ack ack.

hmmm.. what else is going on? been going to the gym... working out there with carlene... yay. got bridget jones on DVD... YAY deleted scenes (although none with colin firth but hugh grant in wet tshirt will suffice at the moment)...

ACK!

11 days.

oh fuck.

Here I go again.. another one of those “Nicole loves her family” blogs… but I really do. I just got a call from JR (the pimp one…) and he just wanted to say goodnight cause unlike the rest of my cousins and my sister, I have Sprint whereas they all have Cingular and they always text-message each other… but he actually called me! Awwwwwww… :) I love him so. I love my family… I guess I have a lot of love for everyone at the moment… It might be because of this addiction to watching TLC and all…

So today at dinner for Angel’s birthday, Bombie and Michelle brought my new baby niece Alicia and proceeded to tell Carlene and I that we need to procreate so that Alicia will have playmates in the family. ACK! But when you think about it.. when she grows to be my age… I’ll be 42 and *gasp* mom would be 72! So it makes me think that maybe I should have a baby soon (say within the next 5-10) years so then my parents can still be young enough to enjoy them and be wacky grandparents to them as they were wacky parents to Carlene and I. So here it goes again.. the endless Nicole ramble of how I first need to find that “person” who will end up being my husband (oh by the way, was told by my sister that I should hyphenate my last name since JR is the last one in our line and we need to keep the family name going.. so if my future husband is out there reading this… know that it will be hyphenated or if you want to take on the family name… go ahead.. be my guest. My dad and the family will love you for it.) But I don’t feel like rambling on and on about how I want to find and meet this person because then it will turn into mass confusion of feelings, wants and worries… and really.. do we want to read of this? I’m probably boring you at the moment… so lets move on.

Hmmm.. anything else interesting happen? Beth and Salamanca’s Halloween shindig on Friday night were I DO remember what happened.. (YAY…) Stephanie is my new drinking buddy… I hated Luc… Armando is the best damn singer on the board… a lot of fried food… Everyone reads everyone else’s bloggers… Truth or Dare Spoons… Beth cheated on her shots… um… yeah? Ok… so I don’t remember everything.. but I know that it was great and I had a good time and although Beth was fretting about it.. it was definitely KICK ASS. :)

Had Crazy Kompetition this morning/afternoon.. that was fun. :) Got a bit scared there cause all of a sudden there were folks running around with no clothes on… but we really wont get into that. (I have pictures though) Since I was teamless.. basically helped out somewhat and chilled with my camera. OH… Mike got his ASS whipped by Kenny… :) It was your pants Mike… gotta wear shorts next time.

*and I’ll serenade for you*
1) I’m grateful for a really good week and I pray that the next 3 weeks will be just as good.. though I definitely know it will be hectic.. :) But thanks to friends and family.. OH and God… they’ll help me make it through.
2) I’m grateful for my sister.. :) she said shes proud of me… and she made my night.
3) I’m grateful for blogger! Can you believe I’ve been doing this for a year now? Yeah… my lil own diary… I’m like doogie howser.. except I’m not a teenage doctor named doogie. I think the last time I had a diary that I kept up was only when I was really angry at my parents and wrote about my adolescent hatred of them cause they asked me to clean or practice the piano or something… but yeah! Its cool that I can look back and reminice about that stupid thing I did on June 8, 2001.. or check back on these grateful thingies and say… damn.. life isn’t all that bad. :)

I'm jumping on the *quote* (b. fujiura,2001) bandwagon.. but I just had to. :) So much for originality... but beth.. you should be flattered that you've opened my eyes and ears so that I can capture such things for everyones enjoyment.

On watching the TLC channel and PERSONAL TLC...
potateYo: the baby story kinda creeps me out though
Spaznik: OH MY GOSH!! ME TOO!!
potateYo: hahha
potateYo: I'm like
potateYo: I don't need to be seein some of that stuff!
potateYo: ewwwwww
Spaznik: i like to watch the begining ot it when they're all excited for the baby..
Spaznik: but i cant watch the labor.. its too painful.
Spaznik: i think its scaring me away from sex
potateYo: hahaha
potateYo: me toooooo
potateYo: Dang!
potateYo: I don;t want kids anymore...unless they are hatched!

And kenny being his usual self:
Ken UCR: can u do something for me please?
Ken UCR: u'll like this
Ken UCR: ;-)
Spaznik: it depends on what...
Ken UCR: and it's not "dirty"
Spaznik: and at the moment.. you're creeping me out.

Yeah.. thats all i have for you kids.. hate them... or laugh of them. whatever. :)

Anyhoo..so far week has been very good.. *thanks to vicodin* don't fret... i'm not going to develop any drug dependency on the stuff.. thats so bad!!! Aside for my classes and sleeping because of *sweet glorious vicodin*... here is the roundup of my life this week. (arent you excited)
-Monday: lunch date with dad and sister down in long beach for dad's birthday
-Tuesday: went to whittier meeting..drove back to LB, to go to the meeting in hopes of promotin FTC... BUT meeting was moved to another place... so beth and I drove over to their service project and got to decorate some windows! :) Later went over to Lauras, watched Buffy and got to meet her male stripper roomies. *YAY!*
-Wednesday: tried to go to UCI meeting, but that meeting was also moved to another location, but no note.. so i didnt get to go. :( instead went window shopping at anti-mall and sorta kinda got lost in Santa Ana.
-Thursday: cried watching TLC's A WEDDING STORY, went over to Woodbury University to go promote, had dinner with Beth and Armando and went slightlycrazy cause had to follow him to the BIG BOY while he unknowingly had his right blinker on the WHOLE time. OH then spontaneous shopping trip to Pasadena that started cause beth wanted to drive over the colorado bridge and a SALE sign at Urban, and then off to SAVE ON and VONS for drinks for the party.

yeah...and i still have the weekend.. so hopefully things will be just as good. *cross fingers* actually.. i think it will be pretty awesome. :)

enough about me.. what's going on with you?
you: well nicole...

kick ass!


*whenever I'm in your presence... I can't help but smile.*
I can't really think of a specific thing to be grateful for... cause I think I'm having some sort of "moment" where I'm so wishy and washy about everything. So I guess the best thing I can say is *I'm grateful for everything... and I'm grateful for you... for possbly caring for and about me to read up on my life. Maybe you secretly hope that one day i'll fail, but i guess the fact that you think about me.. its kinda flattering. :)"

oh sweet glorious vicodin...
On Friday, my dad drove me to Van Nuys to get all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled out. I was so freaked out that I didn't really think while dressing in the morning, so I had my blouse on inside out.

My oral surgeon, Dr. Chung, looked like Iron Chef Morimoto. :)

I pretty much knocked out once I got the IV, and when I woke up I was wisdomtoothless and the lower part of my face felt like rubber.
Since my mom wasn't going to be home that night, i spent the night over at my dads where I was pretty much babied by Tita Lagring. :) Attempted eating soup, slept and woke up to tita's mah jong night gathering. :) Played with my little cousin Phoebe and then fell asleep again.

Woke up the next morning.. went with dad to go visit my nanang at the home. she doesn't remember me. :( But what really scared me was how fragile and how weak she looked from the last time I saw her. It was hard for me to realize that this little woman in the hospital bed was my robust grandma who used to chase me around the house with a halloween mask whenever I did something bad when I was younger or who would tell my sister and I crazy stories about her youth in the philippines. its just weird and scary.

Dad brought me back home where I slept some more... was suprised by Beth with a pumkin, a bag of pudding snacks, and good gossip. :) Carlene called and convinced my mom to kidnap me and take me out in public so that we can watch THE DEBUT with her and chelle (which was ok... the acting wasn't all that great and the storyline didn't resolve that well... and I guess I sorta disagreed with main characters views and the whole projection that they were giving of your basic filipino family... BUT it is a first for filipino americans to come out with a movie so that itself is an achievement)..and then came home and slept.

today... i slept. sweet glorious vicodin. thats all i really have to say.
1) I'm grateful for my dad and aunt for taking care of me on Friday... even though I felt OK.. it was still a good feeling to have someone watching over me and making sure I'm feeling alright. :)
2) I'm grateful that everything went well... I was so scared that I was going to die or something cause you hear of those crazy stories of people dying in dental offices because of too much sedatives... eeek. yeah... I was freaked out.
3) I'm grateful for my SL gals..:) I miss them so.. :) *muah*

Well, the other night (friday), i was basically scaring myself shitless. Right around midnight, the power went out. My whole complex went completely dark. For added drama, I'm home alone because my mom and carlene are up in SF for the family reunion thingie. Lets add Nicole's horrible imagination and all these terror threats and the tragedy on Sept 11... mix and bring to boil... and Nicole goes crazy. Yep, I was definitely freaked out... I'm not a real big fan of being alone in darkness. First thing that popped into my head wa that LA is being attacked and here I am without my mom. Luckily Jean called me on my cellie so I felt a bit better.. but she had to go. :( So I called Carrie just to double check that the Los Angeles/Pomona area hasn't been a victim of someone's insanity... and yay.. we weren't. My dad called my cell just because... I thought that he had a blackout over in his vicinity... but no.. he called to tell me that he got me some shoes and hoped that they fit. My mom called to check up on me.. and the later on Jean kept me company on the phone again cause I was too afraid to sleep just yet. :) Well... tied a flashlight to my bed and willed myself to catch some zzz's.

Well, yesterday I had my FTC meeting.. :) Like usual, I think the best I can say is "SO FAR SO GOOD!" and really it is. :) I guess I won't see how things are really happening until that weekend. But getting the mailing out has taken my stress level down from a 8 to probably a 4. I'm sure it'll be soaring when the event actually happens though...

On our way home from the meeting, Rashmi got a call from Chrissy on her cellie... they're talking and then Rashmi turns to me and asks... "what are you doing tonight?" where I replied "nothing really... probably just clean." Rashmi then said, "Well, wanna go to the Backstreet Boys concert?" "I really don't have money for that..." "Its free...." "OH HELL YEAH!"

Well, being a devoted NSYNC fan... I felt that I was betraying my boys for going...(Poor Keri and Mariss were very appalled that I was going to a BSB concert..) but oh the otherhand it was "free!" and my original plan for my Saturday night was to clean and be pathetic... so I think the choice was obvious.

The opening act was some chick Krystal.... I dunno... and then Sisqo, whom was pretty kick ass but thought it was weird that he was singing some R&B sex jam to an audience of preteens and their parents. Then BSB came... and very suprisinly, I was screaming along with their crazy pre-teen fans! I guess it was the excitment of it all. Sure... when I first got to the pavillion, I forgot some of their names... and I didn't know all the words to their songs... BUT the concert was really awesome! When they did sing a song that I knew.. I was so freaking happy! I never realized how many nice slow songs they had... it was a night of constantly having those moments were you wish you had someone to share those lovey dovey love songs with you. Oh well... I had a really great time and thats all that really matters huh. OH!! that one dude... um... I think its Kevin.. he had braids and a beard... and was LOOKING like Snoop Dog! :) I swear...

*let me show you the shape of my heart...*
(sigh)
1) I'm soooooooooooooooooooo grateful that nothing really horrible didn't happen the other night and that my only foe was my imagination. (how poetic was that!)
2) I'm grateful for Jean... :) cause although she didn't drive up to keep my company the other night.. (she offered...) she pretty much stayed with me for an hour or so and assured me that Pomona wasn't being attacked. heheheh... :) She's the coolest chick in the henhouse. ;)
3) I'm grateful for a TERRIFIC time yesterday with Chrissy, Rashmi, and Yohan at the BSB concert. :) Thanks sooooo much Chrissy for inviting me!! :) It was sooo kick ass. I've always thought that Nick Carter was a cutie (especially when his lip did this lil curl thing during the "I Want it That Way" video... *sigh*) and I liked a lot of their slow songs, but I wasn't much of a BSB fan... now I think they made it onto my "soooo coool" list. (But NSYNC and Lance will always be my #1 pop love...) :)

OH GLORIOUS WEEKEND! :)

I'm sorta kinda feeling EH at the moment... (EH as in... crap tired and crampy...) so I'm sorta just blogging just for the sake of blogging... plus also I reliazed that when I need to fill out my MRFs...I usually don't remember or write down my doings, so I have to refer to my good ole blog just to double check on what I seem to remember and recreate my months.

2 of my classes are done!! YAY!! :) The finals weren't too harsh and I think everyone did pretty damn good. :)

Been working on my whole "COME TO FTC" promotional thingie...:) I got to spread the FTC love and excitment to Cal Poly (where after the meeting I accompanied Joe to get his haircut and took some most interesting pictures... OH and discovered that there are way more *Ghostwriter* loving geeks there than I originally thought.) and UCR (where Beth and I witnessed Pete trying to dig through a giant vat of chocolate pudding, marshmellows, and bananas for PIECES of his bell and gavel.... blindfolded. Poor guy... never tell your board about another club's doings... it might just give them ideas)... and this weekend I'll be over at the Magic ECM. :) WHOOO!

Unfortunantly since I have my second to last FTC meeting this weekend (6 more weeks... EEEK) I'm totally missing out at the mini Orogo family reunion up north. :( It totally sucks cause my "favorite" Tito Sonny is driving down from Seattle and I haven't seen my cousins there for a while...well, I guess after all the madness, then I can finally take a break (somewhat) and do some of the things that I'm missing out on. But then again, I'm having a total blast doing this.. :)

Today had a lunch date with dad... and then went to Walmart with my mom. Carlene just got home and we've been chatting for the last 3 hours on life, school, health, and oh but of course... guys. :) I love her so much.... I was telling Beth the other day about how my sister and I used to torment our poor mom at the grocery when we were younger smartasses. During christmas time one year, she was buying rum or some sort of alcoholic drink for baking purposes when we should start to look sad and cry.."MOM!! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD STOP DRINKING!! PLEASE MOM NO!!" loudy... and we would get disaproving looks from shoppers around us... and then my mom would get in on the joke and start exclaming how it was because of us that she was drinking and being all "sinful"... *ah memories* Yeah.. I love my family..:) I definitely think I inherit this crazy insane sarcastic sense of humor from my mom's side.

*you're so vain...you probably think this song is about you...*
-I was listening to Carly Simon on the radio today and that just got into my head for some reason... weird.
1) I'm grateful for good relationships. I really love my friends and family... and I think I'm blessed by the fact that I'm surrounded by people who love me and accept me for who I am. At least I hope so... but really... I know people who have a hard time with their parents or are always losing friends and really don't know how to maintain them... and although I do have many-a-problems with my family many-a-times and I'm definitely not perfect, but I'm so grateful that the people in my life won't hesitate to set me straight when I do wrong... and if I were to do wrong... they won't be completely evil and drop me. They'll help me through it and on occasion make fun of me and my folly...and make me feel foolish... and oh so loved.
2) I'm grateful for a date and the opportunity just to hang out with my dad. Sometimes I do try to avoid him cause I feel that he really doesn't hear me and I'll just get a lecture of some sort... but I had fun today.. and we had a good conversation. At times I felt a bit awkward, but I think that things will improve with time.
3) I'm grateful cause I KNOW what I'm going to get my mom for Christmas.. hehehehe... she kinda gave me an idea while we were out today..SOOO.. now its just a matter of saving up the money or getting the job to get the money to get it. :) OH..and I need to figure out something for my dad... and mysister.. but once I do!! I'll be pretty set family wise for Christmas!

Just had funny conversation with Jean where we both discovered that we both shared a geeky passion for "GHOSTWRITER" on PBS... Its weird how you discover things about people and how you have things in common with them... Jean started to freak me out cause she remembered episodes and names of some random characters.. hehehehe.. :) Yeah... I loved Ghostwriter.. I used to have a pen on string around my neck and say.. "GO GHOSTWRTER GO!". OH MY GOSH!! And now I'm discovereing that Luc liked it too!

DoDo79: what can u write about
spaznik: well. im sorta writing how you discover you have things in common with people... but how its things that you'd never think anyone else would...
DoDo79: oooh
DoDo79: write that
spaznik: hahaha..
spaznik: yeah... cause i was just talking with jean.. and we both discovered that we loved watching GHOSTWRITER on PBS...
spaznik: and i never thought anyone else watched it besides my sister and i
DoDo79: you liked ghostwriter?
spaznik: YES!!
DoDo79: GHOSTWRITER was the bomb
DoDo79: RALLY
DoDo79: hahaha
spaznik: SHUT UP!! YOU TOO!!
DoDo79: RALLY J
spaznik: HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH
DoDo79: RALLY L
DoDo79: hahaha...the asian girl
DoDo79: and jamal
DoDo79: and the song writer
DoDo79: and the brother and little sister

How weird is that!!?! YEAH.. Ghostwriter was the bomb-diggity. And here I thought I was the only one who happily awaited for 5pm to roll around on weekdays so I can go "RALLY L" on PBS. Its so weird... Its like how Beth and I discovered that we had secret crushes on Johnathan Crombie (Gilbert) from the "Anne of Green Gables" movies and loved Colin Firth before his fame on Bridget Jones, but instead as the OG Mr. Darcy on the A&E "Pride and Predjudice" miniseries. Or how Laura and I started laughing at bugs on the windshield cause it reminded us of the Mavis Beacon typing computer game where if you missed the correct key a fly would smash into the winshield of your fake computer monitor car. I'm sure there are many of you who are going.. HUH?? WHAT? I DONT GET IT? And thats what I'm talking about!! There are a lot of interests that I share with the people of my generation... toys and whatever was popular culture of our days but there are some where you think its a lame doing of your own and then BAM! you're not alone.. :) its soo cool. It might be a sign of kindred spirits or something... :) (go ahead and say it... *its a sign that you're a weird dorky freak!* but its ok.. i admit it.. I'm a geek.. :D)

*note to beth*... I didn't forget about Nicole-uary or Jean-ly... :) Actually I did forget about Jean-ly but thought Nicole-uary wasn't as cool as the others.

*Hysterical nonsense*
1) I'm grateful for Trader Joe's... fun cheap healthy food! Who knew that soy ice cream could be pretty damn good.
2) I'm grateful for the wonderful programming at PBS.. :) They brought back Sister Wendy!! :) OK.. for those who don't know who she is.. shes an nun in about her 70's who has her own art show... she dresses full out in her habit (nun attire), points out every sexual reference in a painting that shes critiquing, and speaks with a slight lisp. Its very entertaining. And as much as I loathe Huell Howser. his show California's Gold is very educational and it makes me want to travel and check out all the random sites in California. (if there was any doubt in your mind about my geekness... um yeah. I think we're way above and beyond that now huh.)
3) I'm grateful for microwaves. :) Defrosting would take FOREVER without them!!

tired.... but its a good tired... its like... *damn you got a lot done but crap... you're feeling it now* kind of tired...

The week went by pretty fast, even though being swamped with school, cki, school, school, school, cki... oh did I mention school? Well, it isnt as bad as it sounds since 2 of my classes are 9 week courses (6 hours of class a week) and they are finishing up this week. (Big giantic YAY!) So then afterwards, I can rest a bit and take care of doing FTC stuff and ATTEMPT to keep my room in an orderly fashion.

Well, doctors appointments that were supposed to happened didnt because of insurance mix-ups and dad wasn't feeling well so he couldnt take me... so on Friday night, I kidnapped poor sick Beth and took her down to SD with me so we can visit Jean and promote FTC at her DCM. But I think Beth had fun cause 1) we got to see Jean and her kick ass new house... 2) Kathy was down from Berkeley and visiting some friends so she came to the DCM too 3) *oh-so-dreamy* Joe is back too and he came to the DCM also 4) The discovery of halloween costumes at the Ralphs in SD where we found the "soft sickle" which was this cleverly named weapon made out of foam (think whatever you want... It was freaking hilarious). OH also during the DCM, the 4 of us managed to decorate Jean's calender with illustrative birthday reminders and renamed the months to "Joe-vember", "Kath-tober". "Beth-arch." Yeah yeah..go ahead and roll your eyes, but it was damn fun. :)

Went back to Jeans after rampaging her nearby playground and taking some pics for FTC, and rested a bit... then it was back to LA to go to the USC bonfire. :) Got to see some old faces and meet some new ones...but it was getting cold and I was tired from the other night, watching MISS CONGENIALITY and munching on neon pink cookies at Jeans, so it was best that I go home.

Today, was my first NON-CKI day in a while.. :) and i actually got to spend the whole day with my mom. Went to mass and then lunch...and attempted to go watch a movie but instead bought some DVDs to increase our collection and rampaged TRADER JOES and had a movie night at home instead. :)

*I see you... looking at me...*
1) I'm so grateful that people are getting pumped up for FTC... YAY!! :)
2) I'm grateful that Beth came down with me to SD even though she was sick... but I hope she had fun. :) The trip wouldn't have been as cool without her definitely... I'm also grateful that I was able to see Jean, Kathy (even though I feel like I see and talk to both of them all the time) and Joe (HE'S SO CUTE!) and got to kick it with them... :) *good times*
3) I'm so grateful that I'll be done with 2 of my classes this week.... 5 more days!!!
4) I'm grateful to have this day off to rest and kick it with my mom... :) It was hilarious cause we had a good conversation on that car wreck you can't help but watch "THE OTHER SIDE". Or something like that.. If you haven't seen it.. its the VIEW but with MEN... but come on... DICK CLARK giving out makeup advice? *shudder*

Hectic weekend...:) Roadtrips ROCK! Thank you for RED BULL!

It all started late late Thursday night (early early Friday mornin) when I danced in my apartment complex's parking lot cause Laura got lost somewhere inside and was driving around.

Well, we only got 2 hours of sleep due to massive gossiping and catching up... but we were wide awake by the time that Rashmi and Eliie arrrived. Then it was off to the rental car place where Laura and I manged to charm the guy to give us an free upgrade from our original Dodge Neon (with no tape player). Instead, we got this kick ass Dodge Dakoda truck with an extra cab and TAPE PLAYER! :) YAY! Alright, so Nicole was slightly freaked cause the front half of the car is just about the same size of her bug.. but we managed to get it back here to the apartment.

Loaded up the truck, got some $, and food.. and we were OFF!! :)

Rashmi and Ellie pretty much slept on the way there, where Laura and I were keeping outselves entertained by listening to Michael Jackson's PYT (Pretty Young Thing) over and over again.. ITS THE JAM! Stopped at Anderson's Pea Soup joint cause Laura just had to have some (ewww... ) and several hours later.. we were up in Berkeley! :)

I was slightly freaking out cause... big huge truck.. 2 lanes and one ways streets.. and massive amounts of people just walking over the place... um. yeah. We dropped off Eliie and Rahmi over at the dorms and we finally found our way to Melissas... :) YAY!! Got to meet her roomie Almita and we rested and chatted for a while. Got some delicious pizza and Peter and Kathy picked Mel, Laura, and I to go get some pie and then back to Peters place to play the most hilaious game of I NEVER I have ever played.

The next day was Kathy's DCM in the City (to which Laura and I got excited since it has been a while since we both have gone there) where I got to perform Beth's skit with Laura's help and advertise FTC!! :) Got to take some kick ass pictures of Kathy, Peter, Jimmy, Sukhyung, and Scott for FTC, met a lot of the Golden Gaters and helped them come up with cheers.. Whooooo!! Major confusion and slightly stressed... so we went to the pier to Bubba Gump's where we saw Kristie Alley and got some mini donuts. Almost witnessed a dog getting run over by a car, (but he's ok.. *whew*) and then saw the FULL HOUSE house... picked up the other girls, and it was time to go home. Original plan was to leave at 3... but the time was now 8pm.

5 hours and 4 Red Bulls later, we were home and dead tired. :) This time Laura and I entertained ourseleved by playing Either/Or and just asking each other random questions...
*would you have the bestest most expensive dinner in your life... OR the equivlent of that in cute shoes and a box of mcnuggets?*
I'd take the shoes.
*would you rather be torchured with whips and chains for 3 hours or tied up to a boat on ITS A SMALL WORLD and forced to stay awake?*
the boat...

The next day was my FTC meeting where things are looking really good. :) *whew* yay... went to BJ's with Stephanie, Pete, Beth, Ryan, Rashmi, Mike Bob, and Pic where we got to cheer along with all the other customers who were watching the football game. Back to Beth's to meet up with Joe for the "Go West!" meeting and to watch the *Friends* premiere since we missed it on Thursday. Tried to nap over there, but just ended up chatting with Beth and playing with the idea of turning a hilarious picture into a t-shirt.

Came home and pretty much slept.

*I want to love you.. PYT.. Pretty young things...
Give you some lovin.. TLC.. Tender Lovin Care...
and I'll take you there... *
1) I grateful that we got there and back safely... also very grateful for Laura for coming and keeping me entertained. OH thanks to Red Bull and the other various energy drinks that kept us awake.
2) I'm grateful that I was able to see Melissa and kick it with her... :) I've been promising to go for a while now, but I never really had a chance... So yay!!
3) I'm grateful for a really good weekend... thanks to Peter and Kathy for a great time.. :) It was like an afterschool special.... KICK ASS!

AACCCK.. I think I'm loosing some hair... :( it can be either 1) I'm stressed or 2) that new shampoo and conditioner.... I'm praying that its 2. Anyways, lets focus on the happy.

The wedding on Saturday was soooo beautiful. :) Tita Cecil was there and so she wrote a song for Rowena and Alan at 7:30... and then performed it for them an hour later. *SOOO PRETTY* I swear, shes so talented.. I was pratically begging her to move back to LA so that I can have lessons again, but all she said was... "Come to Seattle". Anyways, Alan sang 2 songs to Rowena with Tita Cecil on the piano and pratically everyone was crying cause it was so romantic. Acually, Alan's side of the family was all talented, so there was a LOT of great singing. The reception was during the night and was outdoors at this Chateau in Arcadia (there are Chateau's in Arcadia??) where there were a lot of candles and flowers.. Everytime Carlene and I go to a wedding, we go into this Wedding Planning mode where we take mental notes of what we would want for our own weddings... The actual thought of the sacrament of Marriage is scary cause the whole pressure of finding that person who will love and accept you... and making sure that you have that Secret of Staying in Love, (which all them SL girls know thanks to Mrs. Heifingler) and getting all them grownup insurances (homeowners, life, car, health, etc) and joint checking accounts... but the Weddding day where you know that everything is just right and will be the happiest day of your life cause you found Mr. Right, you're surrounded by friends and family who wish you their best, you feel and look a princess, and the flowers are absolutely perfect is something that every girl dreams and wishes for. :) Yes, I'm getting mushy, but thats what happens when you go to Weddings... you go and you realize.. "Crap... I'd don't have that special someone yet.. and I want this to be me someday..." it doesn't get easy if you're with family and they start asking you... "Sooo anak... when will it be your turn" or even... "I have a nephew I'd like to set you up with.*.. and there you are, a deer in headlights, not knowing wether to say... "Um, hahahah, its ok." or "OHMYHOSH... what's his number and is he an AQUARIOUS!??!" Then you start making plans and collecting numbers of video guys and florists cause when the time comes.. You know. Ok. I'm a freak. But wouldn't it be nice to get a big band to perform at a reception?? I think so. :)

Saturday night Jean called me insane for my desire to call up Miss Cleo and ask about the whereabouts of my future husband... but hey!! if she knows then wouldn't life be much easier and not as stressful to KNOW that there IS someone out there for sure.. instead of just wondering?? Yeah. I thought so too.

On Sunday, had a lunch with the Concepcion Clan down at the Brazilian "House of Glutton" BBQ for Carlene's birthday. Poor Jen and Jr had to work :( so we missed out on seeing JR try to outeat Tita Lagring and breathing hard at the end of the meal like it usually happens when we do have these family "gluttonous meals." BUT I did get to see my new niece Alicia who is the most adorable baby and who is probably going to be SOOO LOVED by the whole family. Bombie said he'll plan the cousin trip to Vegas which I think may be guilt tripped on to me being second oldest of the cousin... and since you know.. he's all working and being a dad and husband and all... :) Its ok... at least we can do something together...its been a while since our last cousin trip to San Diego. Let me finish my FTC stuff and then we can go! :) OH.. back to the lunch. Well
if you haven't gone to a brazilian BBQ before.. its pretty insane. You sit and then the waiters with giants swords of meat come to you and offer their goodies. And the interesting thing is that they basically have every kind of meat... roast, short rib, long rib, chicken, turkey, veal, sheep, etc. Well poor Angel's bunny Brownie just died too... (same with Beth's hampster... and Fred... whats going on.... dying pets and sad owners!) so when the waiter with his sword of rabbit came by, Angel was giving everyone at the table the evil eye, beating Tito Nanding mercilessly for teasing her, and completely appaled when Tita Lagring took a bite out of her sample of rabbit. I think everyone was impressed by the amounts of meat.. and when a waiter would come by with a swords.. Tita Lagring's response would be.. "LEAVE THE KNIFE!" or "CUT ME A BIG PIECE!" :) I love my family...

After feeling incredibly guily after lunch, came home and attempted cleaning. :) OK, got some of it down, but my room still looks pretty bad. Then it getting on to the job of FTC paperwork and working on my paper and presentation for class on Thurs. I think thats when I nearly panicked. But I got a good amount done.. :) YAY and I still have hair! (even bigger YAY!)

Did some shopping with Beth yesterday after class where we ramppaged IKEA as well as other stores that had some sort of housewares. :) Once again started imagining how I would decorate future homes if I were incredibly rich. :) Well actually right now it's more how I would decorate future home in January once moving in. Then it was back to Beth's and Salamanca's new abode where I got to meet their new roomie Lorraine, and download fob love songs for Mike on his computer. :) We gawked at Britneys new video and witnessed the new fox reality horror of WHO WANTS TO BE A PRINCESS." Came home and helped mom lug a refridgerator to her car while the sprinklers were on. YAY!

you are just a dream that I once knew...
1) I'm grateful that the whole tamily was able to come together and spend time with each other. We celebrated birthdays for alicia and carlene. :) Plus mom came along too, so it was really terriffic to really have the family together.. its been a while...
2) I'm grateful for a good time yesterday shopping and talking with Beth. :) Also thanks to her and Mike for allowing me to be your "6th" roomie since Luc is the "4th" and Joe is apparently the "5th." But since I've been slightly going crazy and I needed the break especially after Sunday night's hair fallout freak and panic attack. Thanks to Carrie also for talking me down and reminding me to breathe. :)
3) I'm grateful that things are looking good. :) *happy thoughts.. happy thoughts...*

Today I got to tackle a lil bit of a goal of mine... :) I went to go visit one of the subway stations down in LA... It was all actually pretty spontanteous cause my sister and I got to our dentist about 45 min earlier than our appointment, so they kicked us out so they can go eat. Since my dentist is near the sunset/vermont station, Carlene and I decided to go down and check out the station.. its really pretty! :) We would have gone on board on of the trains, but we didn't want to miss out appointment, so we went back and had lunch. One day though.. I want to go visit all the stations and check out the art. All the stations are all designed by different archtects and have different themes to it... :) I told Beth, and she said she'd go with me.. but my sister and mom laughed at this and said that we weren't "tough" enough and would probably be "oooohing and ahhhhhhhing" and being overly excited about everything (like we always are) and that we would become targets for "danger" or something of the sort. SOoooOO, if there are any big burly guys who would want to come and be makeshift bodyguards and look at some art.. then YAY! :) Tell me!

Dentist was good... well kinda sad cause I now have to go to the Oral Surgeon for sure cause my wisdom teeth are coming out and Dr. Valde said..."they have to go." OOOo.. can't wait. :) Actually it was pretty funny cause Carlene broke her 20 years of perfect teeth and was told that she had to come back and get her first cavity removed. *gasp* Yeah, she was pretty crushed. But I love my dentist.. I've been going to her since I was a baby and she knows my teeth. :) It just sucks cause she's all the way out in LA and before when we used to go, it would be a family thing with my mom, dad, grandma, sister and myself getting checkups all in one day... and it would take SOOOOOOOOO long. But it was pretty cool today cause it was just Carlene and me and we were out of there in an hour! YAY!

Was watching the telethon earlier today... I had chills throughout the whole thing. Amazing...

well, i just finished watching Bush's address on tv just now... :) GO BUSH! I love Bush.. he's so cool. I was telling my mom that I loved him and that I just wanna run up to him and give him a great big teddy bear hug... and my mom said.. "hug the tv." OK... it isnt ALL that funny... but it was at the time. :P Anyhoo... I think people at the Mint should start making a coin with Bush's head on it... how about a 15 cent "dinkle"? That would rock...

I saw the funniest thing the other night... OK.. so there was this guy on TV giving a testimony for some product on an informercial. As he speaks, the caption underneath his face says:

TONY
"He loves his Thunderstick"

???? EWWWW.... maybe its just me, but doesnt that seem a little bit pervy? Well, the Thunderstick is one of those handheld blender/mixer thingies... which was probably given the worst name ever for a product. I think I've read too many Harlequin Romance novels and seeing homie on TV gush about how he likes how his thunderstick makes applesauce and crushes nuts ... it was hilarious. Couldn't they have named the product something like "Rocketmixer" or "OoooKickAssBlender?" I'd buy it.

Anyways, yesterday, I got classes mixed up and found myself trying out a YOGA for the fist time. "How hard can it be" I thought... well its FREAKING hard. :) Actually, I'm sure with a lot of practice it would be easier... maybe. Well, it was fun and definitely interesting. The instructor didnt have a game plan of what she was going to instruct us... but warned us.." I go with what the spirits tell me... and I feel like working on toes." Toes, I thought, shouldnt be too bad and I guess I should stay. BUT 30 minutes later, I was up against a wall and attempting to bust out a handstand!!! :) I was so stressed during the class, but when it was all over, I felt relaxed... maybe because I was out of that "let's contort our bodies into this freakish position... noooo... don't bend the leg... strech.. strech... move your foot and feel the your back elooooongate... now hold it!! BREATH!!" atmosphere. I think I might go back... :)

:)
1) I'm grateful that I live in such an awesome country with this kick ass president. Yeah, sometimes he may seem like hes this fool and spouts out dorky remarks such as "smoke them out of their caves" or "dead or alive" but his speech just now was great and it got to the heart of the matter.
2) I grateful that theres so many people that want to help out... :) I can probably see Tony Blair and Bush having matching BEST BUDDIES key chains now.. :) But its good to know that we aren't along in this...
3) I'm grateful for my first meeting at MtSac. :) YAY!! I have a home club now and everyone is really friendly!

Times are a changin...
I've been hearing that a lot. People say that things will never be the same again... and they're 100% correct. I dunno... I feel as if these past few days... even weeks and I guess you can even say these past 2 months... I've been changing and seeing what really does matter to me. My mom and sister have made me opened my eyes to how things really are and how I have way more potential than I once thought. My family and friends have made me realized the true definition of unconditional love and unconditional friendships. I'm learning and seeing tangible results from hard work on a business and personal perspective... I'm....

Gosh.. I'm being pathetic and overdramatic huh. :) Jean says YES I AM... but really, does Jean's opinion really matter? ;) That was like a mini episode of Dawson's Creek over there.. just need to have the "do do do do" in the back round playing and I can complete this "coming of age" monologue. But I guess I'm on this emotional high thingie where I'm starting to speak in this weird hokey tongue... its like I'm mature or something. *shudder*

I was at the VW service shop again waiting to get the oil changed and I was watching SEX WARS...and it reminded me of how we played BATTLE OF THE SEXES all 2 Decembers ago at Tina's and Marissas' with Todd and JP *I miss you guys...* I believe the guys still owe us dinner.. I think. :) The funny thing when you're watching SEX WARS is that you get angry at your gender if they don't get an answer right... or if they didn't buzz in and at least guess... (which I seriously think the girl's buzzers are broken). OH speaking of gender, in my class today, we were watching this video on racial and gender biases... and it probably had the WORST ACTORS IN THE WORLD IN IT... one of which I think was Kato Kalien. I could be wrong.. Anyways, the message was out and I totally felt and agreed with the meanings of the video... but the acting was sooooo Oscar unworthy. EEEK!! Am I making a bias against bad actors? UGh.

*and i'd like to thank the academy.. *
1) I'm grateful for who I am.. yes I'm gonna need major tuning now and then... but I'm good enough.. smart enough. and gosh darnit.. people like me. Or so I think they do.. at least I have those people in my life who I know will slap me silly if I f*ck up. YAY!
2) I'm grateful for Oprah and Dr Phil days... oh my gosh.. he's a genius!
3) Has anyone seen "CROSSING OVER WITH JOHN EDWARDS?" Oh my gosh.. its so freaky but its soo real. I'm so grateful that he actually shares his gift with a lot of people and helps them ease their minds about their loveones who have gone. That show is like me and my mom's new lil passion... if we're home at the same time and its 5... we'll sit there and watch in amazement. Its so incredible. JOHN EDWARDS ROCKS!! I think he's ranking high up there on the cool-o-meter... right next to MISS CLEO. This is what it says in his bio: John was an ordinary kid growing up on Long Island. He played ball with his friends, ate pizza on Friday nights, had out-of-body experiences, visions of dead relatives he had never known, and predicted phone calls and surprise visits. Isn't that soo weird!!

The downfall of 98*
I used to love 98*... and deep inside.. I still do. It seems like only yesterday I was standing in line for the Howie Mandel show waiting to see them.. and screaming a bloodcurdling scream every 5 seconds during their appearance... But I think I've lost all respect for them once I saw the HERBAL ESSENCE commerical with them in it. I don't know if you've seen it... but basically a girl walks into a record store and she looks at a 98* cd.. and the salesman says "I URGE YOU TO BUY IT." The girl then says "URGE?" and it goes into this pathetic fantasy scene where Nick, Jeff, Drew, and Justin come out from their poster and start to lather up this chick's hair while singing "I GOT THE URGE TO HERBAL." It truly is a gay commerical... Boys.. get a new manager.

Hmmm... anything new, exciting or worthy of blogging? I went to my second HIP HOP dance class today.. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.. I swear I'm not a fly girl or the next Britney Spears backround dancer... buts its gosh darn fun to pretend. So i'm hobbling around and struggling to catch up.. and suprise suprise.. I get it! Sure, i feel and probably look like a dork, but its so cool!

*dancing queen... feel the beat of the tambourine*
1) I'm grateful I found my watch... or that my mom found it and put near the sink for me to discover... I went crazy last month when i was searching all corners of my room for it. So now my sister won't be pissed that I lost it since shes gave it to me.. and it means no long terrible lecture from her and my mom on how I should be more responsible for my possessions. *I AM! Just a bit scatterbrained...* :)
2) I'm grateful for conditioners with detanglers. :) It makes combing hair after taking it ouf of the towel turban much easier... no more loosing hair from icky tangles and knots!!
3) I'm grateful for filipino slow jams!! I love them... there are some really pretty ones in english... so sappy... and they have terriffic melodies.

It was a good weekend, even though the week itself was depressing. Friday night, drove over to Torrance to kick it with Jean before she left for SD... oh and Beth and Ryan too. :) Dinner and then indecisiveness led us to the Cheesecake factory where we suprised Carrie and Manny. We all gof some boba and then it was off to the bowling ally for sucky shooting arcade games, breadsticks, and Nsync sticker vending machines. (dont roll your eyes at me!) Brought Jean back home where she gave us a lot FTC ideas... Beth and I were in awe. Shes a fellow creative genius!! (Did you know that the word genius derives from Latin and refers to the goddess Juno, the Roman queen of heaven? The Romans believed that every person carried within himself or herself a small verson of this goddess.. who would inspire greatness. Yreah.. pretty interesting huh. I've been reading a lot.)

Sunday, went to watch THE LION KING over at the Pantages Theater in LA with my mom and sister. It was AWESOME!! Oh my gosh.. it was visually stunning with all the puppets and colors. I had goosebumbs throughout the whole production. The plot was the same as the movie *duh* and the dialogue was pretty accurate to it also. But oh my gosh... the costumes and puppets... just beautiful. During the opening, you could hear the audience gasp out loud while each animal came out... I was on the verge of tears. (I was actually bawling though when Mufasa died.... that was sooo sad.. but yet cool how they portrayed the whole stampede... I swear... the set was just amazing!) Since the cast was all animals, my sister and I were wondering about their first day of rehearsal.. they probably were walking around gracefully with arched backs thinkg "I am a gazelle... I AM a gazelle..." That would make sense huh. But gosh... it was sooo beautiful. Also during the curtain call, the cast stayed on stage and the actor that played Mufasa said that it was their job as entertainers to take our minds off of was was going on in the country.. but it would be that we really can't forget. So then the whole theater took a moment of silence and broke into God Bless America. It was really really nice.

Today had my FTC meeting... sooo much to do.. and only 10 weeks left!! ACCCKKKKK!! Afterwards, had a fun lunch/dinner/lunner.. whatever you call it over at TGIF. =) Gotta love happy hour.

do wah ditty ditty dum diiy do
1) I'm grateful for life and for everyone who makes it complete.
2) I'm grateful for a happy shopping experience with my sister...=-D
3) I'm grateful for "good times" =)

Talk about madness. After blogging on the 10th, I had a long conversation with Beth and went to bed. The next morning, it was just insane. I was mesmerized by the events on tv... I think everyone has been overwhelmed with emotions during the last few days. I know I have, I've gotten horribly depressed many times... angry cause it happened... frustrated and helpless that I couldnt physically help from here, that all i could do was give a pint of my blood and pray... guilty when I think I have to keep my mind off of all the chaos so it wouldn't drive me insane but knowing that there were so many dead, missing, mourning, basically so many who were in pain... pride for my country and all that we stand for... This whole thing seems lke it was a dream, like a bad movie. The thing is that I think we're spoiled. Our generation has never seen anything of this magnitude. We know that the Titanic and Pearl Harbor were actual events, but really they were "movies" that tried to give a taste of what happened to us youngins. We never think anything could happen to us... even at the moment, I think... I dont think anything will happen to LA cause we're so widespread and we have no main monuments. And I pray and cross my fingers that this will be the closest that something like this will ever be to me, but now I just dont know.

Pictures of the planes crashing into the building have forever branded my mind. Hearing the screams from behind the camera. The gasps and cries for God. Seeing people waving from the windows and then moments later watching the building collaspe. Bodies flying through the air. Giant holes in the ground and chunks of concrete missing from buildings. Its just too horrible. And I hear these stories of victims calling or emailing their loveones goodbye, telling them they love them... its all too much. We never thought it could happen to us and now here it is, slapping us in the face.

And how am I now? I'm still sad but I'm feeling stronger. I'm relieved that the people who I know in NY are alright but sad about those who arent. Its also good to know that we are getting closer to finding out who did this to us and I hope that justice will be served. I'm glad to know that at times like this, we will only grow stronger and band together and help one another. I just wish we didn't have to learn about our strength this way.

I had several rays of happiness though. I learned that my cousin and his wife finally had their baby. :) Alicia Domingo arrived on Sept 9, 2001. Congratulations Bombie and Michelle! :) I promise to be a terriffic tita and please never hesitate to call if you need a babysitter.

Speaking of birthdays, my sisters was yesterday. So my mom and I went over to Carlenes late (she and I both had classes that ended at 9) and had a very nice birthday dinner complete with cake. :D It felt really good to be with family...

I guess it really isnt hard to see what I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for everything and everyone in my life... even those who piss me off cause at least they make me grow in a positive manner.

God bless America. I love you all.