costume [kos-toom]

fashion of dress appropriate to a particular occasion or season

Synonyms include: apparel, attire, dress, ensemble, disguise

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

EVERYONE!!!

bachelor [bach-uh-ler]
an unmarried man; A male animal that does not mate during the breeding season, especially a young male fur seal kept from the breeding territory by older males (hahaha!)
Synonyms include: single man, eligible

bachelorette [bach-uh-luh-ret]
an unmarried young woman
Synonyms include: available, single girl, unattached


With all the engagements and wedding planning flying around, there is, of course, the bachelor and bachelorette parties that we can't overlook. With their wedding 2 weeks away, Ann and Ryan decided on a weekend in Sin City with their friends before saying, "I do."

Cile, Ate Tin-Tin and I arrived on Saturday afternoon after a pleasant morning drive. After meeting up at our hotel for the weekend, Rio, we first got through a most important matter: lunch buffet. After lunch, the boys went their way and us ladies went ours. We got dressed in our pink best, played some games, watched Ann open boxes and giftbags filled with goodies (for her and Ryan. haha!) and had some drinks of course.

With a booklet of tasks to complete for our bride-to-be to that evening, and a few dares the rest of us were to undertake as well, in addition to an 8:30 show we had to make, we all made our way downstairs to the hotel lobby to hang out. A bunch of hottie girls (cuz I don't have any ugly friends) dressed in pink (and white for the bachelorette) were quite the spectacle. Just the elevator ride to the casino was a hoot, with every man coming in between the 11th and 1st floors asking what they'd done to deserve such company. When we finally got to a bar downstairs, we watched as the bartender cascaded all 9 shots from a stack of chrome shakers into a pyramid of glasses and then, we drank!

We hung out with another bartender on the casino floor (who I swear looked like Joey Fatone, or were my beer goggles just trippin?), had more drinks, watched the Rio casino "show" where performers flung metallic beads at the audience, then we sat and ate Wetzel's Pretzels. Hey, we needed SOME sort of sustenance before the forthcoming craziness to come; for within half an hour, we were lounging at the Chippendales Bar, where we had a few more drinks, watched Ann take pictures with random people and just enjoyed the ambiance.

We had 1st and 2nd row seats (wow Bobbers!!!), and before the show even started, the 11 of us danced around to the music blaring in the background. And then...the show began. Would that I could describe in detail the goings-on of the 90 minutes that followed, I would. But SOME things have to be shrouded in a little bit of mystery, right? Let's just say that we had fun, the security guard had his eyes on our party practically the entire time, the show was great, performed by some exceptionally good-looking gentlemen and the bachelorette was happy. That's all that's important isn't it? Ann was so game for everything we threw at her that it seriously made the evening as fun as it was!

And the following are songs I will never listen to the same way ever again:

• 1) Anywhere (112)
• 2) Dirrty (Xtina)
• 3) Lose Control (Missy Elliott)
• 4) Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye)
• 5) Harder to Breathe (Maroon 5)
• 6) Yeah (Usher)
• 7) Hero (Enrique Iglesias)
• 8) Hey Big Spender (Sweet Charity soundtrack)
• 9) When Doves Cry (Prince)
• 10) Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy (Big & Rich) – hahahaha!!!

After the show, we went back to the room to change into our costumes but, sadly, I didn't make it to party #2 with the boys. My head was pounding (you know my notorious same night hangovers) and I knocked out in my angel costume (wings, halo and all). GOOD TIMES! Gosh I didn't even get to ask the boys what they did with/to Ryan. I'm sure he had fun though...cuz his fiance sure did! Hahaha! (evil laugh here)

Cile, Ate and I managed to make it to mass at 8 am on Sunday morning and we were back home before 3:00 pm. GREAT VEGAS WEEKEND!!! I'd post pictures, but I've been requested not to. Hahaha!

Ann and Ryan, the partying continues in 2 weeks!!!

yearbook [yeer-book]
a book published by the graduating class of a high school or college, containing photographs of class members and commemorating school activities; a book published annually, containing information, statistics, etc., about the past year
Synonyms include: chronicle, annual, calendar, journal, record, register

I just got off the phone with Joe about 20 minutes ago. Somehow, a quick phonecall to tell me about something he got in the mail led to a 90-min conversation about practically nothing – just like high school, huh Deeeck?

On Monday night, after spending a whole afternoon with Riann (They still can’t agree on who talks more), Seong got schooled on our Catholic high school experience (including a free showing of Rochelle’s debut routine. Oh man…). We looked through Riann’s old album, shuffled through loose photos, told stories and leafed through some Immaculate Heart and Daniel Murphy High School yearbooks.

It’s so funny to read the things that people wrote in yearbooks. At one point that night, we were all sitting in Riann’s living room and Seong got quiet. We realized it was because he was reading a 2-pager that Joe wrote in Riann’s yearbook like 8 years ago. He started reading it out loud and, oh my goodness, it’s golden! Joe and Riann cringed at the cheesiness of it all, but it was just so heartfelt that you just can’t say anything negative about it. Although, Joe did just buy himself some future moments of getting clowned on. I can just hear Joe now, “hey, f*ck you guys!” Hahahaha! R-L-X dude….go build a castle…

So, after chitchatting and catching up a little bit, Joe and I read yearbook pages to each other tonight. We even tried to read it as if the person who wrote it were speaking. Freakin’ losers, I know, but we laughed so much that it was completely and utterly worth our time! Useless trivia: some people’s penmanship still hasn’t changed (Cile, Iya, Rochelle and Carlo – write and speak now as they did back then! I love it!)

Lots of blogging to do…cross-dressing as children is on top of that list. HAHAHAHAHA! And a new term I learned: C.B…

Stand by…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Happy 80th Birthday to my grandfather!!!

(Today is his actual birthday)

serenity [suh-ren-i-tee]
the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness; a disposition free from stress or emotion; the absence of mental stress or anxiety
Synonyms include: calmness, composure, cool, patience, peace, placidity, quietness stillness, tranquility

I went to the memorial service of a 2-week old baby this weekend. Iya's niece, Emily, left us here on Earth to be welcomed in heaven, I'm sure, by the Lord and all her loved ones who have passed on before her. Sad and devastating though this event was, there was a glimmer of hope and peace I saw that seldom, if ever, is present during such an occasion.

Kuya Dennis and Ate Myla (Iya's brother and sister-in-law) were a picture of silence and sorrow, traced by strength and serenity. They thanked everyone for the prayers that got them through such an excruciating two weeks. They told us how lucky they were to have been able to spend the time that they did with their beautiful Emily and how they wished all of us were lucky enough to have held her the way they were able to. They asked us to pray for the days that lie ahead for the two of them and Emily's big sister, Bea. They had lost a daughter, they said, but had gained a guardian angel whose face would be a familiar one, and with whom they are on a first-name basis.

Father Tom advised that we not pray FOR Emily. She is already in a place where she will be happiest, he said. We should pray WITH her, he asked, for her parents, sister and loved ones who she had to leave behind.

In the short life that Emily led, she brought out of many who never met her, a turn to their faith for her sake. In the 2 weeks that she was part of our world, she asked for us to seek hope for her parents. Even in her departure, she leaves with her loved ones an angelic face to turn to in times of trial and uncertainty.

Thank you, Emily, for giving and teaching us so much in so little time. I hope we'll meet one day...

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Trust in the LORD with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

--Proverbs 3, 5-6

HAPPY 3x10 BIRTHDAY

ATE TIN-TIN!!!

patriarch [pey-tree-ahrk]
the male head of a family or tribal line; a person regarded as the father or founder of an order, class, etc.
Synonyms include: ancestor, chief, creator, elder, father, founder

I haven't blogged in a week and I hardly logged on to chat or netsurf much because we were taking care of my grandfather's 80th birthday. I had relatieves come in from all over to celebrate with us and, as stressful as it's been these last few months (especially for my mom - party planner extraordinaire), the event was completely worthwhile. My grandfather deserved to be recognized for the man that he is to all of us. A few of us got to give short speeches about this wonderful man in my life. It was then that I fully understoon why all my aunts and uncles call him "The Godfather."
He is the one his brothers and sisters turn to (even from an ocean away) when their lives have become too difficult to deal with. He is my aunts' and uncles' substitute father when their fathers had passed away. As a grandfather, his expectations of his grandchildren tell us we're better than how we often feel about ourselves. He's a man who loves his family, worships his Maker and makes everyone around him feel happy to be part of this world. The eldest of 8 children, the father of 7, the grandfather of 9, the great-grandfather of 2, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend of many, my grandfather has reached this milestone in his life because he loves everyone who is part of his life.

Someone once asked my grandfather how he manages to look so young. He said it's because he doesn't have any worries and because he's happy. I hope that I too will achieve eternal youth through such a simple way.

prayer [prair]
a devout petition to God; that which is prayed for
Synonyms include: appeal, beseeching, worship

Hey everyone, will you please say a little prayer for Iya's new baby niece, Emily? She was born to Iya's bro and sis-in-law, Kuya Dennis and Ate Myla, this weekend, but with much complication. Please keep them all in your thoughts and pray that Emily gets more of a chance to enjoy the world that has yet to know her...

impromptu [im-promp-too]
made or done without previous preparation; suddenly or hastily prepared, made, etc.
Synonyms include: ad-lib, extemporaneous, spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed

Update on one of my New Year’s resolutions: Be more spontaneous - I really have been trying this new thing since the year began and I haven't regretted anything I've done since then. I began this quest in January when I decided to go to Mammoth. Everyone talked about it for months and I decided to go 3 days before we had to leave for the weekend. Even though I didn't get to snowboard (which would've been a great thing to do up there), I was just as happy hanging out. There was snow all over the place! I'm a Southern Cali girl - this is a highlight for me. Anyhow, people these days don't know the meaning of spontaneous or impromptu anymore. I know because I, too, am still learning.

I'm learning that not everything has to be planned out so meticulously by mass emails, mass text messages and phone trees. Say for example, a John Mayer concert. A month ago, I told Riann that if she didn't have anyone to go to the John Mayer-Sheryl Crow concert with, I would gladly go with her. I completely forgot about it until she called me the very morning of the concert and asked if I was still up for it because she saw tickets for sale on Craig's List. Sure, I said. Why did she wait until the last minute, you ask? Because, as Riann will tell you, she's very picky about the audience that she shares John Mayer with. With a joint concert alongside Sheryl Crow, I don't think she knew what to expect.

We really didn't know what to expect, so I'll just tell you what we encountered. It was a mixed crowd for the most part - a mix of beer-toting-mary-jane-smoking old and young. The lady who sold the tickets to Riann was Asian, and we (Riann, Spastic-ass TJ and I) pictured some 20-something chick to be sitting next to us. No, Chong was in her 40's, kickin' it with her other 40+ homegirls, rockin' to Sheryl Crow and John Mayer. HI-larious! And then there was this girl sitting 2 rows in front of us and she stood up almost the entire time, dancing around with a cigarette in her hand, the ashes a split second away from falling on someone, a beer in her other hand and everyone around yelling for her to, "SIT THE HELL DOWN!" Oh man, thanks Babygirl. That was a fun concert!

That impromptu concert night was followed on Saturday by an impromptu karaoke night at Orchid. People have been bugging Riann about celebrating her birthday for weeks, but because her work schedule's been so crazy, she didn't have any time to plan. So at 3:30-ish on Saturday afternoon she decides, "I wanna go karaoke tonight." A few text messages and phone calls later, and so the spontaneity ensued.
I always forget how much fun karaoke is. I haven't gone since Jhoette visited us back in the spring. We sang for almost 3 hours!!! The highlight of my evening? Not James singing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," or Joe blowing our eardrums out with "Battery," not Seong making Riann scream at the first few bars of All-4-One's "I Swear." Grammy Kay wins my vote that night. She shook her ass to Abba's "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando" (WTF!). Oh man, Grams. YOU WERE FREAKIN' HILARIOUS!
I love random calls and text messages for a Coffee Bean run, or a quick trip to the mall, an afternoon mass, a pre-sunset walk around the neighborhood, a dinner to catch up or a John Mayer-Sheryl Crow concert (what the hell). We've all got our lives planned out so carefully and, though I'd like to think otherwise, it really is necessary if we want to get more than one thing done. But the impromptu invitations are kind of like life's little reminders that it's okay to do something that isn't part of the day's or week's agenda. Pulling ourselves away from false idols in the form of datebooks, palm pilots and Outlook calendars is sometimes exactly what we need to remember we actually have choices in this life that don't require penciling in of any kind.

Here's to many more spontaneous opportunities!

Happy, Happy Birthday to my Grandmother!

Yay for you, Nanay!

(She's probably harrassing someone to eat right now. Hahaha!)

Happy Birthday

to my wonderful cousins:

Mary Anne - 17 years old

(EEEEKS when did you turn into a teenager?!)

and

Ben - 26 woo hoo!!

(When's your next west coast visit cuz?!)

motherhood [muhth-er-hood]
the state of being a mother; maternity; the qualities or spirit of a mother
Synonyms include: n/a

Some of us woke up nice and early on a Saturday morning so we could meet with (according to Cheryl) the prince of Koreapines! My friend from high school, Riza, got married last November and 3 months ago, she had little half-Korean, half-Filipino Joe, Jr. Something about babies really brings out the mother (and sometimes father) in all of us. I love kids, especially babies. I'm actually glad that Tin and I were born so far apart (12 years to be exact) because I got to enjoy taking care of her. I was never jealous of my sister; never wished I got as much attention as she did when she was born. I just loved getting her dressed in her cute little outfits from Baby Gap or Gymboree, looking after her while she slept and I did my homework, teaching her how to talk - TIN WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GROW UP?!....but I digress...
Riza's a mommy! Look how happy she looks! Hahaha! I still can't believe this is the same girl who I used to sit in a classroom with, who wrapped my locker door on my birthday. Now she's got this cute little baby to tend to, a husband she shares this responsibilty with, not to mention a career she's got a great handle on. Riza has a new family in her life and I'm so happy and excited for her. She and Joe are fun parents, I know it.
And she's got a lot of help from the outside if she ever needs it. Just check out Ninang Diva - I mean Ninang Vanessa (hahaha!) up there with her Gucci bag, cell phone and t-shirt that says, "SO WORTH IT." I love it girl! You're gonna teach Joe, Jr. how a lady should be treated. This lady's kids are going to be decked out all the time, I can just see them now!There's also Auntie Cheryl. She can teach this baby how to cook (cuz she's gotten quite good at it), how to bball, how to download videogames and how to make professional-looking wedding invitations by hand. Haha!
Oh yeah, and show him what real boobs look like. Hahahahaha! Trying to take this picture cracked me up! Cheryl, as a mom, will be a sight to see. Her motherhood anal-ness will be as obvious as the 1-inch of space between each hanger in her closet!

Auntie Cecile...doesn't that face say it all? I can't wait for Cile to be a mom. I can just see the walls in her house filled from room to room, floor to ceiling, with enigmatic scribbles of paint, color pencils, markers and crayons that only an artistic mother like Cile would love, understand and take complete pride in.

And me? I can't wait to babysit everyone's kids! Hahaha! Honestly, I can't wait for a chance to be someone's mommy one day. As frightening of a role as that sounds, and as daunting a task as it is, what a gift it would be to have a child! I remember one of my co-workers in DC telling me that she could tell how I was raised and what kind of people my parents are like just by knowing me. I hope she meant that as a compliment because I took it as such. But I realized too what a testament that comment was to the way my parents raised me. Hopefully someday we'll all get to try this parenting deal out. CAN YOU IMAGINE?

-Photos provided by C. Zee