Look at my nephew!! Cile, can I hook him up with Arianna? He's really funny! Take a look!

KELSOE

MORE BIRTHDAYS!!

Happy 26th Birthday Edween!!! And Happy 27th Birthday to my cousin in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chrissy!!!

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

I was driving home from Cile’s house on Sunday and I just have to say that it dawned on me how much I love living here in Southern Cali, LA mostly. (I habitate in Glendale but LA is like a 2 minute drive) Yes, I can totally picture myself living in San Francisco or San Diego, and of course I wouldn’t mind having an apartment overlooking the Washington Monument in DC, but something about living around LA makes me smile.

Cile, Tommy and I drove to McDonald’s somewhere in Hollywood on Sunday afternoon and Tommy saw someone dancing on the sidewalk by herself and Tommy was like, “Damn, LA has so many weird people in it” and it totally made Cile and me laugh cuz it’s so true. Weird, of course, being in the eye of the beholder, but you know what I mean. Anyhow, I saw the HOLLYWOOD sign so clearly in the distance and I said “wow” to myself. What a landmark to live by!

After we watched Ate, Leia, Fantone, Annie and Jeff walk by in the marathon, Cile, Gwen, Joe, Andrew, Tommy and I hung out in Cile’s yard for half an hour and then headed off for an afternoon stroll down Larchmont. Cile sipped on some Jamba juice, Andrew enjoyed a sandwich from Starbucks along with Tommy, who I believe had a mocha latte, and I had a vanilla latte w/ soy milk from the Coffee Bean across the street. We just hung out there for no longer than an hour and then headed back to Cile's house. And on the way to car, guess who I saw? NIA VARDALOS AND IAN GOMEZ! The lady from MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING and Javier from Felicity (her husband!). I know that a couple of years ago, JaJa saw Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt sitting at a restaurant on Larchmont too!

We don’t rub elbows with celebrities on a daily basis or anything, but when you live in LA, running into them is no rarity. THEY’RE ALL OVER THE PLACE!…if you have a keen eye for them. But other than celebrity sightings, southern cali screams delight! We’ve got everything here, don’t we? The beaches combed over with great-looking California hotties; Hollywood, the mecca of film-making; In-N-Out!; the Lakers (who still have a fighting chance so please keep hope alive!); the Grove and Farmer’s Market where you can eat every kind of food possible; Disneyland and so much more I can’t even begin to talk of right now. If you haven’t had a chance to hang out here, COME OVER and we'll do lunch!

#10

HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY MISS LARNIE BOQUIREN!!!!!!!!!!

Getting to know...

EDWIN F. EVANGELISTA aka EDWEEEEEEN
Vitals: We met when I was a sophomore in high school. Matt and I used to live in the same apartment complex and one day he came home with Edwin = 10 years and counting
Role in my Life: Constant Cause of Anguish and Frustration…ha ha ha…just kidding Edwin! For me, Edween is the Undercover Wise One - Seriously, as well as this guy plays the jackass, and the fact that he is proudest of himself when he’s being mean to people, hitting below the belt every chance he can get, he’s got some of the most insightful things to say when you need it.
Good Times: It’s easiest for me to tell this story via dialogue. Some of you may have heard this already but I know you won’t mind recalling it. Picture me and Edwin in my car:
Me: Hey Edwin, guess what I bought!
Edwin: What?
Me: The extended version of LORD OF THE RINGS!! (Fellowship of the Ring)
Edwin: Oh dope, how much did you get it for?
Me: $29.99…not too bad. I thought it was gonna cost more.
Edwin: You didn’t get the $60 one?
Me: No, why there’s a version that’s $60 bucks? Is it even longer?
Edwin: No, but it comes with bookmarks.
Me: Oh…(puzzled look on my face). They’re freakin’ charging $30 more for bookmarks?
Edwin: Yeah…
Me: Okay, that’s dumb…(5 minutes of silence pass cuz I’m still wondering why you’d pay $60 just for bookmarks). Are they gold-plated?
Edwin: What?
Me: The bookmarks?
Edwin: No. They’re just bookmarks. They look like stone.
Me: Oh okay…(Stone? still puzzled. 5 more minutes pass)…Why the hell would you pay $30 extra for bookmarks? Must be like a set of collectible ones huh?
Edwin: Naw, they’re just bookmarks. There’s two of them. Remember that part when they’re on the boat going down the river and they see the huge statues of the former kings and they’re like this to each other? (Edwin makes a gesture with his hand as if to say “Stop in the name of love.”) They hold up the books on each side.
Me: THOSE ARE BOOKENDS DUDE!
Edwin: Oh…we never had this conversation…
In his own words: “Yeah, I bet you guys can’t even wear BELLYbottoms.” – It’s BELLbottoms dummy!

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS!

This past friday, Iya, my sister and I went to Barnes & Noble to "study." What ended up happening was, the three of us sat at one of the tables at Starbucks, my sister did homework and Iya and I talked...well, I talked and Iya listened. I hadn't talked to her in a week and I had a lot of stuff to cover!! YOU'RE SUCH A GREAT LISTENER IYA! We had fun reading through horoscope books to see if what they say about our signs is true and which signs we're compatible with. HILARIOUS!! So we've established that Iya the scorpio (which is the sex sign of the zodiac by the way) is, in short, jealous, secretive, manipulative and fierce. (IYA? Manipulative and fierce? No way!) In addition, she's attracted to "rock stars and guys who are already involved with someone." INTERESTING EH? She's compatible with another scorpio daw. She hasn't met any male scorpios though so please be on the lookout for her, thanks! I am an aquarius (the friendly sign of the zodiac, which validates my fortune in having you all in my life, but sadly also reaffirms my lack of "lovers"). I am a free-spirited individual who loves her freedom apparently. Based on this fact, I've hypothesized that maybe the reason why I've never had a boyfriend is because deep inside my subconscious, I really don't want one (added to my inability to communicate emotions but that's another entry)...Hmm, don't quote me on that though because Friday night was also spent talking about crushes.

I told Iya that eversince she and Mark broke up and I've been hanging out with her more, I've gotten as boy crazy as she is. I feel like I'm 10 times more aware of minor and major attractions towards the opposite sex in the last 2 years. Crushes are super-fun...when they REMAIN crushes that is. Once you pass that and enter the "like" zone, THEN it can become heartbreaking, but that, too, is another blog entry to be explored...

So...what do you guys know about YOUR signs?

Check it out here

RUN FORREST!!

What a perfect day it was today. Sunny and hot, the climate was right for a walk on the Santa Monica Pier, a stroll down Larchmont, a day at the park...and a marathon! I would like to take a moment to give a big, huge congratulations to Ate Tin-Tin, Annie, Leia, Fantone and Jeff for finishing the LA Marathon!!!! Joined by Cile, Tommy, Andrew, Gwen and Joe (DeLos not mama), I stood in front of St. Brendan Church observing in woderment as thousands of people walked, jogged and ran through mile 21! In all the years I've been an LA resident, I've never once sat/stood along the marathon route. 26 MILES!!! Holy Lord! I do 15 minutes on the treadmill and I'm sore as hell! Mucho pride for these five friends of mine! Perhaps next year we'll join you!...Or stand by and wait to give you Gatorade...whichever...

CONDOLENCES

Will everyone please pray for one of our friends, Cheryl and her family? Her grandmother passed away this week and I’m sure they’d all appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

LET THE SUN SHINE

Is that what the sky really looks like? I had almost forgotten! After weeks of rainy, lethargic weather, here we are under the bright blue backdrop that is the sky. The first sunny day after a rainstorm is one of my favorite things! I love how windy it is after a storm so that there isn’t any smog looming over us. As Molly Shannon’s SNL character the joyolist would say, “I love it I love it I love it!”

I’m in such a weird mood right now. I think it’s because I’m keeping myself from being a stressed about nothing and just being cool. On Sunday, after our drive down from Running Springs, my friend Thuy and I were getting out of the car at St. Elizabeth’s and I was all short of breath cuz I was scared we were gonna be late. So she put her hand on my shoulder and she’s like, “Anna, relax. We’re here, everything’s gonna be fine.” And I was like, yeah Anna, chillax…

Ok that’s all. I just wanted to share that with all of you!

FIGHTING DESTINY

Please take a few seconds and read the following lyrics to a song by Basil Valdez, a Filipino legend when it comes to singing and song-writing.

LIFT UP YOUR HANDS

Life is not at all that bad, my friend
If you believe in yourself
If you believe there's Someone
Who walks through life with you
You'll never be alone
Just learn to reach out,
And open your heart
Lift up your hands to God,
And He'll show you the way.

And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me
Those who are heavily laden,
Come to Me, all of you who are tired
Of carrying heavy loads,
For the yoke I will give you is easy
And My burden is light,
Come to Me and I will give you rest."

When you feel the world
Is tumblin' down on you,
And you have no one
That you can hold on to,
Just face the rising sun
And you'll see hope,
And there's no need to run
Lift up your hands to God,
And He'll make you feel all right.

And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me
Those who are heavily laden,
Come to Me, all of you who are tired
Of carrying heavy loads,
For the yoke I will give you is easy
And My burden is light,
Come to Me and I will give you rest."

I spent the weekend up in Running Springs (it's by Big Bear, but not quite so far up) to help out with a retreat. Actually, I almost didn't make it. All week last week I struggled with this decision and it seemed that every time I stumbled upon a reason not to go, something or someone always found a way for me to make it. I don't know what was stopping me. Homework? Family gatherings and obligations? A friend's party? All of it mattered to me, but something inside kept pushing me to go. I literally decided to attend the retreat late Thursday evening and I packed so haphazzardly that I didn't even know what the heck I put into my duffle bag when it was time for me to change on Saturday afternoon.

So I did participate and I'm so glad I did. It's funny how God works sometimes. We ask for help, we ask for relief and when it comes time for our prayers to be answered, we're so pre-occupied that we don't notice it. The last few months have been nothing short of hectic for me and as much as I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, I suddenly grew very tired and I felt like I was wearing myself thin trying to participate in every event, every outing, every conversation, etc. I remember saying how I'd love to just be away for a weekend with my cell phone off...just me. But alone time, I've found, is a luxury. This past weekend looked like another task to me when I first thought of going to this retreat. But I'd have to say that it was exactly where I was supposed to be. Granted I was accompanied by at least 40 or 50 other people (wonderful wonderful newfound friends!), our reason for being up there was where I found solace: to be away from our daily stresses and spend some time with God. Just me and You, God.

I've been teased since I was little about being "holy" or "immaculate" and at first I thought it was a compliment. Later on it became a burden; as if I were this prude putting on a show for people. "Look at me, holier than thou." It was never about that, but I know it's what some of my friends might've thought. For a long while I did re-examine this theory. WAS I being self-righteous or did others just not understand? And then I realized, it's no one's business and my faith is my own.

LIFT UP YOUR HANDS (reminds me of my friend Glenn, but that's a story to be heard from the eye witnesses...hee hee hee...Dorothee, write about it in your blog please!) - I love this song because it signifies a solution to everything I find difficult to understand or deal with, and that's prayer. I can't recommend it enough.

Getting to know...

Jesus Christ...aka JC...ha ha ha...jk
Vitals: Met when I was only 1 month old. That was my baptism day = 26 years and counting
Role In My Life: Friend, Brother, Father / Lord and Savior - As I've gotten older, I've come to personify our God as not only this entity we Catholics worship in the silent prayers of our hearts or praise during weekly mass, but a Spirit who lives in everything and everyone; a source of faith we turn to in times of joy and especially in times of sadness and pain.
Good Times: Everytime something good or bad happens, there He is beside me.
In His own words: "And I tell you, ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will open to you." (LUKE 11:9)