Iya contemplating at Pearl Harbor: "Really? Am I really almost 30?"
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Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
ITCHING
Gosh I've been wanting to blog about like a hundred things but I haven't had the time! Soon though. I've got all these entries in my word files at work (probably soon to be read by someone in the office. That would NOT be cool!).
Anyhow, I hope you're all having a good week so far. Mine's been pretty good actually. I think maybe it's because I'm not Little Miss Whiney & Grumpy lately. Enjoy it while it lasts guys! Hee hee hee hee...ByeByeBye for now (My little *NSYNC tribute. I miss those guys!)!!!
Gosh I've been wanting to blog about like a hundred things but I haven't had the time! Soon though. I've got all these entries in my word files at work (probably soon to be read by someone in the office. That would NOT be cool!).
Anyhow, I hope you're all having a good week so far. Mine's been pretty good actually. I think maybe it's because I'm not Little Miss Whiney & Grumpy lately. Enjoy it while it lasts guys! Hee hee hee hee...ByeByeBye for now (My little *NSYNC tribute. I miss those guys!)!!!
Sunday, November 07, 2004
CLEANING, COMEDY AND COPS
Our house is finally livable again! Today marks the last day I’m going to be cleaning up because of the darn remodelling and I can’t tell you how happy I am! I’M FREAKIN’ ECSTATIC RIGHT NOW! All the furniture is where they’re supposed to be. All the boxes of extraneous clutter have either been put away, given away or thrown away. Our closets seem fuller, yes, but much neater. And the floors and new paint look really nice. My next project is to figure out how I’m going to display pictures, posters and diplomas. It shouldn’t take too long, although I realized last night how I can be OCD at times. Yeah yeah yeah…I know I CAN be. It’s not bad to be organized right? So I like 90-degree angles and symmetry! So what? Too bad that as neat of a person as I am, there are times when I just can’t find ANTHING in this room!
Anyhow, after the morning/afternoon we spent cleaning, I went to mass and then headed off for yet another great evening spent in the company of great friends, delicious food and wonderful entertainment. After a gratifying meal at the Argentinian restaurant, Lala’s, a bunch of us went to go see a show by the Groundlings. It’s set in this small theater on Melrose, surrounded by restaurants and shops (with Pink’s Hot Dogs around the corner). The show tonight was one hilarious sketch comedy on top of another. This place not only host shows for ticket sales, but as a teaching tool as well. This comedy club/school boasts some popular comedians you’ve probably seen in film and tv, including freakin’ Pat Morita (yes, Mr. Miyagi), Jon Lovitz, Kathy Griffin PLUS SNL’s own Phil Hartman, Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gastyer, Julia Sweeney and Seth Meyer. I think they’re so amazing! It’s not easy to make people laugh. Actually, I’ve heard a lot of actors say that it’s much easier to make someone cry than it is to make them cackle. And cackle they did make the audience do tonight.
After Groundlings, we walked 4 blocks back to our car from Stir Crazy, this coffee place we got a chance to sit, talk and analyze each other’s goings-on. On the way, a police car whizzes by, a helicopter is literally circling the area, and this guy walking with us across the street from Bungalow club is holding a t-shirt to his left ear and neck because was bleeding. So…the nosey people that we are, the 10 of us stood there across the street where the cops apprehended this other guy and sirened their way out. And then when I got to my car I discovered that I had gotten a $40 parking ticket. Oh well, what can I do? That’s what I get for not reading signs more carefully. Anyhow, it was a fun evening! Thanks everyone! Tomorrow, Sunday I tackle some accounting homework and an accounting project. Gee, I can’t wait…
Friday, November 05, 2004
AIRPORTS, MEXICAN FOOD, BOWLING AND SANTA MONICA BLVD
Airports
Before all this crazy election week happened, I had a funfilled weekend! On Friday night we had to pick up my aunt, uncle and cousin at the airport. They arrived here from New York to stopover before they had to head back to the Philippines the next evening. We got to hang out for less than 24 hours, but every little minute we were doing something together so it was ok. My mom and I took them to the DSW at Paseo Colorado to go shoe shopping. I’m not much of a shoe person, but dude! When you’re there you wanna like try on everything you think would look good on you! actually there are these adidas sneakers I saw in a store up north like 2 months ago and I’ve been looking for them ALL OVER THE PLACE! No luck though…
Mexican Food & Bowling
That Saturday night, we celebrated Ate Tin-Tin’s birthday at a Mexican restaurant in Orange called “Moreno’s.” My sister and I shared a tamale/cheese enchilada combo, complete with Spanish rice and beans…mmmmmm, heart attack on a plate! Loved it! The atmosphere was truly authentic. No sign of wannabe Mexican flavor a la Chevy’s here. There was a mariachi band walking around the restaurant (from the patio to the inside) playing everything from traditional mariachi sounds to, get this, “It’s A Small World,” much to the pleasure of a buzzed Ate Tin-Tin, who, by the end of the dinner had on the natural eye shadow that appears when she’s had too much alcohol.
With our stomachs filled and our moods uplifted with each other’s mere company, we headed to Concourse Lanes for some bowling. Cile, Joe and I were filled with nostalgia! Us “LA Peeps” went through a bit of a bowling phase back in college (Gee, THAT doesn’t sound too great!). We used to be at Hollywood Lanes at least 2-3 times a week! And it used to be open 24/7 so we’d be bowling at like 1 in the morning! Anyhow, I digress. Saturday’s bowling was just as fun! The best I did was a spare in the 7th frame of the 2nd game! HALLO!!!! I averaged about 7-8 pins per frame and pretty much romalioed the rest (FYI: “ROMALIO!” is a term we yell for people who bowl gutters). Anyhow, at 10:30 the alley turned off most of the lights and played some music, so we bowled AND shook our booties to Christina Aguilera, Blackeyed Peas and some other hip hoppin’ sounds. HOW FUN IS THAT! Everyone was getting all crazy! Jason (aka Lusty) and Jean seriously thought they were at a club dancing and drinking on the side; Isa and I were doing cheers and Kay was doing one of her famous dances. By the way, Kay and Pat? M.F.E.O. (That’s from Sleepless in Seattle. Look it up if you don’t know what it means) Anyhow, please ask her to dance for you when you see her. Ha ha ha…I’m laughing just thinking about it right now! Anyhow, the evening ended with Ate opening up her gifts galore, which included a yoga mat, coffee maker, Pepperdine sweatshirt and license plate frame, coffee, the Mulan dvd and a gift certificate to BJ’s. Hooray! (Click to see pictures on the side!)
Halloween on Santa Monica Blvd
I’ve never really been the celebrate-and-get-all-crazy-on-Halloween kind of gal. Actually, we’ve only just barely started participating in Halloween festivities these last few years. But I don’t think you can say you’ve celebrated All Hallows Eve until you’ve spent it in LA. We began the evening at Cile’s house giving out candy to the dozens upon dozens of kids trick-or-treating around her neighborhood. We saw all kinds of costumes and the excited look on all the children’s faces (the ones that weren’t covered with masks that is) really brought me the holiday spirit that I had forgotten about for so long. Everyone and their dog was there! There were like 2-3 sets of Fanta "girls," like 10 Britney Spears, 50 sailors and more I can't even begin to tell you about. (Click to see the pictures on the side!) Happy weekend everyone!!
Airports
Before all this crazy election week happened, I had a funfilled weekend! On Friday night we had to pick up my aunt, uncle and cousin at the airport. They arrived here from New York to stopover before they had to head back to the Philippines the next evening. We got to hang out for less than 24 hours, but every little minute we were doing something together so it was ok. My mom and I took them to the DSW at Paseo Colorado to go shoe shopping. I’m not much of a shoe person, but dude! When you’re there you wanna like try on everything you think would look good on you! actually there are these adidas sneakers I saw in a store up north like 2 months ago and I’ve been looking for them ALL OVER THE PLACE! No luck though…
Mexican Food & Bowling
That Saturday night, we celebrated Ate Tin-Tin’s birthday at a Mexican restaurant in Orange called “Moreno’s.” My sister and I shared a tamale/cheese enchilada combo, complete with Spanish rice and beans…mmmmmm, heart attack on a plate! Loved it! The atmosphere was truly authentic. No sign of wannabe Mexican flavor a la Chevy’s here. There was a mariachi band walking around the restaurant (from the patio to the inside) playing everything from traditional mariachi sounds to, get this, “It’s A Small World,” much to the pleasure of a buzzed Ate Tin-Tin, who, by the end of the dinner had on the natural eye shadow that appears when she’s had too much alcohol.
With our stomachs filled and our moods uplifted with each other’s mere company, we headed to Concourse Lanes for some bowling. Cile, Joe and I were filled with nostalgia! Us “LA Peeps” went through a bit of a bowling phase back in college (Gee, THAT doesn’t sound too great!). We used to be at Hollywood Lanes at least 2-3 times a week! And it used to be open 24/7 so we’d be bowling at like 1 in the morning! Anyhow, I digress. Saturday’s bowling was just as fun! The best I did was a spare in the 7th frame of the 2nd game! HALLO!!!! I averaged about 7-8 pins per frame and pretty much romalioed the rest (FYI: “ROMALIO!” is a term we yell for people who bowl gutters). Anyhow, at 10:30 the alley turned off most of the lights and played some music, so we bowled AND shook our booties to Christina Aguilera, Blackeyed Peas and some other hip hoppin’ sounds. HOW FUN IS THAT! Everyone was getting all crazy! Jason (aka Lusty) and Jean seriously thought they were at a club dancing and drinking on the side; Isa and I were doing cheers and Kay was doing one of her famous dances. By the way, Kay and Pat? M.F.E.O. (That’s from Sleepless in Seattle. Look it up if you don’t know what it means) Anyhow, please ask her to dance for you when you see her. Ha ha ha…I’m laughing just thinking about it right now! Anyhow, the evening ended with Ate opening up her gifts galore, which included a yoga mat, coffee maker, Pepperdine sweatshirt and license plate frame, coffee, the Mulan dvd and a gift certificate to BJ’s. Hooray! (Click to see pictures on the side!)
Halloween on Santa Monica Blvd
I’ve never really been the celebrate-and-get-all-crazy-on-Halloween kind of gal. Actually, we’ve only just barely started participating in Halloween festivities these last few years. But I don’t think you can say you’ve celebrated All Hallows Eve until you’ve spent it in LA. We began the evening at Cile’s house giving out candy to the dozens upon dozens of kids trick-or-treating around her neighborhood. We saw all kinds of costumes and the excited look on all the children’s faces (the ones that weren’t covered with masks that is) really brought me the holiday spirit that I had forgotten about for so long. Everyone and their dog was there! There were like 2-3 sets of Fanta "girls," like 10 Britney Spears, 50 sailors and more I can't even begin to tell you about. (Click to see the pictures on the side!) Happy weekend everyone!!
MOM AND THE STUD FINDER
Have you guys ever heard of stud finders? No, they’re not devices that help you find guys! They’re these handheld things that you guide along a wall in search of “studs” aka wooden planks. This is just in case you want to hang something on the wall but want to assure that you’re not hammering a nail onto drywall. Anyhow, since we had to paint the rooms in my house, we had to take down everything we had hanging on the walls. We borrowed a stud finder from my co-worker, Tony, so we could re-hang all our picture frames and coat racks properly. It’s a pretty nifty device and when Tony handed it to my mom yesterday, she was so fascinated by it. Just how fascinated? When I got downstairs this morning I saw my mom running the stud finder along the wall of the staircase and I was like, “Ummmm, mom? What’re you doing?” And she jolted like she got caught doing something dumb (which she was), so she was like, “Oh, I’m just practicing.” Oh man…
Have you guys ever heard of stud finders? No, they’re not devices that help you find guys! They’re these handheld things that you guide along a wall in search of “studs” aka wooden planks. This is just in case you want to hang something on the wall but want to assure that you’re not hammering a nail onto drywall. Anyhow, since we had to paint the rooms in my house, we had to take down everything we had hanging on the walls. We borrowed a stud finder from my co-worker, Tony, so we could re-hang all our picture frames and coat racks properly. It’s a pretty nifty device and when Tony handed it to my mom yesterday, she was so fascinated by it. Just how fascinated? When I got downstairs this morning I saw my mom running the stud finder along the wall of the staircase and I was like, “Ummmm, mom? What’re you doing?” And she jolted like she got caught doing something dumb (which she was), so she was like, “Oh, I’m just practicing.” Oh man…
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
PRACTICING DEMOCRACY
Hey everyone! In MTV’s famous words, don’t forget to “ROCK THE VOTE!” It doesn’t matter who or what you vote for, just vote! It’s one of our most unique privileges as Americans! I’m kind of excited and scared at the same time. I SHOULD have been able to vote in the last presidential election in 2000. I was in Washington, DC for crying out loud! How awesome would that have been? But my absentee ballot never came =(. It was fun watching everyone else around me be all crazy though. Ha ha ha… I’m just a little concerned because I still need to read up on the issues to make an informed decision tonight. Here’s hoping…
*Another funny Cile moment: So Cile, James and I were on 3-way last night and we were talking about the candidates and the propositions on the ballot. James is Canadian (as he will proudly tell you) so Cile asked him very innocently: “Hey James, in Canada, do you have a president like we do? Or do you have like kings and stuff?” hee hee hee…LOVE YOU CILE!
Getting to know...
FRANK L. GONDA aka TATAY
Vitals: Met when I was a wee little baby in the Philippines. He’s my daddy’s daddy – 26 years and counting
Role In My Life: Stateside Grandfather – I’m one of the lucky individuals who have been blessed with the presence of both sets of grandparents for a good 25 years of my life. I’m so very grateful for this opportunity and Tatay is one of the four reasons why. I got to L.A. in April of 1982 when I was 4 years old and, aside from my dad who I hadn’t seen in 3 years, my grandfather’s face was a most welcoming source of familiarity in this strange new place that was to be my new home. For as long as we’ve been here, Tatay has been our daily pick-up from school, our source of laughter, our encouraging (although sometimes manipulating) voice and the head of our whole immediate and extended family. My aunts and uncles call him the “Godfather" because every time there’s an issue to deal with, everyone looks to him for guidance. He’s also an EXCELLENT cook and wonderful pianist.
Good Times: Tatay used to be the night auditor for the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown so he would sleep ALL DAY and then leave for work at about 9:00 pm. I distinctly remember seeing him on the recliner like 24/7 and I guess it didn’t click to me until later on why. Anyhow, I learned how to tie a necktie because of Tatay. I used to “help” him with it before he went to work every night. He always used to ask me which suit he should wear with what shirt and tie and I chose ever so carefully with the greatest of pride.
In his own words: “Just try and try and in the long of run, you will success.”
FRANK L. GONDA aka TATAY
Vitals: Met when I was a wee little baby in the Philippines. He’s my daddy’s daddy – 26 years and counting
Role In My Life: Stateside Grandfather – I’m one of the lucky individuals who have been blessed with the presence of both sets of grandparents for a good 25 years of my life. I’m so very grateful for this opportunity and Tatay is one of the four reasons why. I got to L.A. in April of 1982 when I was 4 years old and, aside from my dad who I hadn’t seen in 3 years, my grandfather’s face was a most welcoming source of familiarity in this strange new place that was to be my new home. For as long as we’ve been here, Tatay has been our daily pick-up from school, our source of laughter, our encouraging (although sometimes manipulating) voice and the head of our whole immediate and extended family. My aunts and uncles call him the “Godfather" because every time there’s an issue to deal with, everyone looks to him for guidance. He’s also an EXCELLENT cook and wonderful pianist.
Good Times: Tatay used to be the night auditor for the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown so he would sleep ALL DAY and then leave for work at about 9:00 pm. I distinctly remember seeing him on the recliner like 24/7 and I guess it didn’t click to me until later on why. Anyhow, I learned how to tie a necktie because of Tatay. I used to “help” him with it before he went to work every night. He always used to ask me which suit he should wear with what shirt and tie and I chose ever so carefully with the greatest of pride.
In his own words: “Just try and try and in the long of run, you will success.”
Monday, November 01, 2004
NOW...
I'm in class...Earned Income Credit...Wage-Bracket Method...blah blah blah...Hi guys! How were your weekends? Did anyone else have to work besides poor Joemama who might as well have not gone home Friday? Or Miss Rachele Mac who had to do report cards? Did you all dress up for Halloween? Ok, I guess I'll go pay attention now...=P Chat with you all after!
Hastalamalagalaters!!!
I'm in class...Earned Income Credit...Wage-Bracket Method...blah blah blah...Hi guys! How were your weekends? Did anyone else have to work besides poor Joemama who might as well have not gone home Friday? Or Miss Rachele Mac who had to do report cards? Did you all dress up for Halloween? Ok, I guess I'll go pay attention now...=P Chat with you all after!
Hastalamalagalaters!!!
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