Asking For It

I don't condone violence, especially when it comes to sports. But seriously, what dumbass would walk into the Staples Center in a Celtics jersey and not expect to suffer for it. Buddy, for what you pulled, I hope KG invites you over for dinner to say thanks.

mutual [myoo-choo-uhl]

having the same relation each toward the other; possessed in common;common to or shared by two or more parties

Synonyms include: common, shared

It's so funny what can create bonds between friends, strangers even. Take this past year, for instance. I've been a Laker fan since I was about 10 years old. We initially got cable for one reason and one reason only: to have Prime Ticket so we could watch home games. Over the years I've come to appreciate more than the excitement of watching the game. As I've gotten older, the sport, the team, down to the individual athlete, have become sources of passionate fanatacism for me. Suddenly, basketball didn't feel like just any hobby (especially since I can barely play) or interest. It became a part of life...at least from October through June (if you're lucky).

This past season has been a special one though; not because Kobe stayed, not because Pau is here, not because the Lakers have done so well. It's because I've had so many people to share in the load of being a fan. Not that Dad isn't enough. Having someone to scream at the tv with is plenty. But the fact that I get texted cheers or profanities before, during and after a game, the fact that email tagging during the workday often resembles a roundtable of NBA analysts, and the fact that I suddenly have backup against those haters...ok, really just ONE hater =) , this season certainly is a special one.

I don't know what Tuesday's game will bring. Will the Lakers force a game 7 or will the Celtics finally win that trophy? No matter how this season ends, there is a support system on deck to either share in the misery or share in the joy.

WHY DON'T YOU JUST RIP MY HEART OUT AND DRIBBLE THE BALL ALL OVER IT?!!!!

I wish I were sitting at Waikiki Beach...

...or strolling by the Colosseum...

...on a gondola in Venice...
...maybe driving through Tuscany...

...or enjoying London sights...

...perhaps watching Kobe and the boys shoot around...

I wish I were anywhere but here...

scrappy [skrap-ee]

fond of fighting, arguing, or competing; full of fighting spirit

Synonyms include: combative, contengious, quarelsome

The Lakers won tonight not only because of their MVP, but because of Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic and the rest of their backcourt (D-Fish and Jordie). The frontline basically let the Celtics have their way with them. Since the first round, Pau's efficiency has suffered, L.O.'s ability and sleekness is erratic, and VladRad, well, I'd rather not say.

I'm no fair-weather fan. I don't love the team only when they win. I'll love them for their resilience though...no matter how scrappy and intense it gets, and it did get scrappy tonight. That double technical between Jordie and PJ Brown? Loved it. Play angry, play like you want it and no golden girl like PJ Brown is gonna ruin it.
This picture below just CRACKED ME THE HELL UP! Oh Ronny, SO not necessary. hahaha!
Anyhoo, Game 4 is on Thursday. Lakers, seriously, GET IT TOGETHER. The Celtics were barely in it tonight and you guys only won by 6 AND you trailed. C'mon now boys!!! They're not gonna have two bad games in a row. Scrap it out 'til the buzzer sounds!!

finale [fi-nal-ee]

the last piece, division, or movement of a concert, opera, or composition; the concluding part of any performance, course of proceedings, etc.; end

Synonyms include: closing, conclusion, ending, finish

We've had a shining star in our midst the last few days - my (and I use this term loosely) baby sister, Tin. This last year of high school has not only been a busy one for her, but for everyone who cares to witness all the things that matter to her right now. Basketball games, meetings, awards nights - we've all had our share these last 4 years. But this past week was special.

Last Wednesday, we were treated to Tin's Senior Awards Night. My parents have always wished for us to do and be our best, never telling us to be doctors, nurses...American Idol winners, haha; they worry when we fall short, but never fear we won't go the distance eventually. They're happy when we're happy with our work, and rejoice when we are recognized for it. Tin was recognized a few times last Wednesday, and my parents have yet to stop beaming.
On Friday night, Tin had her baccalaureate mass at St. Finbar. As a pre-dominantly Catholic community, Providence High School took this time to gather all the graduates and their families for mass to thank God for the last 4 years of school and to pray for the continued success and safety of every student. Each graduate presented their parents with a rose as a sign of peace and thanks and I swear my mom was fighting back her tears.
Sunday morning was the day that my sister and her friends had been looking forward to for years. Bittersweet though graduations are, the anticipation and excitement in the air never fail to embrace those whose lives are turning yet another corner; and this afternoon, it was Tin and her 144 friends who were anointed Providence alumni and baptized college students.
For me, there are no words left to channel joy. I asked for a younger sibling when I was little, to play with, to be a big sister to, etc. That's all a sibling was for me back then - an accessory to have at my disposal. Today I have a younger sister, who is so much more than a playmate. She is a young woman, talented, intelligent, kind (except when she's around her Ate Riann and Ninang Tin), hilarious, voted "Everyone's Best Friend," and though a pain in the rear sometimes, is someone I'm very proud of.

HOORAY TIN!!!

CONGRATULATIONS

LEETLE SEESTER!!!

My Favorite Book

Anne of Green Gables - my all-time favorite book, favorite series! It was because of this book that I even realized what it felt like to really love and enjoy reading and writing. This scene was from the third book in the series, Anne of the Island. Even now I can still remember reading this last scene in the book over and over again, wishing I was Anne, having just published her first book, and now holding her Gilbert =).

I THINK I'LL BUY THE BOX SET!!! Today was a bad day, dammit! I deserve it! haha!

Italian phrase of the day:

Quante canzoni hai sul tuo iPod?

Which translates to:

How many songs to you have on your iPod?


Hahaha! ok, just needed to take 30 seconds from work...back to it now...waaaaaa!!!

redeem [ri-deem]
to buy or pay off; clear by payment; to make up for; make amends for; offset;to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by paying a ransom
Synonyms include: atone, balance, compensate

Time for some non-NBA playoff blogging! Hooray!

I watched Sex and the City: The Movie last night. Hardly a superfan of the show, I've only seen a few episodes, but there are specific scenes embedded in the brain, a bundle of lines cleverly spoken by Carrie Bradshaw's voiceover is scribbled in my journal, and a couple of episodes certainly stand out. I'm not a fan, but I am woman.

Yes, the show's primary audience is chicks ("chix" to you, Leia Beth. haha!), but not because it depicts four women who do nothing but shop, have sex and eat without seeming to gain ANY weight (a fantasy, ladies, I know). The audience it draws is women because the show is about women - women who take chances on love and fail...but sometimes succeed; women who make a lot of mistakes in life...but live to face another episiode; women who, in the absence of romantic love and men in general, find solace and refuge in each other's friendships. For me, Sex and the City is all about achieving the one thing we all seek when we are hoodwinked by the hearts we wear on our sleeves: REDEMPTION.

Through personal experience and observation, I've discovered:

My 3 R's of Achieving Redemption

RECOGNIZE - So you were led on (either by him or, sadly, yourself). How long before the charade of, "I'm okay's" and "This isn't worth my tears" comes to an end? How long before placing blame, making excuses and finding comfort in avoiding any and everything remotely related to the situation going to cease? Step 1 is admitting the emotions we're trying to ignore are there. It's ok to feel like a fool. It's ok to be angry and hateful. It's ok to be selfish for awhile. But recognize that the reason festering in your veins will be there whether you acknowledge it or not so better to say, "I know you're in there - but not for long," than to pretend it doesn't exist and allow it to seep through your pores unknowingly like poisonous waste that'll just infect all the goodness that surrounds you.

RELEASE - You can try to be as silent and hermitlike as you want. You can sit in the darkness of your bedroom and hope that people will stop asking how you feel so that you can stop searching for new ways to look and sound composed. But when you feel bereft of pride, and all you seem to own is humility and pain, the greatest blessings you can ever receive without having to ask for it, is a God who will listen to desperate prayers, a family who will comfort you without having to know why, and friends who have the best timing. Share your burden with people who are willing to carry it with you.

RECONSTRUCT - It's difficult to feel like an entire person when you've given so much of yourself to something that is no longer there. There is no secret to building yourself back up, except to do it brick by brick. Go back to something familiar or try something new. In any case, it all begins and progresses the same way - one step at a time, one day at a time. The catalyst is in how much sooner you'd like a life back.

I don't claim to be an expert on relationships, but I'd consider myself an emotion connoisseur. A feeling is a feeling - you don't need to have been in a 5-year relationship to know and understand what it's like to misunderstand everything and have to suffer because of it. But the silver lining is what it feels like when that R-word comes back around...that feeling's positively perfect.

Congratulations are due to the latest engaged couples:

Yay, Big Sis & Will!!

Hooray Joemama & Cat!!!

Wonderful wishes to you all!!!