My Life, My Choice

NJDONA at the AtlantiC City

2008-05-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

My friend and colleague Ed Ruiz was nominated and won the 2008 New Jersey Association Directors of Nursing Administration (NJADONA)LPN of the Year. We were given the opportunity to attend the exhibit, conference and awarding dinner at the Trump Mahal at Atlantic City, NJ. I was so thankful that Joey allowed me to go with my colleagues for an overnight stay at AC to attend the awards dinner as well as the following day's activities.

I went with our Director Rosanna Luna and Assistant Director and my good friend Jeannette Nunziata. Jeannette was at the wheel for 3 hrs but she said she didn't mind it so I gladly took the role of a good passenger. :) Travel was fast and uneventful. We arrived at around 4PM. Went to the different vendor's booth.

I will have to say that the vendors are all creative as they tried to decorate their booths according to theme "ExZOOberance in Nursing." Met lots of people, took a LOT of give aways and enjoyed my day out.

Went to the slot machines before dinner the dinner party. I actually won a couple of bucks at this point.

Then it was time to attend the awards dinner.

After dinner, there was a party without pictures **wink** **wink** basically because everyone in our team were so happy to just relax and be among colleagues.

Went back to the slots after the party. Lost what I won and then some more. Oh well, I don't gamble all the time anyway.

Slept after I reached my gambling limit. I shared the room with Ate Rosanna. Considering it's my first night to be away from my family in a long time, I surprisingly slept well. Must be the 3 hrs trip + all the walking that we did.

Woke up and visited the booths some more. Ed and I drove back home and reached Bergen County at 4PM. So happy to see my kids and Joey. I got my energy back as soon as I was home. We went to make "pasyal" right away, but that's a subject for another post.

Happy Birthday Joey!

2008-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Late post of Joey's birthday celebration at Lake George, NY. Joey was sick the 3 days we were there :( but the kids really enjoyed the place this time around.
We had our usual brunch at Denny's! Shop for our supplies at Walmart.
We discovered a nearby Panera and a KFC that serves a mean rootbeer float.
And of course I shopped at the nearby outlet mall :D
See you next time, Lake George.

Tagged by Doths

2008-01-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

1. Can you name one person who made you laugh last night? Janine (my daughter)
2. What were you doing at 0800? Preparing my kids' school meals
4. What happened to you in 2006? Got my driver's license
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Put it on! (to Janine)
6. How many beverages did you have today? 2 cups of coffee and a glass of water
7. What color is your hairbrush? Beige
8. What was the last thing you paid for? snack at McDonald's
9. Where were you last night? At home, surfing the Internet
10. What color is your front door? Dirty white :-)
11. Where do you keep your change? In my wallet
12. What’s the weather like today? Cold with flurries
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Brownie Fudge
14. What excites you? Travelling
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Nope
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes
17. Do you talk a lot? Depends on who I'm with
18. Do you watch the O.C.? Nope.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Steven D'Missagia
20. Do you make up your own words? Nah
21. Are you a jealous person? Yes
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Anna
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. *wala e*
25. What does the last text message you received say? Happy 2008!
26. Do you chew on your straw? No.
27. Do you have curly hair? No.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Palisades Mall (if it's not too cold)
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Selective amnesia hehehehe
30. What was the last thing you ate? Apple pie
31. Will you get married in the future? Renewal of vows for my 25th wedding anniversary ;)
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Don't watch movie that much.
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes.
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Last night.
35. Are you currently depressed? No.
36. Did you cry today? No.
37. Why did you answer and post this? Doths tagged me :)
38. 5 people you tag next? Anyone who reads this post is TAGGED!

Christmas Eve 2007

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Breakfast

2007-11-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

The original plan was to wake up early and go to IHOP for Thanksgiving breakfast but I was so "tamad" because I feel cold this morning. So to make it up to them I decided to just make Thanksgiving brekky IHOP style. Cooked eggs, sausage links, pancakes, bacon and toasts. Hot chocolate for the kids and coffee for Joey and me. Said our Thanksgiving prayer. We have so many things to be thankful for this year and the past years. Foremost is our health and the children's happiness. They really like where they are right now and they enjoy school so much -- that's a lot to be thankful for.
Enjoy.

Jin, Juwan and Jaira enjoying the impromptu breakfast

Jin loving his pancakes and eggs

Jaira's turn

Thanksgiving Dinner with the Alipit Family

2007-11-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Our generous hosts were the Alipit Family again. It's our second Thanksgiving dinner at their home. Jin and Jaira were excited to go there because they can play the
piano and do crazy antics with Tito Jun and Tita Tess's blessing. Dinner was sumptuous as ever. Also present were their three binata's Vincent, Paul and Dave.
I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Playing the piano and kulitan 101

Juwan, Jin, Kuya Dave and Janine sharing the feast

Vincent serving the turkey

With our generous friends Kuya Jun and Ate Tess

Kuya Jun and Janine

Black Friday

2007-11-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

Black Friday, also known as the day after Thanksgiving, is a day that signals the official start of the holiday season shopping. Many malls and outlets offer a variety of gimmicks to lure customers to spend their hard-earned money. I, of course, was a willing victim. I braved the cold weather together with Verna (Arvin's wife) to go midnight shopping at the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet in Spring Valley, NY. It was a good 24 miles drive but the adrenaline (and the prospect of having good bargains) kept me awake.

Arrived at the place at around 1115pm. I can't believe there were already lots a people in the area considering that the sales doesn't start until 12midnight. Not! Sales start as early as 1030pm in some stores. The lines of people wanting to buy something in Coach, AX and The North Face were so, so, long. No I didn't even bother to waste my time lining up.

Got really good bargains at Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Carter's and GAP.

Did I mention I got a cute bag at Lacoste? Happy Christmas to me.

The evening was so cold but I was prepared. There were lots of people but everybody were polite and lines were formed properly so there was no Divisoria-type chaos during our shopping spree. Don't get me wrong though. I thrive in the Divisoria-type chaos. It's my shopping mecca for the Christmas seasons I was in Pinas. Miss shopping with Sands and my sister, Malou.
Stopped shopping at around 430am, my body wants more but I'm concerned that Joey will have a fit because it's too late for me to drive back home.
And the madness began. It took me 1 hour just to navigate from my parking spot to the nearest exit, another hour from the exit to the highway and finally a 30-minute uninterrupted drive back home.

The verdict. Will I do it again? Brave the cold, the long lines and the traffic? Hmmmm...Yes, yes, yes. Black Friday at the Woodbury is my night. Thinking of making it a tradition to go there yearly. Hehehe.

Tuyo with Cherry on Top

2007-10-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

It was a cold autumn morning. I'm craving for something to fill my grumbling stomach. I opened the ref and saw what I was looking for -- TUYO!!! Tuyo and champorado might have sent me to heaven but the 4 pieces of fried tuyo, 2 cups of cooked white rice with vinegar and fish sauce dipping on the side surely made me feel I'm in Cloud 9.

Game Time!

2007-09-26T18:59:00.001-07:00

Juwan's into football this year. He joined the Peewee Team of the Northern Valley Eagles. At first I was really hesitant to allow him to join the team because he's too young to be on such an aggressive kind of sport but his enthusiasm for the sport won. Maybe playing too much football on Xbox translated to his wanting to experience the real sport.

During the summer season he has practice everyday. Joey will bring him to practice at 6pm and then me and the other kulits will watch an hour or so later. The practice itself is extensive. Judging by the way the team practices, you'll never think that the PeeWee level is instructional football level.

Now that school has started, Juwan's practice is every M-W-F and then games on the weekend. Joey has to take care of the three kids during the weekends because I still have to work. :( Juwan takes care of himself and all the equipment needs during games and practice. His being responsible was one of the benefits of him joining the team.
And his set of friends is more diverse now. :D

Their team has a 1-1 score card. They're up against Emerson this coming Saturday. Juwan is serious about the coming game because they lost last weekend against Hohokus. As always, we try our best to support him in all his endeavors. :)

Go Juwan!

Pics of Scrimmage against Westwood (Juwan's the kid with the brown shirt sticking out of the practice jersey :D ):

* Pics courtesy of Kathy Fable

School supplies galore

2007-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

With the 3 kulits in tow, I drove to the nearest Target store in the area to buy Juwan and Jin's school supplies. I was surprised because where there used to be aisles lined up with school supplies, there were only a few boxes and a couple of shelves with supplies. I guess that signals school opening is pretty near. Juwan took care of his list while I helped Jin find the things he needed. I was having second thoughts in buying all the supplies in one store but I don't have the luxury of time to shop around so we tried to tick off as much items as we could. After and hour and a half of sorting through brands and prices, we pretty much had everything they needed except for a set of reinforcement rings. Juwan insists on finding the remaining items he needed but he has a 3 o'clock dental appointment so I had to convince him that I'll make time for it next week. Classes don't start until September 5 so we pretty much some time to complete the list.
Lunch was mac and cheese for the little kids, a latte and pizza for me and hotdog and smoothie for Juwan. After lunch we headed to Closter for Juwan's dental appointment.
Tonight Juwan will have football practice but it's a good thing Joey's driving him there because I badly needed sleep.

i.postie

2007-08-15T08:08:00.001-07:00

Part of my everyday routine is to surf the net. I've come across several blogs by friends, relatives or simply "netquaintance" (an acquaintance over the Internet) about paid blogging opportunities. One of the most often mentioned is PayPerPost. Great opportunities abound in this "leading marketplace for Consumer Generated Advertising."

Getting to know about the company, the opportunities and the testimonials by the "Posties" made me all tingly and excited to join this social network that not only allows you to write about what you like but get paid in the process.

Leave my blog for a bit and look for some yummylicious opportunities in PPP (".)

Something to think about...

2007-08-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while ask yourself the question: If money weren't a consideration, what would I like to be doing?

Lake Welch Experience

2007-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

July 5, 2007. No definite plans on where to spend the day. Joey took a day off today to extend his "July 4th" holiday. At around 10am, we just packed into the SUV, turned on the navigation system and tried to look for a not-so-far attraction that will pique our interest. Not a single destination excited us. Then Joey suggested we try out Lake Welch in NY. We've set foot on this place last year when Rene, Augs, Noel, Raz and Jun visited us
here and we were trying to find Woodbury Commons. Why we ended up here is another story altogether.

The GPS didn't "locate" Lake Welch; so just armed with the knowledge that the place is located on Exit 16 of the Palisades Interstate Parkway -- the Sebastians drove off.

We almost missed the exit because it's located in the left side of the rode instead of the usual right exits. It's about 30 minutes drive from our place but it's worth the trip. Entrance is $7 per vehicle. There were no more than 50 people in the area because a) it's only 1030am when we arrived and b) because it's a work day. The man-made lake consists of about half-mile-long sandy beach in the Harriman State Park. The sand is soft on the feet and is perfect for sand castle building. There are designated picnic areas with barbecue grills provided.
Although the breeze was cold that day that didn't stop Juwan, Jin, Jaira and Joey from enjoying this new get-away.

Land of Make Believe

2007-06-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

There were no definite plan but as soon as everybody's schedules were synch'ed, we searched for a not-too-far hide away for the kids. We came uponLand of Make Believe. It's a one hour fifteen minutes drive our house. The GPS proved helpful for us to find the place without any hassles.

We arrived at around 10:30am. There weren't many people there because summer hasn't officially kicked in. The admission price was reasonable at $21. This includes the water park and the amusement park. We all enjoyed the not-so-kiddie rides.

The kids really loved the wading pool and water slides. The place is clean and the staff were courteous.

Jin even got to participate in a Pirate's Play which he immensely enjoyed.

Overall. It's a place that we would love to come back to.

Tagged by Chel

2007-05-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I have two wedding anniversaries ;)
2. I once changed my "religion" in college.
3. I love watching black-and-white Tagalog movies shown in RPN 9 (Dolphy and Panchito, Gloria Romero and Luis Gonzales, etc. ).
4. When I was in Grade 6, I appeared in a Religion-themed game show on Channel 13.
5. I used to sell palamig and Indian mango in front of our house during summer vacation when I was in elementary school.
6. I almost died.
7. I did my siblings' homework or school projects but in exchange they do my share of household chores.

I'm tagging Sands, Tabel, Doths, Beng, Don, Raz, Apaul.

Juwan got a Wii

2007-05-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Juwan got his 10th year birthday gift from his Dad. A Nintendo Wii that was a hit from the time the box was opened. Dangan nga lang at mas nauna pa ang Mommy niya na maglaro kesa sa kanya. Of all the consoles/games that he has, eto ang aagawin ko sa kanya parati :P

Happy Birthday Juwan. Thank you for being a responsible son who always tries his very best to make us proud. May the good Lord continually bless you with good health, happiness and success. Remember that we will be here for you for always. We love you anak.

One Fine Spring Day at the Bronx Zoo (Bronx, NY)

2007-05-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

One of our resolution this year is for the kids to be exposed to recreational activities as much as time and resources will allow us. Our stars got aligned for this particular trip because a) Kuya Eric (Laqui) offered to tour us to the Bronx Zoo b) the kids are off school for a week-long Spring Break and c) Wednesdays are "donations-only" days so I won't have to pay the $14++ entrance fee per person to the zoo.

The kids were all excited on the thought of going to the zoo. And we were not disappointed :D There were lotsa animals and attractions. We immensely enjoyed the outing. Jaira didn't want to go home but I promised her that we'll come back another time.

Eto mga pichoors:

Bronx Zoo Adventure

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2007-04-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Daddy, I thank you -- for being patient with me and loving me unconditionally.
For showing Juwan, Jin and Jaira that they're always loved.
For being the "big" kid in the house and making sure the little kids have their playmate.
For hiding your fear when I'm in the driver's seat.
For taking time to prepare my coffee and my food when I need to go to work.

May the Lord give you strength to carry on with life's many challenges, good health and a full life. You deserve all the best.

Suportahan taka. I love you. Happy Birthday!

Birthdays Galore

2007-04-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

April 2. Three beautiful persons were brought to the world on different times but for the same purpose - to share their love, beauty and intelligence to the mankind. Ala Miss Universe kumbaga.
To my wonderful anaks, biological and otherwise, Happy Birthday. Love you all.

Jaira

Doths

Apaul

They share the same birthdate and loving attitude in life.

Salamat Ford Thunderbird!

2007-03-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Adieu 1992 Ford Thunderbird!

Thank you for serving us well!

Ang sarap ng may nagmamahal sa iyo!

2007-03-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

I've been driving a beaten and battered 1992 Ford Thunderbird for months now. Occasionally it will sputter and stutter -- signs that it's still working.

Then I got my advance birthday gift.

Can't contain my happiness.

Love you, Daddy.

Pasko, Pasko, Pasko na namang muli!

2006-12-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

Pasko para sa mga bata at mga batang isip

Trick or Treat?

2006-11-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Halloween is a big event here. Houses have very fancy decors of pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, witches and other scary stuff. Juwan and Jin's school held a Halloween parade and they had a party afterwards. The kids had their first taste of Trick or Treating here. We just went to the streets nearby but after an hour of walking and three bags full of goodies, we just had to go home and call it a very Happy Halloween night.

Jin as the Red Ranger

Juwan as the Black Ninja

Jin with his classmates

Jairasour joins the parade

Trick or treat?

Ayun! May nagbibigay ng candies

The Halloween loot

Apple picking at Demarest Farms

2006-10-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

September Happenings

2006-09-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Been out of the blogging circle for quite some time. Here are some updates on the Sebastians for September.

September 11. First day of school for Juwan and Jin. Jin was excited and scared at the same time. The usual chatterbox was replaced by a silent child. He didn't introduce himself to any of his classmates unlike in the playground where his usual line goes "Hi ! I'm Jin. That's my brother Kuwa and my sister Jai-Jai." Well, I guess going to a big school can change one's disposition sometimes. Here are some of their pics.

Preparing for the first day of school

Waiting in line.

Inside the classroom.

Juwan's excited for class to begin.

September 18.
Jin's special day. He turned 5. There was a very noisy party. The attendees were very noisy during the games and the celebrant was thrilled to have a party :D Simple pleasures talaga.

The birthday boy on his impromptu party :D

The game.

One of the two "guests" ;)

Birthday cake

We've been Zoom-ed!

2006-08-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Joey was sick over the weekend -- mild case of tonsilitis -- so he called in sick Monday morning. He was supposed to get some rest but since it's one of those rare days that we can spend the whole day together, we decided to go malling. Mall is a 15 minutes drive from home. No traffic so he wasn't stressed out. Since it's a Monday afternoon there weren't many people around. Juwan went to his usual destination -- EB Games. No console game interested him that much so he just happily looked at the games available.

We decided to watch a movie, a choice between Ant Bully and Zoom. Juwan wanted to watch the latter. Bought tickets and since we still have an hour until screening time we explored the mall some mall.
There was a new arcade center in the mall which we tried out because a promo guy gave us 3 free tickets for rides. Juwan enjoyed the Haunted House Coaster, rode it twice. Then he tried the Krazy Kars which he didn't enjoy much because he can't control the car.

Jin in his usual "whining" fashion did nothing but cling to me and say "I'm scared. I'm scared." When he stopped the clinging, he made me carry him. Hmmm. Bawal mamalo pag madami tao baka isumbong ako sa Bantay Bata :D Pero kakapikon ha. Gusto kong kurutin. I then decided to go out with him and we visited the pet shop beside the arcade. There were cute but oh-so-expensive dogs. $30-40 guinea pigs. Eh dagang costa lang sa atin yun e. Naalala ko nung bata ako may dagang costa kami kangkong lang pagkain tapos nasa bird cage cya na may sapin na diaryo. Dito sosi naka "fiberglass home" tapos may special food pa. Sus ma. There were $20-30 hamsters. I've never seen so many hamster varieties. Cute. Joey was once bitten by my sister's hamster during our bf-gf days. Seeing the hamster brought back the memory and he told me "Kung akin lang yung hamster na yun, babato sa dingding yun eh" Hahaha. There also was a house gecko for $8.95. Hehehe butiking bahay lang pala yun. Dami sa bahay namin nyan sa Pinas. Napa-isip ako ha! Bakit nga pala di pa ako nakakakita ng butiki dito maliban sa pet shop.

430PM. Time to watch the movie. There were booster seats for children plus the theatre seats were like comfy rocking chair so the kids were delighted. The movie had it's funny and gross :( moments. It was irritating to see the "ZP" logo zooming in the screen every so often after each scene. What the heck, the kids enjoyed the movie so I guess the movie served its purpose.

Off to home. Joey wanted pizza so he had to drive 2 cities further from home to buy the best pizza we've tasted so far. Chewy, yummy crust. Just the basic ham and cheese is a treat. After a satisfying pizza dinner we called it a night at 9PM. I was so beat I started to feel chilly and weak. I just hope I'll feel better when I get a good night's sleep.

Haircut 101

2006-08-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Since birth Jaira has not had a benefit of a haircut. Maybe because little girls looks nice with long, flowing hair or maybe because she's too hyper to sit still for a couple of minutes, let alone sit still with somebody trying to cut her tresses. Toddlers have this fear of mutilation. Toddlerhood is not a good stage to start cutting children's hair :D

I've been debating whether or not to cut her hair. She may not be that attached to it but I am. We almost have the same hair length, I don't want to part with mine yet so I guess she has the same feelings with hers. But I had to let go of my sentimental reasons to give way to these practical issues. (1) the heat wave that's been sweeping our part of the world has made her hair unmanageable (2) she looks like the kiddie version of Sadako after a day of rough and tumble with her two siblings (3) hair strands poking her eyes irritates her and makes her cranky (4) I finally found the courage to cut her hair and make her the subject of my recently acquired hairdressing skills.

Monday, July 31, 2006. First things first, keep her occupied. Placed Jaira infront of the PC to distract her but she was so excited with the games at nickjr.com that she can't keep still. Oh well better this than have her run around the house. As I gather her hair strands on my fingertips I can't seem to find the courage to go through the motions of snipping her tresses. That's the sentimental Piscean in me. :)

Well. A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. So, with all the heaviness in my heart I snipped. Voila, I cut off like 8 inches of Jaira's hair. When the unsevered strands fell on her shoulder I completely regretted not studying her hair before I snipped. There were like 4 layers in the cut. 4 uneven layers. The shortest being just under her earlobe. Cutting it to that length will make her hair too short. So I did my best and gave her my version of the layered look. The verdict, go see at the pics below.

All in all, Jaira was cooperative. I was a nervous wreck everytime I snip, afraid that she will squirm and I will cut through her skin and not her hair. Through a simple haircut, I had some wins: (a)I found the process rewarding (b)she had lesser but more manageable hair (c) She didn't get emotionally scarred from what happened, she doesn't have a clue of what transpired (d) I conquered my fear. Not bad for a session of Haircut 101.

Summer Fun at Mountain Creek Waterpark

2006-07-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

After braving the sweltering summer heat for the past couple of days, Joey took a day off in the office so we can go beat the summer heat at the Mountain Creek Waterpark in Vernon, NJ. It's an hour and a half drive from our place. Our very dependable and generous friend Kuya Jun accompanied us to the place. I was the designated navigator because I went there last year. Though my being there last year did not make me an expert, I have my "cheat route" which I researched in Mapquest. :) We didn't get lost but had to stop once and validate if we were in the right track. And we are. Arrived there just in time for the opening. TIP: Burger King has a promo that takes $5-10 on admission prices to the park :) Jaira, upon seeing the big wave pool just lost it. She wanted to jump to the water right there and then. Same with her Kuya Juwan. Jin was excited at first but after and hour or two in the water he wanted to go home na. The place is just as I remembered it from last year without the throng of people. Last year we went there towards the end of summer and it was a weekend so you can just imagine the crowd. When we went there yesterday (Thursday) there wasn't much of a crowd so you could really appreciate the place. Mountain Creek is majestic, lush greenery all around. Excellent facilities. Very nice staff. Jaira really had a great time, Juwan was begging to try out the "big people's" rides but Jin is another story altogether. Went home at around 330pm. Tired but very happy. Wanting to go back to the place and again have some summer fun.
Snapshots of Summer

Janine Ira Maclid Sebastian

2006-07-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

Jaira. Princess. Kulit.
Loves chocolate drink, Nemo, Kitty, Dora the Explorer, milk, Jojo Circus.
Gives the sweetest kiss.
Loves to climb, kick, run, make a mess of the house. :)

Note: View using Opera or IE.

Day Trip to Atlantic City

2006-07-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

We've been in NJ for more than 6 months now but we really haven't had the chance to go long-distance driving as a family because of problems with our schedule and not knowing how to go to far destinations. Then everything came into place. July 3 was declared a non-working holiday in Joey's office, I don't work Mondays to Thurdays and most importantly -- a very generous couple, Kuya Jun and Ate Tess Alipit , gladly accompanied us and volunteered the use their vehicle to go to Atlantic City, NJ.

Kuya Jun and Ate Tess picked us up at 9AM. We head on the road at around 930AM. It was a long trip, 141 miles from our place to AC, but was made relatively short with all the conversations and a stopover along the way. My children were angels. Behaved all the way. We arrived there close to 1PM.

It was a warm day, perfect for a day out. We enjoyed the Steel Pier Amusement Park. Juwan had the time of his life at the Crazy Mouse ride. I, on the otherhand, almost puked on the that ride. Jin and Jaira discovered their fishing skills can win them stuffed animals. Joey enjoyed the "sights". :D We enjoyed Pizza, corn dogs fries and buffalo wings at Papa T's Pizza & Grill at the Boardwalk.

Kuya Jun and Ate Tess gave us a tour of the area although we didn't venture far from the Boardwalk, afraid the kids aren't up to a walkathon after they had their fun at the pier. Ate Tess and I got to try the slot machine and I actually won $21.25 in the process. The casinos all look the same to me :). Rows and rows of casinos, with lots of old people playing. I just hope they don't gamble their life savings there.

We left at around 430PM. US' major roadways are really well maintained thus Kuya Jun didn't have a hard time driving plus there's no traffic here. Arrived home at 8PM. Tired but very happy. Kuya Jun was talking of a possibility of driving to Canada within the year to see the Niagara Falls. Hmmm. Looking forward to that :D

Maraming Salamat and God Bless Kuya Jun & Ate Tess.

Lunes na naman...

2006-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Lunes na naman. Tapos na naman ang kinakailangang apat-na-pung oras na dapat kung igugol sa aking trabaho para maiwasang a) mag-ka memo b) mapagkamalang naghahanap ng ibang mapapasukan o masaklap sa lahat c)masibak dahil sa dami ng call-outs.
Grabe kagabi. Sobrang nakakapagod...nagwala ba naman yung isang residente ko. Gustong manapak dahil sa hindi niya malaman kung bakit siya nawiwindang. Pero mas nakakaloka ngayong umaga -- habang sinusulat ko itong aking diwa pilit na pumapasok sa isip ko...bakit mas madaling magsalita ng Filipino pero ang hirap magsulat sa Filipino. Bakit?

"Gusto kong matutong mag-drive..."

2006-03-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

Technically, I can drive. I can move a car from Point A to Point B, albeit only in a straight fashion :). No fancy U-Turns for me, no complicated intersections, no freeways please. I can press the gas pedal and the break, period. Does that fall under the category of driving? :D

Last night, I was craving for soda. I graciously offered my last, precious can to a newfound friend. At around 730pm, my throat was aching for a can of cold, thrist-quenching, brain-freezing soda...regardless of the brand. I asked my husband sweetly to drive to the nearest Shoprite to get me some (I know he's into the stuff as much as I am), but he politely declined and told me "Ikaw na lang bumili. Magdrive ka..." My mind was churning questions --- Moi? Drive unsupervised? In nighttime? Are you insane? Are you playing a cruel joke on me? I may be a soda addict but I'm not crazy. To my surprise my mouth blurted out the exact opposite of what I'm thinking, I said "OK. Alagaan mo mga bata."

And so my first purposeful, unsupersived, night driving commenced. As I walked towards the car I made the sign of the cross (venturing to unchartered territory makes me feel I needed an extra boost from my Big Boss), I also made a mental note to open the lights.

I sat down, felt an extra surge of energy and started the car. When I was trying to manuever a reverse my PA started. I don't know which way to manuever, it took me several, lifelong minutes before I was able to move from the parking spot to the road. I nearly severed a parking sign :(

As I was driving, I tried to look at the mirror -- DANG! I forgot to adjust the mirror, prayed that nobody was following me. Thank heavens I safely arrived at my destination.

Next problem, how to park...I chose the most car-free spot. I tried to put my car between the two white lines to avoid hogging more space than necessary, unsuccessful in the first attempt. I tried again, no luck...again, car won't budge :). I then decided, I'll make it better next time.

Getting out of the car was exhilirating. I felt good to be alive. Did my shopping. Smiled at people. Felt triumphant about the whole process.

Going home was better. Uneventful at most. I was still on a "high" when I finally settled my groceries on the floor, I gave my hubby a great bear hug. Had he tolerated my fear of driving, I'll be writing a blog that exactly fits these words "Gusto kong matutong mag-drive..."

My life so far...

2006-03-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Exactly 34 years ago today, I came to existence. I was born with no expectations, no dreams, no problems. I started not knowing what and how life will unfold. But now, I know better. I am AWARE of how life nurtures each and every creature. How you are supported by the UNIVERSE, of how when you put your mind to something you really want "the universe will conspire to give it you." That's what I discovered in Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist."

But before I discovered Mr Coelho's work. I discovered LEAP 23 first. I discovered how powerful I can be, of how I can trust in the process of love and collective consciousness. Of how everything is really possible if you put your 100% percent in it. And how life's most simple problem can make your life difficult if you always wallow in the DRAMAs you have in your life. You can be a VICTIM or you can be whatever you want to be.

It's my birthday today and it's really wonderful that I am aware that I have CHOICES in my life. I can choose to whine and be sad and sappy because I didn't get the gift I wanted, or because I am not celebrating my birthday with family or close friends. Instead TODAY I choose to focus on my blessings -- loving and faithful husband, my adorable and intelligent kids, my supportive relatives, amazing friends and the LIFE I am living today.

My life, my choice. In any given day -- I choose LIFE, LOVE, HAPPINESS.