MeechMeister!

2010-02-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

Philippine brand dried mangoes.. COSTCO SIZE!

First Time to go ICE SKATING

2009-12-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

Went ice skating with my friends, Giselle and Roseann, at the Irvine Spectrum. It was my first time! It was scary at first... but towards the end of our session.. i was a PRO!! hahaha We should all go.. "cousin day!!" ...ahh, reminds me when we all watched Closer together. LOL!

"The Hat"

2009-11-27T04:51:00.001-08:00

When in doubt... put on the hat. It does wonders. :)

Christmas time at Disneyland

2009-11-27T04:46:00.001-08:00

I went on Tuesday with Uncle Richard & Auntie Carina. Had a pretty good time even though it was PACKED! I wanna go again!

Piggy!

2009-11-10T00:08:00.001-08:00

Hehe.. she looks "pissed out."

2009-11-09T13:13:00.001-08:00

Cute and kreatib caramel apple from Temptations at Old Town Pasadena. Reminded me of Neela.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:20:00.001-07:00

I named him Jack. =)

2009-10-28T02:34:00.001-07:00

Grandma left for the Philippines this morning. Here's a picture of her and Nanang Lumen right before they were escorted to their terminal.

I wish I was going with them. I want to visit the Philippines soooo bad!!! I miss my cousins terribly. ...and I want to watch Wowowee and ASAP live. Haha.

She'll be back in time for Thanksgiving; November 25th. Hopefully she'll come back with lots of pasalubong. :-)

...all gone!

2009-10-28T02:13:00.001-07:00

Killed the bottle of sauce today at El Pollo Inka. What can I say?... We just really love that stuff. Haha

Dan's new used Car

2009-10-13T11:23:00.001-07:00

A '96 Acura SLX.

It was orginally my Uncle Ruben's car. He was looking for someone to take it off his hands, so we said, "why not?" He gave it to us and now it's Dan's new used car.

It still runs well! The bad thing about it is that it's 15/18 miles per gallon. Yikes!

Instant Soon tofu soup

2009-10-04T21:29:00.001-07:00

Cool...

Chanel's in a cast

2009-10-01T23:22:00.001-07:00

When I came home from work Tuesday night, Chanel wasn't there by the door, wagging her tail and wanting to lick my face. I had a feeling something was wrong because that's very unusual - she's always there before I even open the door. I found her in my room. She was barely wagging her tail and she looked restless. After bringing her to the vet, turns out that her front, left limb is ... its not broken ... okay, so the groove that holds the patella (knee cap) is known not to be deep in a maltese. So, she twisted her leg and... the kneecap dislodged from it. It also doesn't help that she's overweight.

After they bandaged her up, she started wagging her tail. =) They say she should be fine. We have to bring her back in a week to remove her cast. We just have to start her on a strict diet so she can lose weight.

Phillippe's

2009-10-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to surprise Mark on Saturday for his bday .. but we can never surprise each other. Ever since he watched the LA Man vs. Food episode, he kept talking about this place! Phillippe's is an old school, french-dipped sandwich restaurant. He loves sauce, so I knew he would love this place. I figured I can kidnap him Saturday and bring him here ... nope. He somehow made me spill the beans. We ended up going today because it fit our schedules better.

He ordered a wet beef and a wet pork sandwich. I ordered the single dipped beef sandwich and a pickled egg. It was good!

Our meal, with 2 lemonades, cost less than 20 bucks. Too bad I got a parking ticket for $50. :-( ...next time we won't make that same mistake, hehe

student ID

2009-09-12T19:26:00.001-07:00

I finally got my student ID! =)

West Coast Univ is just one 4 story building and we either need a security guard to escort us or a badge/ID to let us go upstairs. Just a wave of the card to the sensor will unlock the doors to the elevator or the stairs. So high tech! I can't wait to use it, haha.

( I really wish they would change my end date. It makes me feel like I'll actually be there for that long. )

Joe's Crab Shack

2009-08-30T00:18:00.001-07:00

We went to both Boiling Crab locations and found them both really, really crowded. So, we decided to go to Joe's Crab Shack instead. Our last attempt to go to Joe's was a failure - we waited over an hour until we couldn't wait anymore and ended up at Bubba Gump instead. This time.. we made it in! Wait time: 5 minutes.

I'm glad we decided to go! We had the Garlicky Mussels, and they were mouthwatering delicious! It was garlicky heaven! =) I also had the Fishermans Platter which consisted of fish, shrimp, squid, and fries. I had a pinapple mojito and a red bull margarita to go with it. A feast ... Just what I needed to end my summer vacation. West Coast University/nursing school here I come!!

new hair cut

2009-08-20T11:39:00.001-07:00

What do you think?

Baby Cakes

2009-08-18T23:46:00.001-07:00

That's Mark's Espresso Cake w/ Mocha Chip Buttercream cupcake. I had a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcake.. I didn't get a chance to take picture of it because I was too excited and ate it right away. =)

They bake their cakes from scratch and made in small batches throughout the day so it's always fresh. It's pretty good. They also have cookies, brownies, and muffins - if you're not feeling cupcakey.

You guys should try it! It's in Torrance, on Hawthorne and PCH.
They have a happy hour Mon-Thur from 12-2pm - buy two and get one free!

Tea kwon do!

2009-08-18T15:56:00.001-07:00

Hehehe! From Blenders in Carson.
I had a good laugh before I enjoyed my boba. =)

Julie's Talent Show

2009-07-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

The 7th Annual Night of God's Stars. Very entertaining show. I really enjoyed their finale - the Disney Medley. It was too cute! Of course.. Julie did an awesome job!!! =)

Happy 50th Golden Anniversary Lolo Joe & Lola Caring!

2009-07-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

HAHA! My parents, uncles, and aunts danced to BOOM BOOM POW during the reception! Man.. I wish I had a video...

The Standard

2009-07-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

The view from the Rooftop Bar at The Standard in downtown LA. It was a perfect place to bring my cousin from Chicago to experience the LA nightlife. We all had a great time - dancing and drinking. Had a last shot of Patrón and I was GONE. =D

The 4x4

2009-07-10T22:56:00.001-07:00

Mark's heart was crushed when he found out that In-n-Out no longer made the 8x8. He never got the chance to try it. It's okay.. he settled for the 4x4 and LOVED it. I had a bite.. I don't think I'd be able to finish one. =p

For my 22nd Birthday I...

2009-07-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

...went to DISNEYLAND!!
It was AWESOME!

The "Happy Birthday" badge they gave me. It's true.. everyone greets you a happy birthday.. even people who don't work there.

..yeah, I was REALLY into it. I wanted the higher score! haha

I'm always hungry! hehe

{thank you mucho to everyone who greeted me a happy birthday! love you guys!}

Dan dancing to Thriller

2009-06-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Carson High's HUMANITAS Salon 2005

Yup!! That's Dan in the white jacket. =D

_____________________________________________

R.I.P Michael Jackson
I was only 3 or 4 years old when I became a fan of his... I struggled to stay awake during an awards show just to watch his performance. My mom never did wake me up..

I just LOVE this! =)

2009-06-25T14:31:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Kahlil!

2009-06-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

Kahlil graduated from junior high today. I can't believe he's going to be in high school. Feels like just yesterday when we were playing hide-n-seek with him at our old house on Neptune. ...How time flies.

Good luck at Bishop Montgomery! Be good! =)

Tayong Dalawa

2009-06-03T12:29:00.001-07:00

My new TFC addiction! I watch it when it first airs at 3:00pm and then make Mark watch it with me at 9:30pm so he can translate. =)

Happy 57th Birthday, Mom!

2009-04-05T19:52:00.001-07:00

Celebrated her 57th by having dinner at home - Shabu shabu, korean BBQ, pancit malabon, broiled fish and squid... and two cakes! I starved myself the whole day in preparation for this feast. The food was delicious!

Couples Survey

2009-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Copy, paste, and replace with your own answers...

Couples Survey

♥ Fill it out and let's learn about you and your better half!

♥ What are your middle names?
Mine: Marie
His: Paolo

♥ How long have you been together?
it will be 2 years on April 1st

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
5 or 6 months?

♥ Who asked who out?
He did

♥Who said I love you first?
He did

♥ How old are each of you?
Me: 21
Him: 22

♥ Do you have any children together?
No

♥ What about pets?
A piggy named Chanel
and
A gorilla named Neela

♥ Did you go to the same high schools?
No.
Me: Carson High
Him: La Salle Green Hills

♥ Are you from the same hometown?
No.
Me: I've lived in Carson all my life.
Him: He was born in New York and lived there until 1996, then he lived in the Philippines til 2005

♥ Who is the smartest?
ME! hehehhe

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
I am, but there are times when I think he is

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
BCD! At least once a week. We love soondubu!

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
...San Diego. Hopefully we can go to San Francisco this summer to visit his brother, Patrick. I miss Patrick =T

♥ Who has the craziest ex?
I don't have any of those.. So.. I'll just say he does.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
HIM!

♥ Who does the cooking?
neither

♥Who is the most social?
me?

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Me. Neat and organized freak.

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
we're both pretty stubborn, but I think I'm a tad more than he is

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
he does

♥ Where was your first date?
We went to Wing Stop and then we watched a movie

♥Who has the bigger family?
Definitely me

♥Do you get flowers often?
hehehe, when we weren't together yet... he would give me lots of flowers. not anymore

♥ Who do you spend the holidays with?
My family. His mom is in the Philippines. =T

♥ Who is more jealous?
me. hehehehe

♥ Who sings better?
neither.

♥Who does/did the laundry?
we do it together

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
me

♥ Who drives when you are together?
me

♥ Who picks where you go to dinner?
me. he always asks where I want to go.

♥ Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong?
neither. haha

♥ Who named your pet?
I did

♥ Who wears the pants in the relationship?
He does

♥ Who has more tattoos?
i will next year..

♥ Who eats more sweets?
he does

♥ Who cries more?
Me

Dan on TV

2009-03-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

The whole family got so excited when we found out that the Philippines will be featured on Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. While watching the episode my dad says, "that guy looks like Dan!" It's true. Augusto, who went with and convinced Mr. Bourdain to go to the Philippines, looks so much like Dan. =D

See the resemblence?

random

2009-03-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

what the heck?! i reached in for a FORK to eat a bowl of milk and Cinnamon Toast Crunch... and it didn't occur to me that something was wrong until i had my first bite and realized there was no milk with my cereal. tanga

funny and scary picture of Neela

2009-03-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ne-yo at Club Nokia

2009-02-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

Mark and I watched Ne-yo, along with Electric Red and Jazmine Sullivan at Club Nokia Saturday night.

It was general admission, so we were standing uncomfortably close to complete strangers. There were 5 girls standing behind us singing along, or shall I say yelling along to every song! You'll hear them in the video. Yes it was irritating, but I didn't let them ruin my night. Hehe, there was also this ONE tall guy in front of me. Just ONE guy obstructing my view.. geez.

After the concert, it took us an hour to get my car. That was because the line for valet was loooooooooong:

And that's just the first half of the line. Many people were upset, especially non-concertgoers.

Despite the yelling girls, that one tall guy, and waiting an hour to get my car... I had a good time! Seeing Ne-Yo perform LIVE was awesome!! I LOVE NE-YO!

Wowowee

2009-01-09T18:47:00.001-08:00

We just subscribed to The Filipino Channel (TFC).
My parents and Lola Perla have been watching it 24/7!! They've been falling asleep to that channel.
Yesterday, I watched Wowowee with them.
I think I'm addicted to it now.
...NO GOOD!

ToyoMansi??!

2009-01-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

WHAT?! Where is my mom getting all of these?

PatisMansi?

2009-01-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

WHAT?

Gasol's Assist

2009-01-03T15:27:00.001-08:00

The highlight of last night's game!

Candy Cane Lane in Torrance

2008-12-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

We drove by "the neighborhood by Kahlil's elementary school" a few nights ago - it's called Candy Cane Lane. At this neighborhood, during the holiday season, every house has Christmas lights. Some of the decorations are just INSANE. Here's a picture of a humongous Jack Skelington that one house had:

It's as tall as the tree!

There were people selling hot cocoa and there was a house with a projector playing a movie. There were groups of people on bikes and with golf carts. I was AMAZED! I'm not kidding when I say that every house had lights. If you ever get the chance next year, check it out!! It's in Torrance if you drive past Seaside Elementary, near Calle Mayor and PCH.

How I Spent My Christmas...

2008-12-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER AT LA HABRA
We went to Uncle Ruben and Auntie Thelma's house for dinner. Throughout the night Andrew, Cindy's boyfriend, kept saying "Champayne" really loud in this weird, funny accent. No, he wasn't drunk. He just kept saying it, and now I can't stop saying it.

We ate a combination of filipino and italian food - grilled chicken from Chow King, pancit palabok and lumpia, two different types of pastas and lots of garlic bread.

After we ate, Dan brought out guitar hero and we all rocked on. To my surprise, Ronald (the attorney, haha) enjoyed singing the most. Auntie Thelma sang too (I will never forget the time she played Wii Sports Boxing) and Cindy enjoyed playing bass. After a few songs, we stopped playing to allow the adults to karaoke. And after a few glasses of CHAMPAYNE and some good laughs, we headed home.

Look at their beautiful Christmas tree.
Now look at the ornament Andrew hid on the tree. Auntie Thelma got so mad when she found it. haha.

Daisy didn't want to play with them. =(

CHRISTMAS DAY AT COTO DE CAZA
We went to Tito Melvin and Tita Glory's house for Christmas this year. (You know... I recently noticed that I only say Tito/Tita with "The Clan" and not with my other Uncles and Aunts. Is that weird?) There was a lot of good food - a different menu for lunch and dinner.

We watched the Lakers kick some Celtic butt! It was a very intense and entertaining game. When the game finished, I texted my friends who are fellow Laker fans because I was so happy!

Then we watched Eight Below, I forgot how sad that movie was. It made me miss my doggies.

Shortly after the movie, Mama Perla almost burnt the house down. HAHA! She was talking about fruit salad, then suddenly her scarf caught on fire by one of the candles. Tita Susan started to laugh hysterically... it was funny. Don't worry Mama is fine, her scarf, on the other hand, is not.

After the movie, we did our White Elephant gift exchange. It was a lot of fun. If only I saw Mark's (Mendoza, haha) face after he opened his gift. He thought he only got a hot dog holder!

Right after the game, we were rushed to pack up and leave for home. I hate when that happens.

But overall... I had a GREAT Christmas. I couldn't ask for more.

Furusato/Gerry's Grill

2008-12-22T01:29:00.001-08:00

I've been OUT OF CONTROL!
I've been eating and eating and eating like craaaaazy!

On Saturday we ate at Furusato, my favorite Korean BBQ buffet restaurant.
I was in HEAVEN! Mark and I were able to finish a plate and a half of the brisket.
I can't believe we used to go once a week!!! Could you believe that once we were able to finish 4 big plates of brisket?!

Then... on Sunday we went to Gerry's Grill - a filipino restaurant in Cerritos. I don't normally like filipino restaurants, but this place is GOOD! We ordered things that my mom wouldn't usually cook at home: crispy pata, kilawin, sisig, palabok, and four bowls of garlic rice.

I had a food coma after leaving both restaurants, that just means that I left completely satisfied.

Sleep Deprived..

2008-12-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

..because it's FINALS WEEK!
i just want this week to be OVER!

IDIOT GUY!

2008-12-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

This article made me mad.
Porter and Vick = idiots

Porter on Vick: 'All it was was dogs'

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter commented on the possible reinstatement of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and, as usual, Porter shot right from the lip, according to a report on EPSN.com. Vick was convicted for his role in a dogfighting ring and is serving time in a Kansas federal prison. He's scheduled to be released next summer.

"He's already been punished enough," said Porter (referring to Vick's possible reinstatement after serving his sentence), who owns a pair of pit bulls and a Maltese. "They gave him his penalty. He paid his penalty. What else should they do to him now?

"All it was was dogs. They act like they don't even like pit bulls anyway. That's the funny thing about it if you want to get back on that topic. I got pit bulls, I got to put them under a different breed just to travel. So you can't even fly pit bulls nowhere.

"It's a breed they don't care about. It's not like he was fighting cocker spaniels or something that they like. They don't really care too much about pit bulls."

Profootballtalk.com reported that Porter let his pitbull loose and it killed a miniature horse.

Source: ESPN.com

Pacquiao FTW!

2008-12-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

Being a huge fan of Manny Pacquiao all I can say is, "HELL YEEEAAHHHH!!" I was nervous before the fight because I watched every episode of 24/7 (a 4-episode HBO special that followed the training of both fighters every week before the fight) and De la Hoya was in great condition. I read articles saying that this fight was in favor of De la Hoya.
Ohhhh man... I feel so relieved now. ...I want a Pacquiao shirt! hehe.

-----------------------------------------------------

We went to Uncle Eddie's house to watch the fight.
It's been a while since I've seen the Baldonado clan. It was good seeing them again. They provided a good atmosphere to watch the fight. The ladies, along with Lola Perla, screaming in the back and the uncles quietly but nervously watching. Good times. =)

Cousin Andrew wondering where the other kids are:

We found out a few days prior to this event that cousin Ronald passed the bar exam. It was my first time seeing him after we heard the great news. Once he arrived everyone was greeting him and saying, "the lawyer is here!" We're all very proud of him. Even I brag about him.

As usual, the ladies played several games of mahjong.
Here's a pic of Lola Perla playing:

Lolo Joe brought guavas from his tree at home. He ALWAYS has GIGANTIC guavas. I was only able to finish half of mine.
Here's a picture of one of them:

Fight Night

2008-12-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

The nervousness is kicking in.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Went to Target with Mark, Dan, Julie, and Elisha. The store opened at 6am. We arrived there at 5:15am and here was how the line looked...
The people in front of us:

The people behind us:

CRAZY, huh?

I bought the One Tree Hill season 5 and Madagascar DVDs. I also bought Dan's xmas gift... a Wii game. I saved a lot of money!

My Black Friday experience wasn't so bad... compared to last year at least. I don't even want to talk about last year. No good.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

I definitely enjoyed my Thanksgiving!

being with the fam bam + lots of good food + guitar hero + dancing with
my mom = a good time!

Lakers vs Nuggets

2008-11-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Nuggets 90
Lakers 104

I knew the game was over after the first quarter. =p
I had such a GREAT time! Being in the Staples Center, being surrounded by all the Laker fans, and just the thought that the players are right there.... it was amazing.
I wasn't as crazy as I would get when I watch the game at home - yelling, being a potty mouth, and jumping up and down - I was good. Although, I did make sure to boo Carmello Anthony for Elisha.

There were a few celebrities there: George Lopez, Spike Lee, Adam Levine (the lead singer of Maroon 5), and Zac Efron. I took pictures of the back of their heads. HAHA! I was a little disappointed Jack Nicholson wasn't there.

We didn't get our tacos. I didn't know where to go to get the coupon that we could redeem at Jack in the Box. Oh well... it was fun just chanting, "WE WANT TACOS!"

After the game, we went to In-n-Out. I had a hamburger, animal style... YUMM! I can't remember the last time I had one of those. I savored it!

(The 3 cups of ketchup were all for Mark. Sure enough, he finished all of it.)

Thank You Albertsons!

2008-11-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

I usually go to Chevron to fill up on gas. The problem is that I would usually have to travel 3-5 miles to the closest Chevron station. Today, I really didn't feel like making the effort of driving there especially during rush hour. So, I decided to go to the Albertson's gas station which is pretty much down the street. I was expecting to pay $2.19/gallon for regular, but I saw this wonderful, glorious sign at the pump:

Every time I fill up I only put in $10 but today I took advantage of the fact that gas was under $2, so I filled up my tank.

Usually, I can get a full tank with $30... but not today! I haven't seen the needle on "F" in months! Thank you Albertsons! =D

EARLY Christmas Present

2008-11-20T15:03:00.001-08:00

My first Laker game! Woo hoo! ^-^
Thanks Mark!!

Club Lit

2008-11-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

I was a drunkard last night. =p

I wasn't planning to go, but then I listened to the voicemail Oget, Nel, and Joe left me. All for you, Oget!

Puppies for Sale!!

2008-11-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

No, they're not from Chanel or Neela. hehehe

My friend has these three puppies for sale.
They're mixed: Shih tzu, Pug, Chihuahua.
I got Neela from this litter.
If you or anyone you know may be interested,
PLEASE let me know.

What a historic night!

2008-11-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama defeated John McCain to become the
44th and first black president of the United States.

Pizza with KETCHUP?!

2008-11-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Apparently in the Philippines, the folks there eat their pizzas with ketchup. Is this true? Or do I just have a strange boyfriend? =p

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't feel like doing much this Halloween. While everyone was out partying and whatnot, I stayed home and passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. We didn't get much kids this year which was strange. This year we bought $10 worth of candy and we weren't able to give them all away. We used to get A LOT of trick-or-treaters. It's unbelievable, we would get groups of 5-10 kids and they would come one group after the other. My mom would usually have to buy 50-70 dollars worth of candy! Can you believe that?!

I enjoyed being the official candy passer-outer. I enjoyed seeing all the kids with their cute costumes, with their parents taking pictures and video taping them. If I had known that there would be picture taking, I would have beautified myself instead of wearing para balay (ilocano: "for home") clothes. Oh well...

Chanel & Neela: looking out for trick-or-treaters

After passing out candy, we went to Elisha and Colleen's house. We ate Costco pizza (the best pizza, ever!) and we played Guitar Hero: World Tour. That game is awesome! My favorite part was Andrew's vocal talent with Coldplay's Shiver. Haha, "shiveeeerrrr."

What would you do?

2008-10-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

....if you knew someone was bad but this person is also the best friend of someone you deeply care about.

I really need help with this one guys.

Neela???

2008-10-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

HAHAHA! No, it's just Dan's Pedro wig.
I was fooled. Dan left it on the floor and I really thought it was Neela.

HAPPY 1st BDAY, CELESTE!

2008-10-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to Princess Celeste's birthday celebration. =)
It was held at Awakenings Coffee House in Lomita. It was a lot of fun!
Since her birthday falls close to Halloween, they asked everyone to dress up. Dan, Elisha, and Andrew went as the characters from Napoleon Dynamite. I went as the Mad Hatter and Julie was the white phantom.

Color Me Mine

2008-10-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Color Me Mine last Sunday.
I made a penguin bowl and Dan painted Mario on a plate.
Color Me Mine = Mucho fun!! =)

Curve balls

2008-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

You never know when life will throw you a curve ball.
Well, on Tuesday, we were thrown a fast one.

Last night, I had trouble sleeping because I kept thinking about the past couple of years. I thought about the different events that lead us to be in this situation today. I kept thinking about the "if onlys" -- If only I knew what was really going on. If I knew, maybe I could have helped prevent this. I thought about the many different things that could have been done and the things that should have never happened. But, I was eventually able to accept the past as past. I figured, you can't control everything and it's never too late to get involved.

Although I feel uncomfortable revealing the nature of my family's problem here... I just feel like this - blogging about it - is a good way to reassure myself that, in the end, things will be okay. It's not the end of the world. We have many options; there are many things we can do. It truly helps to know that I have family and friends I can always count on during times like these; I am truly blessed for having all of you a part of my life. Just pray for us, pray that me and my family can overcome this hurdle and get back on our feet.

Losing Weight: Update

2008-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm STUCK at 160!
GAHHHHHH!

hahaha.
No worries, just need to work harder.

Islands

2008-10-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

Went to Islands today. I think the last time I went there was when I was a junior in high school. I remember going there almost every week after watching a movie at AMC Rolling Hills.
I didn't have much money then, so every time I would only order the small bowl of tortilla soup and maybe share cheddar fries with a group of friends. ...Brings back memories. =D

One memorable event happened there when I was a freshmen. I was with my friends and after we ate, we discovered that we didn't have much money left for tip. We were looking under the table hoping to find change. One friend walked around the restaurant scavenging for coins. hahaha. After we put all our money together, we only came up with a dollar and 75 cents. So, one of my friends folded a dollar into a heart and left a note apologizing to the waitress. I felt bad because we were a group of 6 and I think we were giving her a hard time. Poor waitress. I bet she hates kids now... just kidding.

Oh, this was Mark's first time to Islands. He liked it!
I was a little disappointed though... Mr. Sauce-lover didn't finish the bottle of ketchup. He still used a lot, A LOT of ketchup on his fries. Well, he did finish 2 cups of BBQ sauce. So... I guess that made up for it. hehehe

The Mega-rita... Revisited

2008-10-18T00:17:00.000-07:00

So, when we got home from Gameworks that one night, Mark recorded me.

...that stupid Megarita!

Went on a Date Last Night...

2008-10-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Mark and I had dinner and watched a movie.

We went to Chabuya and had some ramen, ita-meshi, fried octopus, pork with kimchee, and we shared a large bottle of Sapporo.
Doesn't exactly fit my diet, but it was YUMMY! =]

Just means I need have a longer session of DDR today. YES!!

After Chabuya, I eased my food coma as we watched
Eagle Eye at AMC Del Amo.
That was a pretty intense movie. Very entertaining.

The "Mega-rita"

2008-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Went to Gameworks last night with Mark, Oget, and Janice.
I had a 48 oz. "mega-rita" all to myself.
I'm never getting that drink ever again!
It was pretty good at first, but I just got so TIRED of it after a while.
I was just so determined to finish the whole thing, because... sayang. =p

Oh, and I got to take the glass home. hehehe

San Diego Zoo!

2008-10-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Today, I went with Mark to the San Diego Zoo.
Believe it or not, it was my first time EVER to go to a zoo.
Yup! I never went as a kid... not even on a school field trip!

The park was huge! We spent the whole day there and we still weren't able to see everything. But, we did see A LOT of animals.
It was definitely a great experience.
I wanna go again!!

That's only a portion of the pictures I took.
There were just so many animals; I couldn't believe it!

Since it was on the way home, we went to the outlet mall in Carlsbad.
And since I like bananas now, I had my first chocolate-covered frozen banana. YUMM!!

Before going home, we ate at BCD Tofu. We ran into Elisha and Andrew. It was bound to happen sometime! hehehe.

The Big Wok

2008-10-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Went to The Big Wok for dinner.
It was delicious!!

Happy Birthday Mark & Dan!

2008-10-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 22nd and 19th birthday guys.
I still can't believe they share the same birthday.

I got Dan Gran Turismo: Prologue & a "Wiimote" tin filled with peppermint gum.

I got Mark FOOD! hehehe.

Lv. 100

2008-10-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've reached Level 100 in
Defend Your Castle.
The sense of accomplishment is tremendous!
=)

Dance Dance Revolution

2008-09-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

My confession:
I first stepped onto the DDR stage when I was 13 years old.
It became an obsession, I couldn't go a day without it.
Years after recovery...
I've become addicted to this game once again!

Losing Weight

2008-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm determined, more than ever, to lose weight.
It's not really for the benefit of my appearance, it's a health issue.
Sometime in July, I weighed myself and I was about 175 lbs!
Not normal for a lady that's 5'5.

So, I've been walking almost everyday at Wilson Park and playing DDR (hehehe!) for exercise. I'm also watching what I eat, which has been difficult because I like food. But, sacrifices must be made. They say you have to change your lifestyle - it's true!
I last weighed myself yesterday and I'm down to 162 pounds. =)

My goal is to be at least 150 by the end of this year and to be 130 by the end of next year.
Wish me luck!

Fish & Seafood Wholesale pt. 2

2008-09-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Woke up early again this morning to go to San Pedro. Only this time, it wasn't really hard to get out of bed. My mom stocked up on fish, crabs, and A LOT of squid.

ChickenJoy

2008-09-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Did you know Jollibee serves fried chicken ... with gravy?!!
Shocking, isn't it? hehehehe.
It's called, "Chicken Joy."
I tried it for the first time today and it's pretty good. =)

NEELA

2008-09-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Meet our new dog, Neela.
She's a shih tzu, pug, chihuahua: a ShiHuaPug. hehehe.

My dad calls her, "Gorilla."

Chanel has a sister now. =D

SpongeBob SquarePants

2008-09-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I've been watching a lot of SpongeBob lately.
I don't know why, but it's pretty much all I watch on TV.
It's great how we come together and watch it as a family...
=)

Fish & Seafood Wholesale

2008-09-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 3am and went to San Pedro this morning. It takes a brave man to wake me up in the middle of the night. I get awfully grumpy whenever anyone does! But, it was worth it. I got to eat delicious crab and fresh tuna sashimi. =D

TUNA!

Some guy: "Do you guys own a restaurant or something?"
Mark: "No, we just like to eat!"

All that was worth less than $100. WOW!

Solvang, CA

2008-08-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

We drove roughly 2 1/2 hours with a main purpose to go here - Paula's Pancake House.
We also waited an hour to be seated. Many may call us crazy, but our efforts were well worth it!

BEFORE

YUMM!
These pancakes are seriously the best I've ever had.
They're not just your ordinary pancake... they're Danish! =)
The main, noticeable difference with these pancakes are that they're big and flat.

AFTER

Couldn't resist!

After we ate, we walked around and saw what Solvang had to offer.
We spent around 2 hours exploring the place then decided to head home.
On the way back to the freeway we saw an Ostrich Farm and decided to stop by.

Once we arrived home, we gave Chanel her pasalubong.

Ava

2008-08-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ava, Kahlil's dog, came over today (along with Kahlil, of course).
She kinda looks like a bigger version of Chanel.

Pacquiao vs. De la Hoya

2008-08-27T17:52:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading an article online - "Oscar De La Hoya has nearly wrapped up a deal to finish his boxing career Dec. 6 against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday."

If this really goes down,
December 6th will be [in my dad's voice]: "nervous time."

Dave and Buster's

2008-08-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

I went to Dave and Buster's last night.
Their late-night happy hour made my night!
Thanks to Oget, I got to keep a TnTea glass. And, me being me, I ordered a specific shooter so that I can keep the glass. Hehehe. Good times.

The DREAM Team

2008-08-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

THEY WON GOLD!!!

Mario vs. Sonic

2008-08-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

SWEEP! =)

Last night, I played Mario vs. Sonic At The Olympic Games with Mark and Dan. Is was pretty intense! We only played for about 15minutes because our arms became so sore!

Speaking of games.. I'm now on level 90 in Defend Your Castle. I'm quite proud of myself. hehehe

I Have a Strange Dog

2008-08-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Of all places, Chanel would rather sleep on my desk!

Oh, I forgot to mention... she also likes to "play" with Goofy.

Dan's a Ninja

2008-08-19T19:10:00.001-07:00

Today, Dan decided to be a ninja. As you can see, he's wearing the Naruto headband thing. He's been wearing that headband all day and mysteriously appearing and reappearing out of nowhere!

Yes... I have a strange brother!

What day is it today?

2008-08-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been getting the days confused lately. I thought last Thursday was Friday, Friday was Saturday, and Saturday was Friday. I don't know why but perhaps the combination of unemployment and not being in school is the cause of my confusion. I don't really have to keep track of the date because I don't really have any responsibilities. I know, I may sound like a... bum (lack for a better word) just wasting away at home, but it's okay with me. This will only go on for two more weeks and it's giving me a chance relax. Besides... it's allowing me to play Defend Your Castle, a video game that I'm incredibly obsessed with, all day.

thumbs up!

2008-08-15T20:01:00.001-07:00

Thumbs up for me! I started a blog!