Catholics and Alcohol ~ a reprise

Bother, bother. If this book had been published when I did that research paper and presentation on the role of the Catholic Church in preserving wine and beer culture, I’m sure it would have been an awesome reference!!!! It is on my list of must-reads — $4.95 later and it sits now in my Kindle library just waiting for me – and maybe my research paper needs to be revised…

I can’t escape Nate and Paolo.

Seriously. I thought this Nate-hitting-on-Paol0-hitting-on-Nate thing was only a Nate-and-Paolo thing, maybe a Nate-and-Paolo-and-Eric thing. Yes, college is teaching me that this is not so. (Oh lookie me, I just wasted three bucks on a slush puppie that doesn’t taste nearly as orange-y as it looks!) Yesterday after the colloquium, I went to watch Josh and Navid and Paul playing ping

~ eight hours later ~

So… eight hours ago, I was blogging about yesterday, and I was interrupted. Haha, no, I’m not complaining. really I’m not. Adam found me at the Overlook and was kind enough to keep me company until 2:50ish.

So, yeah, I went to watch the guys play ping pong in the game room. Funny that I’ve never been in there before… so I got to go in and annoy them by taking pictures and refusing to play, etc. etc. After a bit, we went outside just to be outside, it was gorgeous, not too hot and not too cold. And then eventually we headed back inside for the Phi Theta Kappa meeting, which only lasted about ten minutes? LOL. Navid left, but Paul and I accompanied Josh to Student Activities to fill out the paperwork (paperwork… what a joke =) for PTK. And then of course it was time for all of us to go home… and then somehow it came out that the guys were parked in the same lot. And so one of them goes, “Will you walk me to my car?” and the other goes, “Do you want to hold my hand?” and… yep. It was like watching Eric and Paolo hit on Nate all over again. Terrible. Hilarious, but terrible.

They didn’t let me get a picture.

ANYway… today was the most AWESOME day ever – as always… well, almost always – and yes, we had our Cooking 3 midterm, and I am officially halfway through my freshman year of college. It goes by too fast…

There’s plenty I want to blog about today, but not right now. I owe my journal a reflections-of-the-past-week update.

‘night, ya’ll =) Peace – ais

Pirates vs. Ninjas

one of us will go where the sun always shines and genius burns and leaves the rest of the world far behind

another has given up the comfort of the familiar to ensure that we sleep soundly each night

the last will simply build on old desires and at home will stay until taken away

and yet for the summer when all one need wonder was

would it be the pirates or the ninjas

left hanging in shame

The Hopes and Dreams of a Catholic Girl v2.0

It’s been a year and a half to the day since I wrote v1.0. A few months after that, I wrote The First Step.

A great deal has happened since then. Regarding certain goals I mentioned — I’ve graduated from high school and I’ve been off for nearly a year now. I’ve determined what I’m studying and where for the next six years of my life. I’ve certainly learned  a great deal more about my Faith and feel considerably more comfortable discussing and debating… This past year and a half has been full of new experiences… some of them include traveling completely by myself, spending three months abroad, a third baby brother… and I’ve learned a lot of life lessons that have hurt… particularly with regards to the virtue of integrity.

Simply put… Aisa at fifteen thought she had it all down. And in theory… I still think she had enough to get by and then some. Most of what came out in The Logic Behind Love series was absorbed by fifteen. But it wasn’t till May of Aisa’s seventeenth year that those theories were put to the test, and she learned how difficult it is to uphold Truth, no matter how fully you comprehend the logic behind it. Why is that? Why is something that makes perfect sense – physically, mentally, and spiritually – so difficult to pull through with? Like Kuya Vin once said at an Upper Household in our early months of YFC Cinci – Why do we keep on sinning? Simply because we neither love God enough nor fear the reality of Hell enough.

I remember a quote from my Ate Mary… “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?“

Somewhere along the line after that ‘First Step’, I started to lose sight of what that ring signified. It was gradual… the way you boil a frog. I was in the middle before I realized I had begun. Funny how often that happens and yet we never seem to learn the trick. How long did it take the Saints? How much longer will it take me?

Do you ever get those days where you’re tired of being alive? Not suicidal, but just tired of living? And then I look at my Papa and the eighty years he’s endured on this earth and I wonder to myself how he has borne it and how I could possibly bear it as well as he did. Lots of prayer, says Mum. Of course =)

My hopes and dreams have not changed much since a year and a half ago. These past few months, I’ve been experiencing something akin to what I went through after our move from PA… that feeling of, what do you do when your dreams seem to be so close, you could reach out and brush them with your fingertips, and then you’re thrown into circumstances that force you practically all the way back to the beginning? Only, these are higher stakes than Dan ranking. But that’s my own fault…

Yes, this post is very vague =) This rightly belongs in the BRAIN DUMP category.

So I’ve been learning things the hard way. Mother asked me once if I would change anything if I had the chance to. But my answer was that… I’m not going to waste time thinking of how I could have done it better. It’s done. And I need to move forward. What emotional turmoil I’m experiencing now is my own fault and I will deal with it; I knew exactly what I was up against and what the consequences would be, in theory. And now it’s all coming to pass.

What it comes down to, I guess, is that… despite the ups and downs of the past year and a half… I still have no higher ambitions than being a mother. I had a great conversation with Liz about that, just last week, and I quote, “its so easy to see success as becoming a professional something when really the greatest success is in raising kids well.. to love God =)” I know I haven’t been doing the best job at making myself the best person that I can possibly be… but I thank God that He’s kept my head clear in that area… and I pray that that’s a grace I’ll never lose.

*sigh* Living epistles, wherever you are in the mind of God, I’m sorry I messed up, and I promise mommy’s trying to get back on track and doing her best to think of you each day and remember that she’s making herself the best person she can possibly be for your sakes. *kisses*

Here goes nothing.

“Little did these three 10-year-olds know that they…” wait… THREE??

So Tito Leo posted this one pic that made me go WHAT?!?! and once I got over the shock I had to do some comparisons. So here goes. ’01 – ‘-08 (with pics actually being only from ’01, ’06, ’07, and ’08:

"Little did these three 10-year-olds know that they were going to positively impact the lives of fellow teens just 6 to 7 years later as CFC Youth for Christ Leaders."

I take it back, I’m not over the shock yet. Rotfl. Ridiculous.

YEAAAHHHH!!! *pumps fist* MABUHAY!

Yep. That’s definitely the corniest title I’ve come up with yet, but it’s straight from the bottom of my heart.

I have been to only a few events in my nearly-18 years that were intended solely to celebrate my roots. To name two — June 2002, when we went with some of the Brods to support Amelia Gordon, honored with the 2002 Pearl S. Buck International (PSBI) Woman of the Year Award; and Diversity Day in April of ’07. I suppose if I counted every family reunion, every Pinoy gathering, there would be a lot more, but here I’m only counting those where we gathered with the express purpose of ‘being patriotic’. Last night’s gathering was such.

The fight began at 11. Mum told me the luncheon girls were predicting that Manny would lose… ahhh… I do believe I had the best seat in the house. Haha. Seriously, though, I was smack dab in the middle, right in front of the TV, between Tito Gil and Jon. We were all crowded comfortably together in the Almarios’ living room. Some of us were on the couches, some standing behind the couches, others on various chairs, and a few of us on the floor. It didn’t really matter where we were as long as we could see. By the end of the first round, it was clear that Tita Fides was attempting to steal my title as the loudest person in the CFC community. Rotfl.

I don’t really have much to say about the actual fight. We discussed it in the car, and I did say that was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a while… especially when Manny hit Oscar’s face four times in a row. *Wow* Too sweet for words, I gotta tell you. And then the mommies were reprimanding me for being so bloodthirsty… but I’ll cover that part in another post.

I’ll probably see a lot of fights just as *awesome* as this one before I’m really that much older. But what I’ll carry with me forever is the mood of last night.

You could say that Pinoys are patriotic to a fault. I admit I’ve heard/seen things I’m not impressed with… there are definitely people who do not really understand what “Pinoy Pride” is, and they give it a cheap meaning. But the same could be said of “Proud to be an American”; people can give that a pretty cheap meaning, too. It depends on one’s grasp of what one really stands for.

Pinoy Pride, being ‘patriotic’ — and this is coming from a full-blood Pinoy, yes, but, mind you, one who was born and raised here in America, so my perception is probably very different from my parents and extended family back home — seems to have more to do with blood than anything else. It’s totally true that we’re better off in America. Why would I deny that? I don’t really think that I have to go into specifics for anyone reading this. So when I say I’m proud to be Pinoy… it’s not that I’m putting down America’s government or something.

Pinoy Pride is something that I experience… when I say to Mom or Mama that a particular phrase translated into English completely loses its depth… or when I talk about the general parent-child relationship in Filipino culture being completely different from the parent-child relationship in the American culture… or when I say that nothing beats Pinoy cooking… or when Mom finds stuff like moymoypalaboy on youtube and we laugh and say that that’s a perfect example of why Pinoys never get depressed… or when Tita Cynthia laughs quietly and says that she’s not worried about the economic ‘crisis’ here in America, because, “Poverty? Go to the Philippines. Why should I be worried? These people that are worried… they have no concept of poverty. After what I’ve seen in the Philippines, I’m not worried.”

That is Pinoy Pride. When put that way, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful things that I have been blessed with.

And that is what I experienced last night, in a way that I can’t remember ever experiencing it before. Again, it’s really a blood thing. The few times I’ve watched boxing for random reasons, I never felt a bond, say, with any of the American fighters. Why would I? “Proud to be an American” doesn’t cover that. But Pinoy Pride does. Because of the blood. We were cheering Manny… did any of us know him personally? No. But he was part of us… we were bound by blood. And that is what we were cheering last night. That is what we gasped over… groaned over… yelled every time he landed a punch… flinched when he was hit back… cried out and laughed in exhilaration during the slow-motion play-backs… every time he got de la Hoya… “Manny is gradually reconfiguring de la Hoya’s beautiful face,” that’s a line I’ll never forget… and went crazy over when the stats were up, showing 224 punches landed by Manny to de la Hoya’s 83. This was our blood brother, and he won for us. Our hero. Does that sound pathetic? Not to me.

And at the same time, the laughs afterwards — at Manny’s english, for instance — show that it’s not as if we put him up on a pedestal and idolize him. It just goes to show that our Pinoy Pride does not blind us… that we do not fail to recognize that he is a fellow human being, that while we glory in his glory, it’s no insult to him to laugh at the line Tita Fama particularly picked out, “I deserved my sacrifices,” complete with amusing Pinoy accent xD. I think that hit me as much as anything else did that night.

That’s a night I’ll be shivering over for a while yet… and I can’t wait for the next one.

Mabuhay!

more from moymoypalaboy

Must link to Mommy’s post — http://www.andthesethygifts.com/2008/07/31/this-is-why-pinoys-dont-get-depressed/

and also embed yet another one — and please do not forget to click on “more info.” I would rather not quote it. Go watch it first, else you won’t understand the necessity of the note.

Sheeeez that brings back memories… jumping up and down on the trundle bed in my cousins’ bedroom in the middle of the night when all the parents were already asleep and listening to that song as softly as we could so as not to wake anyone, and yet loud enough so that we could enjoy it (meaning understand the words). Ohhhhh boy.

Muahahahaha I hope none of you think any worse of me for it. xD I was, what… 3? Or maybe 6… but I had to be either 3 or 6. So I guess 6. Ahahahahahahaha.

The Call

I was talking to Mum after Prince Caspian, and I told her that I really loved that song because I could relate to it. She asked me to explain how, because she didn’t understand just by listening to it. Anyway, I thought I’d blog about it… because it was a good reflection for me, as well.

Confession… Anticipated Mass… a baptism… a new Godbrother… GA… and Youth Camp

Whew!

As you have probably gathered from my post title, we attended Mass on Saturday rather than Sunday, for once, and also went to Confession beforehand. When we were examining our consciences while in line, I was reflecting on the week, and for some reason, I kept hearing Hosanna and The Song of My Soul, particularly the lines “break my heart for what breaks Yours” and the chorus of The Song of My Soul. This past month, as I’ve said in previous posts, has been full of blessings, but this past week, I’ve been so… what… snippy? with my family and close friends. So short, so easily annoyed, so quick to anger, indulging in pity-me sessions more often than I have in a while. Why on earth?! I have so much to be thankful for, and don’t I know it! Hosanna just hit me. Hmm… I did cry. Well, moving on, moving on…

The priest (I know I ALWAYS say this, when it happens, but I can’t resist repeating myself a million times over; I do hate referring them that way, you know? but I don’t know his name… we’ve had him these past two weekends) challenged us, in the homily, to think about, not so much what we would like to give up for Lent, but rather, what we might need to rearrange in our lives… and something about not missing the opportunity to seek the Lord. Heavens, I put off blogging till today, because I’d told myself I wouldn’t forget, and here I am saying “and, oh, he said something about so and so,” bother…

Last Sunday, ’twas something about how, if he’d had the counseling of Jesus, and obviously didn’t know any better, he would’ve told Him that He was going along the wrong road looking for disciples. Why was He not gathering to Him the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the Pharisees? I can’t remember anything else… oh, there was some reference to Forrest Gump; perhaps it’s because I haven’t watched that movie that it didn’t stick, haha.

I was staring up at the crucifix before Mass began, and I was so surprised; I’ve lived here two years and I’ve never noticed it before?? The lights angled towards the crucifix form a heart with the crucifix in the center. It’s not very obvious, but you can see it, if you take the time to notice the way the light falls on the wall. I wonder if they made it that way on purpose… or if it was by chance. During post-communion meditation, the sun was shining through the windows in such a way that it looked like the hilt of a dagger was protruding from the heart… and my mind went to the verse I added to my quotes on my FB profile this past week:

Over the iron forest
He saw Our Lady stand,
Her eyes were sad withouten art,
And seven swords were in her heart –
But one was in her hand.

Taken from The Ballad of the White Horse, by Chesterton. Which reminds me, I did finish that book this past week. I also finished How to Read a Book, along with the last of my biology dissections. Unfortunately, the recharger for the camera battery had been missing since we got back from Cape, so I didn’t get pics. The boys were awake, though, and they were my “witnesses”; I grossed them out. I dissected a bullfrog, and, actually, it wasn’t as gross as I remember it to be… I did it before at some summer camp. I think that was still when we were in TX…

Ok, I’m OT again. Lol. We sang The Servant Song during Communion. It made me cry again. But only a bit.

I was watching TMNT with the kids that night. No, not the new one, the old episodes. Now I totally understand why Ninong and Unc were crazy about them as kids. Maybe they still are. I also understand better why they weren’t impressed by the ’07 movie. Yeah, sure, the animation is fascinating and all, but it’s just not like the original… especially the humor. Mikey’s just hilarious. Although, besides the animation, there is one thing that I thought really neat about the ’07, and that was the character of Winters. That, supposedly, through the ages, he was Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, etc., was just plain cool.

The reason we attended Anticipated Mass rather than our normal 10:00 at which I sing, was because Samuel was baptized!!! and we had to meet up with Aunt Bethany at their house at 10. :D The boys are so excited to have Samuel for a Godbrother. Happy! The only sad thing was that Mum’s been sick since Thursday night, so she couldn’t attend… I had to stand in for her. But, yay! I got to hold him during the baptism. He was very good. He actually smiled! and he didn’t cry one bit, he was only a little startled, I think. Aunt Bethany says that that was a first among her three boys (the smiling), haha.

We joined them for lunch, and then we went home to drop off the boys and pick up my guitar and Daddy’s presentation on The Great Bible Adventure for the GA. On our way home, we found the battery recharger! Praise God. Lol. Hey, I mean it; I was starting to get severely ticked off over that! especially with Youth Camp coming up. Thus, we had the camera with us when we went to GA. I still can’t believe it was in the car the whole time… and to think; I could’ve gotten pictures at Facilitators’ Training if I’d only thought to look in the car!

Ah well. Too late. The point is, we had fun with the camera at GA, more fun than we’ve had with it in a long time. Check out the pics –

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=18114&l=38496&id=502520962

Candisse took what is now my current profile picture (pic 43) :D

Needless to say (that is, if you’ve viewed the album), we had a wonderful time. It was great being at All Saints again! I’ve missed it there so much. We arrived as Tito Jun was taking pictures of the sun (it had a halo!) and the sundog for the slideshow. He sent us the pics afterwards, they were simply lovely.

Tita Tez’m, Tito Bart, Tito Don, Candisse, and I, led worship. Muahaha, I do believe we did There’s a New Generation a bit faster than the CFC are accustomed to doing it… hem, I gave the beat, see, so I gave the “Youth tempo.” Lol. Same story for Open the Eyes of My Heart. Hahaha. Well.. the ‘rents kept up pretty well… hahaha! Alright, alright, I’ll stop. :D I wasn’t going that fast! *sigh* I suppose I ought to have some sympathy, seeing as I can relate easily enough to them; haven’t I told Gabe countless times na, “Bumibilis ka!” or na, “Masyadong mabilis!” before I start singing, even? I guess I ought to stop teasing the CFC… but I simply can’t resist when Tita Tez’m asks me to teach her “the Youth strumming” as she calls it. Hahaha. Well, we also sang Salvation Belongs to Our God, and that song always transports me back to Conference… When we reach those words, “Be to our God forever and ever,” I can close my eyes and see the hands of the Brothers and Sisters go up… a sea of hands raised in praise to the Lord… *sigh* Watching these videos always hits me…

The YFC and KFC went to the other room with Tita Tez’m for the activity. She told them a story and used actions to emphasize, and all the quiet, attentive ones were given marshmallows as a reward. Hahaha, after the story (it was about… either St. Catherine or St. Elizabeth, I think… I don’t know, I was going over the schedule with Kim and Candisse), Tita Tez’m pointed to each of us and asked if that person deserved marshmallows. (Pointing to Christian) “Does he deserve a marshmallow?” (All:) “YES!” (Pointing to Therese) “Does she deserve a marshmallow?” and then pointing at Justin, and then Matthew (he got a “no” but he got one anyway, haha), and then to me (I got a firm “no” repeated over and over from Matt and Jon, rotflwtime) and the girls and Jon got yes’s (I think?), and then we got to Matt, and I yell “NO!!!!” and at the same time, he yelled “YES!!!!!!” It was absolutely hilarious.

Tita Tez’m asked us girls to help with the activity the kids were doing, and Matt starts talking to me while Tita Tez’m's giving us instructions, so I said, “(Aisa,) Wait! (no, wait,) Hang on! (no, can I…) Matt! Shush! I’m trying to listen! (but…) Stoppit!!!!” and then when I was done, I went over… and it turns out he stole my guitar. I made my appeal to Kim. Matt protests, “I was asking her and she said, ‘hang on’ so I figured that meant yes. I did ask her!” Blehhh!!!!

W/e. So, apparently, Jon’s being the old Jon again is back ‘freal. SWEEEETNESS! When was the last time I saw Jon that lively at a GA??? He was singing to Matt and dancing. He was climbing on the chairs. He was playing with the little ones. He was totally freaking us out. Oh, yes. We are most definitely back in the presence of the Jon San Miguel from whom I used to run and avoid hugs from. Hahaha. I just love Jon. :D

It was actually warm enough outside that Kim and Candisse and I spent a good half hour or so in the garden, as we have not done in months, and as you see in the pics. I think they missed the camera as much as I did. LOL.

Tito Don, Matt, and Tita Tez’m led Lord I Lift Your Name On High for our closing song at the GA, and Kim and Candisse and I led everyone in the actions. Our original intention was merely for the kids to learn the actions, but the entire CFC decided to follow along to. Now, I won’t name anyone, but I found it so amusing when certain people would do a double-take, because they missed something. Muahahaha. It was a really powerful worship.

And now, on to the last part of my post. I’m giving the same talk this year, so I’m currently doing the old one over. I’m getting both guitars restrung tomorrow, so I’ll be bringing both the electric and the acoustic to Youth Camp. I’m so excited!!! We have practice at Gabe’s house this Friday (we’re moving the drums early), and speakers’ practice the next day. 3 times as many participants as last time! That’s insane!!!! God is good.

Well..

Gee I dunno what to say. Gloria’s back from Florida and she told me all about it :D Katie and I have been exchanging emails a LOT this past week and it’s been energizing. lol. We watched Padre Pio, a most disturbing movie. Actually, we only watched part one. We have yet to watch part two. All I can say is, so far it’s been a WOW movie. Like Passion. Ahhck. Anyway…

March 15th, 2006

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/15/10/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/15/out-of-many-waters-by-jacqueline-dembar-greene/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/15/353/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/15/310/

Gonna catch up

cuz I got a minute. I went around the neighborhood twice in my bike today. The length of the journey downhill, no pedaling and just enjoying the wind in your face, makes up for the fact that it isn’t as steep or exciting as at 415. So, I believe when I am in a bad mood, either one would do (if I could just go to one or the other when I felt like it), one would give me a feeling of triumph because of the daring and skill that it takes and it makes your heart race; the other gives me a sense of peace and calm. Both are good, sometimes I’d rather have one or the other. Eh, they’re good. Anyway, here’s the catching up part. Journal entries:

March 7, 2005

‘We’re home. Mrs. Naderman reminds me of Ms. Bates. Saturday we sang –
Zombie
La Isla Bonita
Kokomo
Another Sad Love Song
Breathe Again
Physical
YMCA
I WILL SURVIVE
Killing Me Softly
Beauty and the Beast
A Whole New World
Livin’ La Vida Loca
Quit Playin Games With My Heart

soooooo many. The Best Part was dancing w/Archie and Yena and Sarah. We were square dancing, me, tita Maribel, Tita Annabelle, and Sarah.‘

I do believe I meant, “line dancing” because I cannot remember ever knowing how to square dance!!!

March 8th, 2006

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/08/keeper-by-mal-peet/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/08/to-kill-a-mockingbird-by-harper-lee/

‘tears of shame are all we have
tears of shame are all we ask
tears to wash away the blood
tears to wash away the past
tears to somehow bring to light
what went wrong and what went right
tears to somehow end the fight
and take the fear out of the night
tears to show the love we feel
tears to show that love is real
tears to help us understand
just how fragile it is, what we hold in our hand
tears to erase the anger and sin
tears for the innocence that cannot win
tears to erase all bitterness
tears for tears and nothing less
tears that one day hope to heal
tears that one day hope to seal
tears that take the place of rain
tears that take away the pain

for not all tears are an evil
estelio han, estelio veleth

tears to wash the blood away
tears released, at peace I lay
tears that linger, tears that last
tears that wash away the past.‘

March 9, 2006

‘Mom and I went to Melting Pot yesterday.‘

March 10, 2005

‘Tuesday I saw Todd E. We had free sparring and I sparred Sean, Todd, Cristhian, Lyndon, Brian, Christine, and one more I forget who. Todd and Dana and I were playing around, haha nuts. Yesterday I invited everyone at choir and I think John, Kelly, Brandon, and Genie can come. I hope so. I’m gonna call Britt tomorrow. I saw both Todds today and Todd L. was wearing red. He looks good in red… Anyway, Todd E. was the one who started it today. He back kicked me! We were laughing. I went over orange and green belt one steps w/him. Then on my way into the dressing room, he hit my back! I ran towards him and his dad was there and I cried, “he hit my back!” and his dad said that he’d hold him and so he held him and Todd tried to do a back kick and I was like “no, no…” so his dad said “ok, then I’ll just get him” and he hit Todd’s head. Todd turned towards me the minute he was free and I said “Todd. c’mon it’s time we ended this dispute. Friends?” and I held out my hand and he’s like “no” and his dad said “wha… uh uh” and Todd laughed and said “ok” I said “good luck Saturday… oyeh I’ll see ya tomorrow!” and he left. Sean asked me to go over Ee Dan w/him before I left.‘

I had a thing back then for writing down conversations. LOL.

March 11th, 2006

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/11/6/

March 12th, 2005

‘TESTING!!! I’m a 7th gup. quotes from today:

Me – Kenny annoyes me twice as much as you do.
Todd Erb – In that case, I have to give him a high five… ‘

‘Me – Kenny… what happened to your foot?
Ken – I hit her elbow with a round kick and I couldn’t stand.‘

‘Me – I haven’t seen you do that since May!
Todd Lucke – That’s because I haven’t done it since May!
——————————————————-
Ken – But wait! Where do you go to school?
Me – Kenny. I’m homeschooled.
Ken – What? Oh… well doesn’t that suck? Oh well noo… I guess that would be cool… But wait, how old are you?
Todd Erb – 11
Me – 11? Oh… I thought you were 10… You never told me that.
Ken – 10? Will you look at him? 11… he’s taller than me!‘

Muahahahahahaha the thing was, Kenny was 14 at the time. And as for what Master Todd was doing — he went and did a round-off back lay-out. I didn’t write that down, but I remember. LOL.

March 13th, 2006

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/a-single-shard-by-linda-sue-park/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/7/

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/8/ 

http://gukkhser.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/9/

Today was good.

I had a nice long talk with mom during and after lunch. Algebra goes well… should start Pre-Calc around mid-April. I got half-way into Chapter 2 of Life of Christ (and I did NOT skip preface or forward) but then I had to stop and think, and in stopping in thinking, I had to put it down altogether. It’s all quite profound. Even heavier reading than St. Francis and 1917 put together. And those books were heavy.

Which reminds me… I want to go read 1917 again. It’ll be more of a fun reading, since I’m supposed to be focusing on Ancient Greece… eck, maybe I’ll just leave it.

I played outside with the kids today. Whee Migi and I played badminton till we totally wrecked the birdie. Hahahaha. It was good.

I’m working on writing on the index for each of my composition journals. Actually, an alphabetical index, and a by-date index.

Which reminds me… today is March 5th… and now let me go check my journals :D

March 5th, 2005 reads:

‘My B-day party was today and It Was The Best. Magic Mike, Pokemon, and Cinderella w/Hillary Duff. It was sooooo much fun. 50 bucks from Tito Nato an a DVD from Ninang Joy and a shirt from Tita ‘mele and jewelry and gadgets from Sarah. We have to take the guitar with us tomorrow. Remember to pack my toothbrush. Goodnight.‘

So yesterday was alright, I guess. Choir was fun. Once again, I was hearing Father Muldowney’s voice in my head. It was kinda freaky yesterday (as opposed to other Sundays when it’s happened), though, why, I can’t say.

We went home for a quick lunch and mum made quiche. Then off to Tito Leo’s and we were the first ones there. We had some nice conversation about our plans to go to Legoland and about the SHS Diversity Day and state quarters and stuff. Migs was having fun comparing his state quarter collection to Kuya Mico’s. Tito Miel and Tita Karri came, but Mariel and Gio had been left at home… they came later, so that Kim and Mariel and I helped lead the Praise-fest at the end.

Hehe I like Tito Joe very much. I mean, I always have, but I haven’t put that here, yet. He’s an awesome person… kinda quiet and… mild, for want of a better word… like Daddy. Maybe that’s why I like him so much. Yes, that’s probably it. LOL I suppose in general, I like anyone Daddy likes or anyone that reminds me of him. ‘Tis not as a rule, for I guess I can name a few people in the past that I didn’t quite take to… but yeah. Quiet… gentle… but firm, commanding, sure of themselves, not at all self-concious (as far as I gather), righteous, all that. Another one — besides Tito Joe, I mean — would be Master Todd. Funny, I never really thought about it before…

Ahh I missed South Abington Park today. It’s one thing to sit on the swings… but when you look around, everything’s just plain flat. It reminds you of where you are… but when you’re on the swings at Abington, man, you just feel so free… You’ve already got the feeling of rushing through the air, and because you’re at the top of a hill (that is more a mountain, compared to hills here, for hills here are small, and mountains here are but hills there) and as you come around, you’re looking down, not to mention there’s plenty of wind rushing past your ears… it’s just magic. And when you look up or straight ahead… many’s the time I’ve reached my feet for the sky and blocked out the sun with my shoes, or made it seem as if me feet were resting on top of the mountain up ahead of me in the distance. Many’s the time I’ve lain back and let my hair nearly brush the ground (I loved letting my hair down when it was aw’fly long) and just stare up at the clouds… stare the sun in its face… the blue sky… the clouds that make the mountain look like a painting…

Ahh I remember one day, we were there with unc, and Paco and unc and I just went really really far down the creek. And no, I do not mean we took the trail and then went to the creek, I mean we went down the creek, wading in the creek, all the way from the bridge. Yep, and in our shoes, too. I think we ruined unc’s sandals. And Paco’s rubber shoes. And… oh, I still have the shoes I wore then. Hee hee hee.

Eh, I don’t mean to make it sound like I’m miserable here, now. I expect it’s just a bout of homesickness that probably has plenty to do with the fact that I’ll be going there this month, and it’ll wear off eventually… especially after September, when we’ll only be going up every six months and I’ll have plenty of time in between to settle down again… I think.

Time Flies.

<3 I was reading through my journal, trying to see what my entries were from a year and two years and three years ago… And I’m going to start doing this every day. I just felt like sharing, because I mean to get all my memories (well, not all, of course…) down in the proper pages (on here), I just haven’t had time. So I’ll share what I want to share out of my old journal entries, but only on exact dates… meaning if there’s no entry for March 2nd but there’s one for March 1st, 2004, eh well, that can wait till next year. LOL.

So here we are… March 2nd, 2005 says that I…

‘Saw Todd and Todd Friday. They sparred. Got pics of Dad sparring Paula and Todd E. Todd L. sparred on Dad’s side.‘
‘Todd E. was threatening to smash the Memory Card. Mr. Erb said, “She got some really good pics of you getting your butt whopped.” Haha I had the last word… “They’re gonna be on the internet!”‘
‘Todd [L.] just stood there for the longest time until Todd E. was gone and our conversation was over.‘
‘I called Devin.‘
‘Anyway, she sent me an email with a quiz, she’d meant to send it to me before, but she didn’t, so when she sent it to me, she still had everyone else’s emails down!‘
‘My bday party is on Saturday. W/Tita Alma and Ninang Joy. At Tita Alma’s house. Merong karaoke!!! Haha sabi ko kay Ninong, kantahin niya ang laklak… whateva.‘
‘I’d better write this down so I don’t forget. — PA = Imladris MO = Lothlorien Cincinnati = the forest of Ghân-buri-ghân.‘

Hehe, I wasn’t exactly awesome with punctuation back then, was I? LOL. Probably just because it was in my own journal that no one would correct me on. Hahahaha. Eh, time to go help mum clean up. High household later!!! I can’t wait.

well i have to stop in a bit…

but i just had to post something i remembered from a while back… so i’m at brown’s gym, right, for my physical therapy, and i just got done and i’m waiting for my ride home. so i’m standing by the doors and i’m wearing the choker that i’m wearing in this picture:

anyway, i never knew the guys there by name, but they were all pretty awesome, nice guys. so anyway, this one guy (who looked an awful like mr. parry now that i think about it… just shorter. and around… oh i dunno, uncle topey’s age? something like that) walks in the doors (he works there, but he was off on break i guess) and he turns towards me and was looking at me. now, i couldn’t very well look away without seeming rude, seeing as i’d already nodded “hi” and he was like, what, three feet away? and i’m wondering what the heck he’s staring at. cuz he’s not making eye contact, mind you. so anyway, he comes closer and he leans in and he’s staring hard at something and suddenly he pulls back quickly (cuz he was leaning in the way you’d do a blitz [in sparring] slow-motion) and laughs and says, “oh, i thought that was a tattoo on your neck, and i was thinking, ‘that’s gotta hurt!’” and i was… startled, obviously, and so all i can say is, “oh, haha (lamely), it’s just a choker…” and he goes, “oh, ok. cool! (with enthusiasm.)”

and that… was that.

just.. blogging… for the heck of it.

stuff i remember… about chilling with unc…  which later on i will add to my childhood memories pages…. but i just felt like blogging them right now…

well… a few days after Christmas this one year, i went with him to his house (two hours away from ours) and then mum and dad and the kids followed the next day. nearly the entire two hours, we were talking about LotR. :D he was prolly humoring me at the time, but i had SO much fun because he asked a LOT of questions and i got to explain a whole lot about who eowyn was and so on. and then that night, he cooked spam and rice for me for dinner and we watched LotR (i think TT?). hehe i think he fell asleep. it’s ok. it was good. the black cushion thingy was on the floor and that’s where i was sleeping, so i was in the blankets while were watching. hee hee. and then the next day, unc left to go the bank in the morning, so i made oatmeal for myself so that he wouldn’t have to make breakfast for me. hehe he was awful quick, tho; i think he got back before i’d finished eating. anyway, also on the way there, we were listening to sarah mclachlan and avril (lol back when he still listened to avril! here and there)  and that one song, ice cream; unc would always tell me to sing, cuz i couldn’t get that high yet for the “doo doo doo”‘s. and the song, fear, too. i couldn’t get that high. unc would laugh. hehehe. oh, and then, we were listening to sweet surrender, and he’s like “o, ais, anong instrument kaya yan?” and i was like, uh, whistle? and he laughs really hard. and then after that, sometimes he would go, “o, ais, ais. it was a whistle.” and that would always bring a laugh. and then when we were listening to avril, he goes and skips nobody’s fool, but then goes back to it and he’s like, hey ais, alam mo ba to… and makes jokes about the part that goes “i’m not the milk and cheerios in your spoon…” hehe my fav memories of unc are when he’s laughing. so there was that…

and then there was the day he took me to the park. in clarks summit. funnnn he took me really early in the morning and he ran around the field and flew the kite. i couldn’t run very far before getting tired. hehe i think it was his exercise, too. that was awesome.

oh, and we had this landing in our apartment in clarks summit, and at night, if ever he caught me going up or down the stairs in the dark, he’d hide on the landing in the shadow of the altar, and jump out and scare me as i reached the landing. eeehhhh good times. :D

my absolute fav memory of christmas karaoke is of unc and ninong singing laklak together. it’s not so much the song… just seeing them singing together. good times.

oh, and unc used to show us his sword forms and those were sooooooo cool. and i got to see his certificates and play with his kung-fu sashes. hehe i did pretty weird things with them. but those were good memories. and unc used to do these excersises with me, where we’d both be in horse-stance and we’d block and punch by turns. it’s sad… last time i was at his house (september) he said he’d forgotten them when i asked if he might do them with me. it was a very simple exercise…. i miss doing it with him. he’d speed up to see if i could block fast enough. and he’d keep speeding up throughout the exercise until he got me. hehe.

ohhhh italy!!! billiards. he took me up really late one night to play the game he’d promised earlier that day. even though it was really late, he still took me up. playing billiards with ninong and uncle was one of the highlights of that trip. i remember one time when i was playing unc, i actually tried to angle it so that the ball would bounce of the edge. eh, guess what, it stopped like barely an inch from the whole; even unc said it was a pretty good shot. :D that made me feel good. walking through the ruins of pompeii with unc was freaking awesomeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hehehe there was this little kitten that was like following us around or something; i think we gave it candy or something rotflwtime!!! and then we went really really far this crazy trail that actually led to like nowhere (well, we found what we were looking for, it turns out; but we were both expecting something quite different and we had a good laugh at ourselves…) and then back hehehe i remember the sun was setting as we made our way back and THAT was a sight to remember. the ruins of pompeii were awesome. and then the night we were sleeping in… was it sorrento? i think. mama and papa couldn’t sleep cuz i was in their bed and ninong and unc were in the other (it was a room where the king bed was on one side, the full bed was on the other, and the shower was in the corner and no curtain. ugh. bleh. hehe we laughed a lot that night…) and we were like talking and laughing together so i ended up moving to their bed and ninong was on my left and unc at my right and we laughed HARD that night. and told scary stories. they talked about their childhood days. and told the scary stories they’d heard as kids. ah, and then, when we were… somewhere… there was another room, with a king bed and a bunk. i slept on the top bunk and unc on the bottom and mama and papa in the king. we prayed the rosary that night, and i remember unc asking how papa had memorized the litany of the Blessed Mother. and then i remember reciting some scenes from harry potter… funny how these things come back to me. hehehe we went to capri and unc went and stood on the rocks and took pics and mama was like worried he might fall or something hahahaha.

eh that’s all i can remember for tonight… it’s past midnight. i better get to bed.