That was the title of Glee's latest episode on Tuesday. First, I want to say j'adore, Glee, because you are a wonderfully hilarious musicomedy. But this particular episode had a lot of subtler, emotional moments that really drove home (no pun intended) the importance of discovering where one belongs. Which is probably why, by the time Kurt finished singing "A House is Not a Home," I was bawling like a baby. Actually, I don't think there was a good portion of the show that I wasn't in tears. Even if the Luther Vandross song is about love lost (not really something I worry about), the sentiment of the song just made me a gloopy mess (is "gloopy" a word? I use that to describe the ugly black streak left by your mascara after you've cried your eyes out).
I guess it's just one of those days (or weeks) that I'm feeling particularly homesick. It's interesting coz I remember writing about being homesick when I was in Berkeley, and that was just a five-hour drive from San Gabriel. But, and this is key, now that I look back at that experience, I can't imagine it any other way. Because I met great friends, found exciting things to do and things to keep me busy, my overall Berkeley experience is irreplaceable. If anything, there were a lot of things I wish I should've done during my college years (maybe bought a fake ID?). Hmm...I might just go all Van Wilder and go back to college for that. :)
Joking aside, I think it would be a great personal accomplishment when, years down the road, I would look back at this particular stage of my life and not be able to imagine it being better another way. I think it's hard to imagine that at this point, because I'm still so fixated on California, on all the things that were. And you really can't blame a girl for reminiscing--hard--about "those days," when the biggest concern was making a 10-page paper not sound too full of B.S. or choosing a blow-off class of the semester (thank you for the term, Jeff Winger). Gosh, I say that like I've been out of college forever, when it's been less than a year. hehe. Come to think about it, isn't it funny how we tend to belittle our dilemmas of yesteryears and scoff at how naive we were? Which begs the question, is any endeavor really worth the stress, the drama, the tears, when all it seems we're doing is just trying to get to that next level? At what point does a pursuit become truly worth our time, when 20 years down the road you can claim that you're still really proud of that accomplishment? I mean, can I really still brag about having scored 5 on 2 AP courses in high school, or having graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley? Then again, the flipside of this is all the seemingly "little" toils that we do every year of our life builds us up into the successful people that we turn into. I'm probably mulling about this a little too deeply because I haven't defined what that "success" means for me yet. And also, because digressing from my original thought wouldn't make me think too much of home again.
But back to the topic of being comfortable where I am. I honestly am happy with certain aspects of my life. I'm proud of actually taking that step and moving to Minnesota & working for Target. I'm proud that I can afford my own apartment at 21. I'm truly excited about the accomplishments I have at work. I like my co-workers and I adore my new friends sincerely. But, pieces of my life are just that -- pieces. I need to be wholly contented; although "contented" sounds like such a staid word. Maybe the word I'm looking for is...oh wait, it's in the title. I want to feel at home.
Even as I was typing that last sentence there's still a part of me resistant to the idea. And maybe I'm not meant to stay in Minnesota forever; then again maybe I'm going to buy my first house here! Let's put it this way: I want to want to be here for as long as I'm here. And it may take me a while to figure out how to do that, but I'm glad I'm doing things to get to that point, albeit at a slow pace, like meeting new people and exploring the city and going to Duluth in May. And even if the things that will make me feel at home in Minnesota are valid only for now, what better time to try and be fully & truly happy than right now?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I Yelp because I care.
I'm a Yelp! fanatic. Ok, probably a budding fanatic, because I don't have hundreds of reviews yet, although I'm trying to achieve that. I can't even remember how I stumbled across this freaking awesome website, but I do remember seeing the distinguishable Yelp logo plastered all across Berkeley restaurants. By the by, make sure to vote for Yelp! [and Target] at this year's Webby Awards here.
Anyway, I do go to this site religiously when I'm just jonesing for new eats. While it has led me to some duds, I still trust my indiscriminate palate to it, especially since it's so fun reading normal people -- not restaurant critics with discerning tongues -- review anything. It's less trashy than a Youtube comments section and less refined than the New York Times's Dining & Wine page.
Anyway, the main point of this entry was to talk about food in Minnesota. I just name-dropped Yelp! because I have run to it many times in the few months I've been living here, either to write a review or desperately search for a restaurant that delivers at 10 PM on a Friday night without a big delivery fee (Answer: Keys at the Foshay! Yey!!!!).
Aah, where do I start with how I eat in Minnesota? First off, I have yet to find authentically good Mexican food. Seriously, Taco John's and Taco Bell's are your only options during lunch and around the downtown area. Um, no.
Asian food is hit-or-miss. They have this chain of Chinese fast food called LeeAnn Chin's, a lot like Panda Express, and a whole lot of Americanized Asian food. There's actually more Thai places here, and I've found one or two decent spots. The interesting thing here is most restaurants serve their spicy food with five heat level options. Coz, seriously, Minnesota "spicy" is really not. :) And they serve mock duck. Minnesotans have a creepy love affair with the mock duck. I don't even wanna know what that is. Indian food is eh. Coming from a place that has Vik's Chaat & House of Curries, it's really hard to not judge Indian food by a high standard. But, I'm still going to the Dancing Ganesha's lunch buffet tomorrow with friends, and this is (embarrassingly) my third time! haha. I'm such a sell-out to cheap food.
Speaking of cheap food, it's hard to find cheap food in the downtown area where I live, unless you consider eating dinner at 5 PM and going to any random bar for their happy hour. Some bars, like the Newsroom or The Local, have pretty sizable portions for $4 or $5. If it wasn't so blatantly pathetic to go to a bar during happy hour and just order some appetizers to go, I probably would. Thank goodness Target loves its hh's. That way, I can go get my margherita pizza, eat half and casually set aside the other half for dinner.
If there's one thing that MN restaurants do get right, it's American/European food. I've had some great German food on Northeast at Gasthof's (and during Oktoberfest, no less!), and the divine Black and Blue burger (hey, the burger has European-ish roots) @ Eli's will forever be one of the things I'm most thankful for. We have a restaurant next to the workplace that's called Brit's serving (duh) English food, and a few blocks away is The Local, which serves Irish food and -- interesting fact -- the most Jameson Irish Whiskey in the entire world. No joke.
It's kind of sad that 3/4 of my credit card charges are all on food, but I don't think I'll ever stop trying new restaurants in Minnesota or anywhere else. The great thing about being a foodie is anyone can be a foodie, and the experiences are fleeting enough that it doesn't have to take too much effort and regrets (if any) pass quickly. At the same time, if you fall in love with a place and its food, you can always go back to it again & again. Which is why I just went back to Eli's for the 5th or 6th time last week. And which is why I'm seriously considering moving to the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis which has the awesome-sounding Eat Street. How perfect is that?!
Anyway, I do go to this site religiously when I'm just jonesing for new eats. While it has led me to some duds, I still trust my indiscriminate palate to it, especially since it's so fun reading normal people -- not restaurant critics with discerning tongues -- review anything. It's less trashy than a Youtube comments section and less refined than the New York Times's Dining & Wine page.
Anyway, the main point of this entry was to talk about food in Minnesota. I just name-dropped Yelp! because I have run to it many times in the few months I've been living here, either to write a review or desperately search for a restaurant that delivers at 10 PM on a Friday night without a big delivery fee (Answer: Keys at the Foshay! Yey!!!!).
Aah, where do I start with how I eat in Minnesota? First off, I have yet to find authentically good Mexican food. Seriously, Taco John's and Taco Bell's are your only options during lunch and around the downtown area. Um, no.
Asian food is hit-or-miss. They have this chain of Chinese fast food called LeeAnn Chin's, a lot like Panda Express, and a whole lot of Americanized Asian food. There's actually more Thai places here, and I've found one or two decent spots. The interesting thing here is most restaurants serve their spicy food with five heat level options. Coz, seriously, Minnesota "spicy" is really not. :) And they serve mock duck. Minnesotans have a creepy love affair with the mock duck. I don't even wanna know what that is. Indian food is eh. Coming from a place that has Vik's Chaat & House of Curries, it's really hard to not judge Indian food by a high standard. But, I'm still going to the Dancing Ganesha's lunch buffet tomorrow with friends, and this is (embarrassingly) my third time! haha. I'm such a sell-out to cheap food.
Speaking of cheap food, it's hard to find cheap food in the downtown area where I live, unless you consider eating dinner at 5 PM and going to any random bar for their happy hour. Some bars, like the Newsroom or The Local, have pretty sizable portions for $4 or $5. If it wasn't so blatantly pathetic to go to a bar during happy hour and just order some appetizers to go, I probably would. Thank goodness Target loves its hh's. That way, I can go get my margherita pizza, eat half and casually set aside the other half for dinner.
If there's one thing that MN restaurants do get right, it's American/European food. I've had some great German food on Northeast at Gasthof's (and during Oktoberfest, no less!), and the divine Black and Blue burger (hey, the burger has European-ish roots) @ Eli's will forever be one of the things I'm most thankful for. We have a restaurant next to the workplace that's called Brit's serving (duh) English food, and a few blocks away is The Local, which serves Irish food and -- interesting fact -- the most Jameson Irish Whiskey in the entire world. No joke.
It's kind of sad that 3/4 of my credit card charges are all on food, but I don't think I'll ever stop trying new restaurants in Minnesota or anywhere else. The great thing about being a foodie is anyone can be a foodie, and the experiences are fleeting enough that it doesn't have to take too much effort and regrets (if any) pass quickly. At the same time, if you fall in love with a place and its food, you can always go back to it again & again. Which is why I just went back to Eli's for the 5th or 6th time last week. And which is why I'm seriously considering moving to the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis which has the awesome-sounding Eat Street. How perfect is that?!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
In this week's episode of "Things I'm grateful for"...
23. Great music; I just love a good song, and even trashy, corny ones sometimes. Currently listening to Esperanza Spalding. New find on eMusic!
24. Pandora Radio during my morning walks to work.
25. free coffee @ Starbucks today -- Tax Day.
26. Freedom of speech. Which gives me the right to say, while I can groan about my taxes every time I get my check, nothing in life comes free. I'm talking to you teabaggers...I mean, Tea Party (seriously, they complain about taxes, when a good portion of that goes to protecting the country they claim to love with the guns they claim to own).
Sorry, got a little bit winded there. Not very much gratitude-y. I'm back on track.
27. The Spots, the official Target choir, which I'm a part of. What a fun group of people @ work, but outside the work function. :)
28. Brian Williams, who is informative and incredibly watchable.
29. Henckels FE Pro Santoku knife, for being the only knife I really ever need.
30. Glee, for making me ever so Glee-ful
31. Ugly Betty's writers, for ending the show with a nice compromise between typical "Ugly Betty endings" (in other countries) and a more modest, less treacly conclusion.
32. "Eat This, Not That" webpage that I just recently discovered; haven't used it yet, but excited to!
33. The Metro Transit for being so convenient and ubiquitous around the Twin Cities.
34. Netflix, for introducing me to so many great movies that I normally would never watch, and making me a complete foreign filmophile.
24. Pandora Radio during my morning walks to work.
25. free coffee @ Starbucks today -- Tax Day.
26. Freedom of speech. Which gives me the right to say, while I can groan about my taxes every time I get my check, nothing in life comes free. I'm talking to you teabaggers...I mean, Tea Party (seriously, they complain about taxes, when a good portion of that goes to protecting the country they claim to love with the guns they claim to own).
Sorry, got a little bit winded there. Not very much gratitude-y. I'm back on track.
27. The Spots, the official Target choir, which I'm a part of. What a fun group of people @ work, but outside the work function. :)
28. Brian Williams, who is informative and incredibly watchable.
29. Henckels FE Pro Santoku knife, for being the only knife I really ever need.
30. Glee, for making me ever so Glee-ful
31. Ugly Betty's writers, for ending the show with a nice compromise between typical "Ugly Betty endings" (in other countries) and a more modest, less treacly conclusion.
32. "Eat This, Not That" webpage that I just recently discovered; haven't used it yet, but excited to!
33. The Metro Transit for being so convenient and ubiquitous around the Twin Cities.
34. Netflix, for introducing me to so many great movies that I normally would never watch, and making me a complete foreign filmophile.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Ah Glee, how do I love thee? Let me count the many freaking ways.
Note: If you live in the West Coast or have not seen the brand spanking new episode of Glee tonight, MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! I mean, seriously, it's all spoiler spoilers, like I would hate to be you right now if you haven't seen the show and then you read this.
OMG, Glee is back. I am a certifiable Gleek, and I could not have cared less about the American Idol show running over. Gawrsh. But, that's OK, because the performers were pretty good. But they don't have the excitement, the drama, and the Sue Sylvester of the peppiest, snappiest, awesomest show about high school students in a Glee club! Anyway, what's so great about this episode?
1) It's my first fresh taste of Glee after an insanely long hiatus (not that I ever ran out of shows to watch).
2) New and improved Will Schuester, without that psycho wife Terri of his.
3) Really funny line from Brittany (the ditzy blonde cheerleader): Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks? I don't typically do LOLs, but LMFAO!!!
4) A sneak peek at the equally talented (but no back story) Vocal Adrenaline
5) Will + Emma sitting on a tree...that Emma had to bleach because she has OCD (yey, it still rhymes!)
6) The immaculate Sue Sylvester. SOOOOO GLAD she's reinstated, coz then who else would we love to hate, right? Best line from Sue tonight (to two cheerleaders): "You two are the stupidest teens I've met, and I've taught cheerleading to a young Sarah Palin." Oh no she didn't!!! :D
7) IDINA MENZEL as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline! Ah! Idina!!!
8) And, of course, the joie de vivre for Glee, the songs. Amazing arrangements, and while I love the big group songs (and "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles, no less), I'd have to say the refined duet by Rachel and Jesse St. James (new evil character, hooray!) of Lionel Richie's "Hello" was the best of the night.
Ah, and of course, there's a shocking, and shockingly good preview of next week's Madonna episode. I CAN'T WAIT! Thank you [insert higher being here], for giving the world Glee. And, I heard Kristin Chenoweth's coming back for a guest spot. Oh my god, if there was a Chenoweth-Menzel duet in "Glee," I would so cry tears of joy.
OMG, Glee is back. I am a certifiable Gleek, and I could not have cared less about the American Idol show running over. Gawrsh. But, that's OK, because the performers were pretty good. But they don't have the excitement, the drama, and the Sue Sylvester of the peppiest, snappiest, awesomest show about high school students in a Glee club! Anyway, what's so great about this episode?
1) It's my first fresh taste of Glee after an insanely long hiatus (not that I ever ran out of shows to watch).
2) New and improved Will Schuester, without that psycho wife Terri of his.
3) Really funny line from Brittany (the ditzy blonde cheerleader): Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks? I don't typically do LOLs, but LMFAO!!!
4) A sneak peek at the equally talented (but no back story) Vocal Adrenaline
5) Will + Emma sitting on a tree...that Emma had to bleach because she has OCD (yey, it still rhymes!)
6) The immaculate Sue Sylvester. SOOOOO GLAD she's reinstated, coz then who else would we love to hate, right? Best line from Sue tonight (to two cheerleaders): "You two are the stupidest teens I've met, and I've taught cheerleading to a young Sarah Palin." Oh no she didn't!!! :D
7) IDINA MENZEL as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline! Ah! Idina!!!
8) And, of course, the joie de vivre for Glee, the songs. Amazing arrangements, and while I love the big group songs (and "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles, no less), I'd have to say the refined duet by Rachel and Jesse St. James (new evil character, hooray!) of Lionel Richie's "Hello" was the best of the night.
Ah, and of course, there's a shocking, and shockingly good preview of next week's Madonna episode. I CAN'T WAIT! Thank you [insert higher being here], for giving the world Glee. And, I heard Kristin Chenoweth's coming back for a guest spot. Oh my god, if there was a Chenoweth-Menzel duet in "Glee," I would so cry tears of joy.
Monday, April 12, 2010
I don't know who Joe Mauer is, but I guess I'm about to find out.
It's kinda hard not to be interested in Mr. Mauer, since apparently he's the greatest thing to happen to Twins baseball in recent memory. Tons of people adore this guy, and I do too, because he's quite cute. :)
So, seven months in Minnesota and I feel like I know enough about this place (well, just the Twin Cities within busing distance...so I guess not too, too much) that I have plenty of things to blog about that fascinates, aggravates, elates, and/or (insert emotion here) me.
First up: SPORTS!
It's so interesting how much of a sports-obsessed state Minnesota is. I gather that observation from the many, MANY Twins apparel I saw walking around today (home-opener for the 2010 Season) and the Vikings (football) apparel I saw a few months back. The MN Wild (Hockey) just celebrated their 500th consecutive sold-out game a few weeks ago (they lost, though), and I'm pretty sure Minnesota's only bastard child that they're embarrassed of is the Timberwolves. Heck, they even have high school sports on a local channel!
I'd have to say I got pretty caught up during the height of football season. After all, the Vikings were thisclose to winning the NFC championship game, but there's no awesomer team to lose to than the Saints, I suppose. The next few months though, Minnesota and the rest of the nation will be busy with baseball season! I really couldn't care less about the game, but the energy that palpitates in this city nowadays is pretty contagious. Today, especially, was amazing. It was the Twins' first game at their brand new home, Target Field. I and a couple hundred other Target employees were so fortunate to get a Preview Day of the field a few weeks back, and even though I'm not a baseball enthusiast, I was pretty amazed by the details and the grandeur of the place. Photo op!!!
They were replaying a game against the Cubs (?) over and over again. Don't know why.
So, seven months in Minnesota and I feel like I know enough about this place (well, just the Twin Cities within busing distance...so I guess not too, too much) that I have plenty of things to blog about that fascinates, aggravates, elates, and/or (insert emotion here) me.
First up: SPORTS!
It's so interesting how much of a sports-obsessed state Minnesota is. I gather that observation from the many, MANY Twins apparel I saw walking around today (home-opener for the 2010 Season) and the Vikings (football) apparel I saw a few months back. The MN Wild (Hockey) just celebrated their 500th consecutive sold-out game a few weeks ago (they lost, though), and I'm pretty sure Minnesota's only bastard child that they're embarrassed of is the Timberwolves. Heck, they even have high school sports on a local channel!
They were replaying a game against the Cubs (?) over and over again. Don't know why.
The old mascots of the Twins, Minni & Paul (get it, Twins? Minneapolis/St. Paul? No? That's OK)
Pretty sweet view from the top
Nice downtown views from the Budweiser Deck
Apparently, the Twins are a great team!
And what's a day at Target Field without Bullseye himself in Twins gear?
All-in-all, this baseball idiot was thoroughly impressed with the place, and the game today only made me more interested in possibly watching a home game. And with more than 70 home games coming up, chances are looking pretty good!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Estoy very grateful para...
11. Good weather (finally!) in Minnesota, after four months of sad winter
12. My Blackberry, for lulling me to sleep with its games and Pandora radio, and what-nots.
13. Having a pretty good job in retail, for a company I honestly admire.
14. My amazing lifelong friends, old and new alike.
15. UC Berkeley and the entire college experience, from which I learned about the merits of procrastination, the virtues of skipping classes, and the joys emanating from a place called Asian Ghetto.
16. Asian Ghetto - Steve's Korean BBQ, Thai Basil, King Pin and the one and only Gypsy's (god I miss Gypsy's)
17. Crossroads Cafeteria open late night (10 p -2 a); so many days when all I wanted was greasy chicken fingers and garlic fries. (OK this is totally going against my post yesterday, hehe).
18. This American Life and Ira Glass and WBEZ Chicago and the rest of TAL crew, for bringing totally amazing/inspiring/fascinating stories to life.
19. Facebook, coz it definitely keeps me connected (in a semi-stalkerish manner) to friends in California and beyond
20. My aunt and uncle from the Philippines, who were uber-generous to treat me to the most amazing vacation last year in the Philippines post-grad
21. Living 3 blocks from the Hennepin Theater District, having access to the awesomest Broadway shows on tour. Already saw In The Heights and Mamma Mia. Bought tickets for Cats and Avenue Q already. Looking forward to seeing Billy Elliot, West Side Story and Jersey Boys next year.
22. My mac, on which I am able to type away this blog. And didn't die on me when I accidentally soaked it two years ago.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Ok, so I can't do a Downward-Facing Dog pose yet...
...and I really didn't know what I got myself into when I accidentally stayed in a gym class too long before realizing that the BOSU class switched over to a yoga class. I thought I would get really relaxed and just go with the flow, but until I can actually tuck my stomach into my knee, yoga will probably have to wait.
That said, the interesting events of today leads me to my entry of the day. I have been struggling with my weight for as long as I can remember. Even before coming to the States, it's never been easy for me to control my diet, and the awesomely fantastic food of the Philippines didn't exactly help either. :) Then my family came to the States, and I remember for the first year or so most of our food came from Costco, and we bought the nastiest food you can think of: Meatballs by the ton, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, et al. Hometown Buffet was a staple after church; my favorite food in school was a ham and swiss croissant. Point being is, things got out of hand.
And it didn't really stop there; there was a point in community college when I was actually using the family's treadmill pretty constantly, and thought that working at Subway, the "healthy" fast food, would help in my battle against my weight. Pretty much the next four years of college was a fluctuating battle with the bulge. Granted, I don't think my dorm experience would've been complete without the awesome branch @ Crossroads, with the chicken apple sausage and tater tots, but boy, that sure did a number on me. A HUGE, unfortunate number on the scale, that is.
Despite all that, the one thing as tenacious as my voraciousness is my belief that I can be healthier. I'm typically one to pick up a hobby or an obsession then leave it after a while (case in point: Solitaire, Online crossword puzzles, Matthew McConaughey). Exercising and proper diet certainly wasn't an exception. I would lose weight, then gain it back again; I'd give up for a few months, then look at myself and tell myself "Seriously, it's time." In other words, I'm like any other human being trying to live better.
But, I sincerely feel that there's something different about my goal towards being healthier this time around. I'm the first to be cynical, honestly, but I'm giving myself a better chance nowadays before jumping to ever-present self-doubts. More importantly, I'm giving myself more chances, and less time in between to act on those opportunities. I think it's the combination of having the resources (loving the YMCA), the shorter goals to be achieved (i.e. my sister's wedding), and just the honest tiredness of being tired that's really spurring this (hopefully) permanent change.
God knows there are days that I'll be looking at this blog post and think "What a load of crap." Honestly, as I sit here writing this, I'm kinda hesitant writing about my generally positive attitude about this whole thing, because it's been a pretty stagnant four months for me in terms of weight loss. It's the dreaded plateau, and it's one of the reasons I joined the Y (my apartment's gym just wasn't enough, I figured). But, then again, I think that by virtue of publicly talking about this journey -- what with it's struggles and successes -- I'm decidedly saying that I can and will make it happen, for real, this time.
I still need a TON of help for sure, and it's still so hard for me to switch off that part of my brain that just ups and quits for the day. I don't think I'll ever stop needing a support system until I develop certain habits, and I'm still trying to figure out the best combination of resources that'll embed in me those habits until they're part of who I am. Is it a combination of gym and the Weight Watchers eTools? Should I go back to the Weight Watchers meetings? Do I need a gym buddy? Can I track down my food just on a notebook? Do I chronicle my day-to-day food episodes on a blog, perhaps as a deterrent of me bingeing on food? Do I need a dog collar to zap me if I've gone over my daily calories? I'm trying all these things, and I'm actually quite open to suggestions, because as the amazing Dr. Seuss says:
I still need a TON of help for sure, and it's still so hard for me to switch off that part of my brain that just ups and quits for the day. I don't think I'll ever stop needing a support system until I develop certain habits, and I'm still trying to figure out the best combination of resources that'll embed in me those habits until they're part of who I am. Is it a combination of gym and the Weight Watchers eTools? Should I go back to the Weight Watchers meetings? Do I need a gym buddy? Can I track down my food just on a notebook? Do I chronicle my day-to-day food episodes on a blog, perhaps as a deterrent of me bingeing on food? Do I need a dog collar to zap me if I've gone over my daily calories? I'm trying all these things, and I'm actually quite open to suggestions, because as the amazing Dr. Seuss says:
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose...And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
And I want to go to the beach. In a bikini. :)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Some things I'm grateful for...
Totally ripping off my sister's idea for positive thinking. Because you CAN'T LOSE with positive thinking! Hooray!
I am grateful for:
1) My family. Need I say more? Ok, I'll say more...
2) My mom, who is so adorable when she texts me on her new iPhone, to say that she's learning to text on her iPhone.
3) My dad, who I love recommending TV shows to get addicted to. He got me hooked on "It's Always Sunny," I recommended "Life After Mars." Although I'm not sure he's watching that anymore. Hmm....
4) My brother, who supports me through my Call of Duty affliction. And he used to drive me (crazy! haha) everywhere.
5) And of course, my greatest friend, my Ate Din. She's just there for me always. She's my punching bag. My button-pusher. The bearer of my jokes, both lame and awesome. My confidante. My food conscience/health guru.
6) My awesome Ate Alli who, like me, understands the joys & pains of moving far away from family for an adventure, a crazy dream, et al. For just random talks about different things about life. And finally, someone in my family who talks business economics, not pulmonary embolisms. :)
...I would rattle off my entire extended family, but it's 12:31 AM on a Wednesday night and I'm a late sleeper, but I also can't fall asleep @ work anymore... So, short list of other random things I am grateful for:
7) My nephew Matthew - who makes me smile no matter what
8) Eli's Bar & Restaurant's Black & Bleu Burger - where have YOU been all my life?
9) My super short walk to work everyday. Only 4 1/2 blocks under 6 minutes. FTW!
10) My flat screen TV. There's no cable, I only get channels that my stupid, intermittent antennae gets, but it feeds my TV obsession just fine.
Buona Notte!
It doesn't have to be another so-so day...
...I love living vicariously through my gorgeous sister Claudine's and my beautiful cousin Allison's lives. (apparently, I love pandering to them, too. Hahaha. just kiddin', Ates). Their stories of mini (and BIG) adventures, food trips, and more make me miss them, my family, and my California.
At the same time, I've been living in Minneapolis for about 7 months now, and I do miss writing long novelas that aren't in the form of an e-mail explaining why we can't allow a vendor to cancel a big shipment of stockpots and saute pans (yes, that is what I deal in). I miss the days of my Friendster blog (Friendster who?!) when I would write about the most mundane details, but sometimes some amazingly personal & cathartic notes as well.
It's funny, we were just talking about this at work, how engaging in Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, Twitter, and all other forms of social media is the greatest sign of a person's vanity and self-importance. Perhaps it is; after all, I could've just as easily written this note down on a Word document and filed it in my folder for me to ponder upon at a later place and time. But, I find wonders in sharing...I enjoy reading about other people's lives, at least to the extent that they want to share. And I think blogging, in particular, allows its creators and its content users greater possibilities to connect on more, possibly deeper, levels than a Status update can. Not that there's anything wrong with Status updates on Facebook, as I for one employ them frequently.
And in the end, it just feels wonderful to write! Being a professional now, I have a greater sense of propriety and will not say every single thing that comes to mind on this blog. But at the same time, this is my blog, and this is my space of self-expression. So enjoy! I know I will.
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