The most important story I will ever tell is the story I tell to myself about myself. This story creates my reality and moves my life towards my passion and purpose.
That was my first response to my husband when he told me about Salmonella last night.
First, I thought Salmonella was some new R&B or country singer. Then I thought, it was an Italian Pasta and Seafood dish. Or so I thought I was blonde....
"Bad news for you, honey, but there's a nationwide Salmonella Peanut Butter Recall! It's all over the news!" he said.
"No way!!! You're joking, right?" I cried out of disbelief.
This is what happens when I don't watch the news anymore! Before I face this upcoming torture, I researched this today and yes, there is a bloody peanut butter recall all over America right now. I'm not going to explain this much in details because there is such a thing now as the Internet and you can research about it yourself.
But, please! This is causing me such a big deal of pain in my booty! Giving up my peanut butter is like giving up my stilettos and high heels! This is just impossible.
So today, I went through my snack drawer at work, and my pantry at home and believe it or not, these are my favorite things that I have a lifetime supply of... everything with Peanut Butter flavor, also known to me as "better than chocolate!"
But wait! Here's the part that made me feel like it's the saddest moment of my life... that is giving up my Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream... (God, why? What have I done to deserve this?) So, as my hubby cuddles me for emotional support, he said, "Honey, I still love you even if you have Salmonella." I asked him, "How will I know if I have symptoms of Salmonella?"
He smiled and said, "Your eyelids will turn green!"
OMG! Is this a horrifying apparition of a ghostly image of my self or what? What is my CLONE doing here in my vlog? Why can't she just leave me alone? Can somebody please take her back to her planet Cloneton where she belongs? And what is that weird accent and weird laugh about? This clone video is so funny and disturbing!
I'm too tired and too lazy to write today. So, this is what I did! I took a video of myself talking! I thought my friends, family, and vlog followers would like to see me in person or in a video LIVE! (kinda, sorta!) This is very amateur I would say, because I shot just half of my face half the time here! But I had fun doing this and I think I would want to do this again! Hope you like it!
When I talk to men or to people in general, I look at their eyes, and I will notice when they look away or look somewhere else. If you’re a woman, you probably know where this conversation is going, right?
So this morning, I was sitting at my cube when a male co-worker has asked me where he could leave the boxes of office supplies. I pointed out nicely to him which way it was supposed to go when I caught him looking at my… cleavage!! (I was wearing a tight jacket with a plunging neckline inner shirt, so I unbuttoned the chest part so I could breath!). He said “Thanks” and walked away smiling! I thought to my self…. That was so lame of me! Why did I just let him walk away without being embarrassed?
A minute later, I thought this is what I should’ve done. I should’ve stood up in his face, unbuttoned my jacket all the way, and confronted him, “Hey, you! Why are you looking at my girls? Huh? You think they’re fake? Uh-uh! It’s the new Victoria Secret’s Miracle Bra, honey! Go tell your momma, your sisters and girlfriends they’re having their annual sale right now. And get one for yourself, too. They’ve got one for your man-boobs! Then you come back here and we’ll compare our cleavage! How’s that for a deal?”
I remember my husband keeps asking me many times on what will I do if some random guy just grabbed my @ss or my b@@bs! I told him, “Ay naku, mahal, nakikita mo baga areng mga pata kong are, ha? Ay isang matinding tadyak laang nare at mababasag na ang lahat ng mababasag sa kaya!!” The gentlest way to say that in English, but not the literal meaning of what I just said, is “Honey, I will just kick his crotch so hard until his b@lls would come out of his nose!”
I didn't know what story to highlight in my blog this week. Should I share the positive outlook I gained from Jim Carey's comedy,YES MAN movie? Or my laughing and crying over two chicks killing each other over the same wedding date at the BRIDE WARS movie? Or my romantic date with my self under the stars and bright full moon last weekend while hiking in the middle of the woods of the Wasatch Mountain State Park on my flippin' snowshoes? Or my mind-blowing experience at the "Body Worlds 3 and The Story of the Heart" Exhibit in Salt Lake City on their last day on January 11th?
I have attached here this video clip that I found in YouTube so you could understand what it is and why this is such an unforgettable experience for me and my husband. And why you should go to this exhibit if it happens to be in your area (it's a travelling show!).
In my lifetime, I've been to a number of art and historical museums, from paintings and photographs, to sculptures in different cultural level, but they were all man-made type of exhibit. I've also been to exhibits of preserved wild animals and dinosaur relics. But there is nothing like the Body Worlds. It was an exhibition of authentic plastinated human bodies. Human bodies like what you and I have that were created only by God, in HIS image.
I was so excited to come to this particular Body Worlds Exhibit because it focused on the Human Heart, thus the title is called the "Body Worlds 3 and The Story Of The Heart." If you care to know, I'm a registered Heart Donor (as stated in my Utah ID). Meaning, if God decided to take my life away, I want to give away my fabulous heart to donate to someone needing a heart transplant. So, I came to know what human hearts really look like. They have a lot. Different kinds and sizes... They were pretty interesting and...
Gross! In our first 5 minutes inside this exhibit, somebody passed out, like literally fell on the floor! This exhibit was pretty intense so if you have a thin stomach and sensitive to these kinds of visuals (dead bodies, brains, nerves, internal organs, skeletons, and such) then you should just stay home and watch "The Bachelor" reality show and just figure out why smart and beautiful women can do stupid things on TV, like find true love. When my husband saw this lady collapsing in the middle of the room, he quickly grabbed me to make sure that I was fine, err, no... to make sure that I'm there if he passed out next! Luckily, we were both brave enough to finish the exhibit and made it through two hours of grueling educational tour of our human anatomy with the help of dead human bodies turned to "human beef jerky." (Now that I just mentioned it, I am not eating beef jerky anymore!)
What really touched my heart in this exhibit are the parts where they showed the developmental stages of an embryo until it was a 30 week-old fetus, the difference between a non-smoker's lungs, and a smoker's lungs (Shocking difference!! The smoker's lungs were black!!), and the story of a heart-donor recipient who lived for 5 more years, the story of a broken heart and its physiological effects to the human body, and the functions of the heart and its diseases and cures, etc.
It also states there that a person with a happy heart has a healthy heart and will/can live longer, more meaningful lives. Therefore I conclude, my fabulous heart is a happy and healthy heart, and my charming husband is absolutely taking good care of it.
It was nice to be back to work this week after the holidays! My partying with friends and relaxation at home definitely gave me a boost of renewed energy and enthusiasm to finally change "gear" to become more positive and fabulous in 2009.
As I draft my New Year's resolution for 2009, I wanted to look back in 2008 to see where I've gone terribly wrong, and how I can avoid it. I recognized that I was easily distracted by negative people, and I have dwelled myself in some negative statements, and I have entertained depression at some point. I have tattooed my forehead that it will NOT be the case for me in 2009.
My 2009 resolution is simply to change my attitude and outlook in life for the better: To be, to live, to think, to speak, to breath, to want and to attract positive! It will start from nurturing and believing the positive power within me, and it will grow and shine out of me so I can experience life and love to the fullest, and chase my dreams with more passion better than ever before.
To put it in layman's terms, I will pray harder, work harder, and play harder. I will love deeper and laugh even louder like no one cares! I will sing and dance more like there's no tomorrow! I will want more, give more and receive more. I will write dramatically happier thoughts and deliriously crazier encounters in my blogs that will consciously confuse, disturb, disrupt and affect my readers in a positive way!! I will be crisp-er, mean-er and fun-er, and will be quicker and faster than ever... like a white and pink glitter-stripped zebra racing with horses, with flames bursting out of her hot butt. Yup, that will be me.
I've turned myself into an expert traveller for the last couple of years. I knew exactly what to bring or to wear, or what NOT to bring or to wear to pass the strict airport security. Sometimes, the security personnel would even announce their "rules" in a funny way like, "Those folks from Texas, please remove all your buckles and belts, and your cowboy boots, and your hats! I know they're all pretty on you but they will not pass security!" Or, "No bottled water, orange juice or any form of liquid will pass through the security, except for up to 3 ounces of baby formula!" I happened to be stucked in line at the Chicago airport, and I really, really needed to pee really bad, if you know what I mean! So I asked the security, "Will my full bladder pass this security check?"
I was a detrimental blogger (used to blog in Friendster) in the beginning of 2008. I wasn't sure if this blogging was for me, and didn't know what kind of character I should put on. I changed my identity many times and at this point, I'm sticking with the gutsy Fabulous Pinay image, as you can see in my new YouTube video above this article.
Before I officially start blogging for 2009, I want to share with everyone one of my favorite posts (and I think my best post) in 2008.
About two weeks ago, I started blogging here in Friendster and I honestly did not know what I was doing. I had mixed awful feelings about it. I was very nervous of what I say about me and my past experiences. I was curious about what my closest friends and family would think of me. Should I keep going and remain passionate in my blogging, or should I just have to find something better to do like teach my dogs to sing ABC? What if my parents would come across this and find out that I used to drink Red Horse using a straw? Will my father be mad at me and disown me forever, or maybe he’ll buy me a round of drink with spicy sisig on the side? What if people think that I’m exposing too much of myself in the cyber world and that they hate my guts? What if I’m just wasting people’s time as they read my non-sense posts? So many questions and confusions have terrified me that I did not sleep and did not take a shower for a week. I asked myself, “What is this stupid thing that I’ve done?” To calm my self down and before I shave my head, I thought I better research more on blogging to make sure that I’m not putting my stinky foot in my mouth here in front of my beloved family and friends. I went online and I found some helpful tips, guidelines, and interesting rules that I’m tempted to break.
I could potentially become a professional writer after college if I only pursued it. So if I became a journalist, I will write something like this: “Utah is magnificent this winter.” But as an amateur blogger, I can write something like this: “This winter is killing me. Shoveling snow in our driveway almost every night is driving me crazy. This has been the worst winter for me in the past 6 years that I lived here in Utah. But what I love about it is when I wake up in the morning to a bright blue sky, a shimmering blanket of snow covering our deck, the smell of crisp clean air, and the perfect view of the beautiful Wasatch Mountain in the backdrop… where else in the world would I want to be and see something so spectacular!”
In the blog writing article, it was emphasized that I should feel free to say what I want to say and give my honest opinions. That’s really not my cup of tea. It only confused me as there were no clear warnings on honesty. Should I be writing what’s really going on in my head? That’s very dangerous. So if I was a fashion critic, I will write: “She wears a seductively low plunging neckline.” But in my blog, I can write: “I can’t believe I’ve ever seen such long boobs in my life!” If I will write an editorial, I’d say: “There are more effeminate men out there in the work force.” But in my blog, I can write: “Hold your horses, ladies and gentlemen, give way to these closet drag queens taking over!” At work, if I’m emailing a client, I will write: “Please keep us in mind for your next meeting. I hope you’ll consider bringing your conference to our resort in the future.” In my blog, I can write: “Are you insane? You must be kidding me. You’re a pain in the butt!” And if I was consoling a friend, I will write to her: “You don’t deserve all these loneliness and pain that you are going through with this man. How long do you have to be in this misery?” In my blog, I can write: “Quit being a pathetic loser! You can shoot yourself or kick his balls and leave the devil in hell!” You see, honesty in blogging is just ridiculous and it won’t work for me.
But what really caught my attention in my research is that I need to be funny and should amuse my readers, and that I should not take myself too seriously. Well, that’s even tougher… I’m going to have a hard time on this one. I now realized that blogging is not for me after all. I’m too boring with nothing much going on and nothing fun to say. Well, I guess it’s time for me to move on and change careers… I decided I’ll just become a “misfortune teller.” Anybody out there who wants to know their next bad luck?
Hello my friends, I thought these words of advice are worth sharing to you all and might help to bring greater clarity in your life.
There comes a point in your life when you realize Who matters, Who never did, Who won't anymore... and Who always will. So, don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Be Kinder Than Necessary Because Everyone You Meet Is Fighting Some Kind Of Battle.
A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.
If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.
Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.
The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.
One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished. One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.
Ideas won't work unless I do.
My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right.. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. Give a note to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009, including me, if you care. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
OK, I admit. I'm Piolo Pascual's fan, only because he resembles my husband (I'm sure you know which one is my husband here in the above photos!). But recently on my way to Chicago, I encouraged my self to listening to ballad music (instead of my usual country-rock music) to relax me on this long flight. So, I played Josh Groban and Piolo Pascual on my Ipod. And what a revelation! Piolo has a beautiful and passionate voice on his songs, and I sorta, kinda like to fall in love in his music.... Eeeeww!
Yesterday, I found myself singing Piolo Pascual's songs again as I shovelled the foot of snow that dumped on us over Christmas day. So, to mock my new crush "Papa Piolo," I recorded my self just miming and emoting on his "Ikaw ang Buhay Ko" song (You are my life, in English!) using my snow shovel as mic, and my back deck full of snow as my own stage... and my neighbors as my audience, and my puppies as my screaming fans in the background!! ha-ha!
To all who are not Piolo's fans yet, here's his video for you to see and hear your new crush. (To all the ladies, hold your pants!! No kidding!)
I can't help but be emotional today (day after Christmas). All I asked God for the whole year is to HEAL two of my closest friends who are battling cancer. It's been a hard year for me just accepting this and realizing how precious life is. I prayed to God that I don't need anything else this Christmas but for my friends to SURVIVE this trial in their lives. God has answered my prayers. God bless my friends, Jose (with wife Lisa), and Marlyn. Please continue to be strong and have faith. You both inspired me, and made me more thankful than ever for your love and friendship. I look forward to celebrating more Christmases with you. (Sorry, if I didn't ask permission to post your photos here, but you all look good and happy here... It's just perfect!).
I am fortunate to be able to travel a number of times a year for sales mission for my company. This December, my destination is the Windy City of Chicago!
Chicago is my favorite city of all! Since it's my third time now to be in the windy city, I found that Chicago is so easy to navigate as the downtown area is well planned. I instantly felt comfortable walking around on my own and discover new places, and still be able to find my way back to my hotel safely in one whole piece. I knew I was going to walk a lot on my free time, so I was smart enough to prepare for the worst weather in Chicago! To fight the freezing wind and possible snow while wandering outside, I brought with me my thickest SKI JACKET! ... And my story just begun!
City Preview: This is Barack Obama's and Oprah Winfrey's hometown. The hotel that I stayed at was soooo huge that my whole town could fit in it. Parking fee was $25 for one-hour or 24-hours. Lots of city busses and cabs for people who don't want to drive. There were literally thousands of people out in the streets walking to shops, restaurants, to train stations, everywhere. There were scary looking beggars in every corner. As a small mountain town diva, I easily got overwhelmed and claustrophobic!
Chicago Story: There were no signs of recession in this city. In Michigan Avenue, people shopped in expensive stores like Louis Vitton, Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, etc. They all dress up in their fancy hats, fur coats and wool jackets, and nice boots! Crazy people lined up to be able to get in the Apple Store! I was brave to walk inside Macy's Department Store. There were blood-thirsty shoppers in every square foot of this forsaken place. I thought I was in a club but I was not! So, before I could pass out of suffucation, I managed to get my self out of that place.
My Story: Ski Jacket in Downtown Chicago? What the h--- was I thinking? The first 2 days I was out, I looked like an outcast-ski-bunny in the city! I mean, I looked terribly weird. I was having a beauty meltdown. The ski jacket served me it's purpose. I was SWEATING to death... from my head, my neck and my armpits! I wanted to try out some tiny clothes in one store but I was afraid I was going to stain all over it. The only time I appreciated my ski jacket was one night when it was negative 20 degress outside! My gloved hands were frozen... and the strong wind felt like there were blades brushing through my cheers. So this is what bad weather they are talking about... and oh boy, it was cold!
Here's my only self-portrait in Chicago in my hotel before my hair and make up get messed up outside. The rest were taken as I walked down from my hotel to Michigan Avenue. The more I looked up at these skycrappers, the more I love our beautiful mountains in Utah.
While I was strolling down the Michigan Avenue in Chicago last weekend, I was looking for a different kind of store... until I found my self in this "American Girl Place" doll store... I was mesmerized by these expensive toys! They are Barbie Dolls on steroids!!
Of course, I tried to look for my look-alike.... So, I found this "Czarina Doll"...
Girls, meet my new best friend, Gretchen!! I've been looking for these perfect, red high heels with red ribbon for a long time now. I saw this first from Gretchen Barreto (Philippine Actress/Celebrity) and I wanted it since then. I think it's meant to be that I found her here in Chicago!
Gretchen is sooo tall!! I can't wait to ramp on it on our company Christmas partay! It's 4 and a quarter awesome inches!
Now you all know that this is my weakness! I can live with one pair of jeans, but I have to have a ton of shoes!
I was so stressed and pressured at work last week that I noticed that my tummy was... expanding! My husband noticed it and asked, "Honey, are you pregnant, and you're not telling me?" That's his nice way of saying I'm getting fat. So, I told him, "Honey, of course, I'm not pregnant! My high stress just makes me bloated and I think it's just a big fat gas that doesn't want to come out of my you what!"
On Saturday, December 6th, I checked out this Swiss Christmas Festival in Midway, Utah, a quaint old town just 6 miles from me. It was more than a Strolling Down experience but a humbling one instead. This is Midway Town Hall where they held this yearly traditional Swiss Christmas program and Swiss Market. My Christmas childhood came back haunting me again as I saw little girls dancing and doing ballet, some piano playing, and solo and choir singing classic Christmas music. There were about few hundreds of people, mostly local folks, who came to watch the programs.
This moose and bear sculpture were displayed outside this town hall.
As I strolled down this old Swiss town, I took photos of all the landmarks on Main St. This is Midway Mercantile, an antique store. There's more antique stores in this town than anywhere else I've been. This is the side walk where I was strolling at. Notice the beautiful mountain backdrop. If you've been to Switzerland, you'll feel the similarity.
This is Edelweiss Gallery. There are quite a few impressionist artists and painters in this small town so you'll see fine art galleries everywhere. I like going in to these galleries and meeting the artist and knowing their inspiration for their art. Most of these buildings were built in the late 1800's. This is the biggest and tallest pine tree that I've ever seen. This has been around for more than a hundred years. Gigantic logs displayed on an empty lot. These interesting old houses were preserved to keep the Swiss heritage and culture alive in Midway. It's a law in this town that if you are building a new house or structure, it has to be Swiss-themed from the outside architectural design and color. This is Midway Adventure Company. There are an array of winter (and summer) activities in this town such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, and cross-country skiing. The only thing missing is the SNOW! Horse drawn carriages were roaming around town on this day for $15 a ride! I remember we have 'Kalesa' rides in Gasan, Marinduque, but with wooden wheels! This one has the same wheels as your bicycle! This horse is HUGE! Our Philippine horse will look like a donkey compared to this one. OK. This part has melted my heart. These were Swiss Carollers outside the street! I hung out here almost tearfully. I never felt more humbled and Christmas-spirited! I suddenly missed my family Christmas tradition in my old hometown of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque... and my old friends when we used to do carolling singing in our neighborhood.
.jpg)
