Back!

After driving 2,289 miles, I'm a little too exhausted to write anything or post pics but I am so relaxed and feeling much more ready to start my new job on Wednesday.

Pics coming up. :)

Road Trip Countdown

Off to the Grand Canyon in 16 hours and 10 minutes.

Dr. House!

I miss him already! Hahaha

Having a bad case of blogmania today, can you tell?

Here's the cast of House.

Weird Craving

I'm sitting here at my desk trying to finish up all the paperwork and suddenly I am so overwhelmed with craving pangs! I am craving for ice cream - and no, not just any ice cream. I am craving for Mais Con Queso flavor! :( I really want one right now!

I already checked Mitchell's Ice Cream parlor in San Francisco coz they make and serve ice cream in tropical flavors like Macapuno, Langka, Ube, Avocado, Halo-halo etc. but they don't have Mais Con Queso.

Well, fine! I can settle for cheese ice cream. Neve mind the mais (corn). Guys, any idea who makes cheese ice cream? I already checked Haagen Daaz and Dreyers but they don't make it. Waaaaah!

I am dying to eat cheese ice cream!

Carrie Won!

Yay! I knew it! When AI got down to the last 10 contestants my prediction was it would either be Bo or Carrie. Personally, I was a fan of Carrie although I never voted for her. I just enjoyed the way she sings - so natural and like Simon put it, she does it effortlessly. Although I wouldn't mind buying a Bo album too. I'm sure he'll get signed with a major recording label. No doubt about it.

My Dream Car (for now)

Picture from MB website.

The Mercedes Benz SL600.

Awesome features:

• a 493 horsepower twin-turbocharged V-12 engine.
• Distronic - The Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control is the world's first adaptive cruise control. A radar sensor in the grille can pinpoint the location of a moving car ahead of you!!! Distronic can automatically adjust the throttle - and even apply up to 20% of the car's braking power - to help you maintain the following distance you have selected.
• Keyless Go - lets you lock and unlock your vehicle and start and stop the engine, without using a key. A transponder located in the SmartKey identifies you, allowing you to unlock the door simply by touching the handle and start your vehicle's engine at the touch of a button.
• Parktronic - The Parktronic audio-visual parking assistance system, which uses sound waves to detect nearby obstacles, helps you maneuver in tight spaces at parking speeds. Audio-visual indicators on the dashboard and rear cabin ceiling alert you to the proximity and direction of objects that might be outside your line of sight, taking some of the guesswork out of parking.
• Tire-Pressure Monitoring System
  The optional onboard tire-pressure monitoring system lets you check tire pressure from the driver's seat. It monitors the air pressure of the four mounted tires and alerts you via the in-dash message center if any tire is not within a specified range.

This is my dream car with all the added accessories for a whopping $159,930!!!!! Wooohoooo!

Ahhhhh. It's fun to dream. I actually saw one on the Bay Bridge the other day. Lucky him to be able to afford such car.

Someday. Maybe. Tomorrow... if I win the lottery. :)

Been Busy Lately

I've been kinda busy lately - busy getting ready for my new job, planning an upcoming short road trip with my mom and making sure everything is taken cared of at my current job before I leave.

I went shopping for some new work clothes the other day coz I need to upgrade my wardrobe for this new job. Good thing Old Navy clearance racks were full of great stuff I could actually wear in the office. And it was amazing how quick I found my size!I got a few pants that were originally $34 for an amazing $6! How cool is that! I also grabbed a $40 dollar skirt for half the price. I'm not really a skirt type of a woman but this particular one I fell in love with. So I thought, what the hell, just this time. Just once. Hehehe. When I got to the cash register, the cashier said, "Somebody looks like they need a whole closet of pants!" LOL. Well, she was exaggerating but I bought way more than what I would need, I think. But I was thinking it would be nice to let 3 weeks pass and not worry about laundry. Now, I need to seriously go shopping for some nicer tops. Ones that are on sale, of course.

I've also booked all the hotels for our road trip already. Also booked a rental car since my car just reached it's 100,000th mile mark and no matter how loyal my car was to me in the past, I would never take her through the Mojave Desert all the way to the Painted Desert in Arizona and back to Death Valley again. Once is enough. So I booked a Chevy Malibu which should be a pretty comfortable ride. I wanted a Mustang but they were all sold out. I had to choose between a Toyota Solara and a Malibu but I went for the Malibu coz it's actually a lot roomier. Although it kinda sucks coz the Malibu's engine is a v6 and it will seriously put a dent in my gas budget. I actually requested a Corolla but they were sold out of the Corolla's too so I had to go for the Malibu. Oh well.

Bought new batteries for my mom's camera as well. The Nimh rechargeable ones. She's been complaining a lot lately about spending too much on batteries so I decided to buy her the rechargeable ones with a wall and car charger. I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought.

So I'm almost ready for this road trip. It's been a while since I've been on one so this is gonna be something that I would really enjoy too. We will be heading to Arizona on Friday so my mom can experience the grandeur of one of the Seven Wonders of the World: The Grand Canyon. Then we will probably explore Sedona, the Painted Dessert and if we have enough time, we might go visit the Petrified Forest National Park too. We will then head to Utah to visit Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park too if we have the time. Then we'll head to Vegas so she can see how it's like to be in Sin City. Hehehe. I'm sure she will love it. Two things I like about Vegas: the Fountains of Bellagio and buffets!!!!!!!

On our way back, we'll probably go through Death Valley and explore a little bit. Gotta drop her off by midnight on Monday so this road trip won't be too long. But I'm sure she will enjoy every miute of it. She's only been to the Northern part of California and I know she will so surprised to see a totally different landscape once we get to the dessert. Oh, gotta remind her not to bring warm clothes. It sure will be hot in Arizona and Vegas.

So that's about it. Last few days of my life in a nutshell. Plus episodes of American Idol and House. I watched the season finale of House last night and damn, it's getting really, really good. I love his character so much that it made me so sad to watch the season finale. What am I gonna do with my Tuesday nights now? No more American Idol. No more House - not until the fall season. Gaaaaaah. I guess it's something to look forward to.

Okay. Gotta print out directions for our trip now before it slips my mind. I picked up maps of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico from the AAA office last Friday but I'd rather print out a mapquest point-to-point direction. Maps are soooooo 19th century. LOL. Maybe someday, when I'm rich enough to buy me a Mercedes SL600 with navigation system I won't have to bother printing directions anymore.

More updates on our road trip next week. :)

Long Overdue

Here's my long overdue Congratulations to my cousin Jay-R. :) Congratulations in making it to the Philippine Military Academy! Good job in acing the entrance test and you did great going through all that freakin bureaucracy and red tape.

Congrats and hang in there! Promise I'll come home to attend your graduation. :)

"Hand In My Pocket"

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah
I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby
What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five
I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is flicking a cigarette
And what it all comes down to
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign
I'm free but I'm focused
I'm green but I'm wise
I'm hard but I'm friendly baby
I'm sad but I'm laughing
I'm brave but I'm chickenshit
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing the piano
And what it all comes down to my friends
Is that everything's just fine fine fine
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab


by Alanis Morisette

Grrrrrrrrrr

Why do I get stuck behind every slow moving car and humongous truck when I am late for work? It happens almost all the time. I hit all the red lights about 5 blocks away from my work too!

Shit.

That's it for now. Gotta start working.

Tuesday Night

Tuesday nights are usually spent with D. We went to Naan n Curry for dinner and had my favorite Indian drink Mango Lassi. We also had Chicken Tikka Masala, Biryani and Naan. We were so lucky to get street parking right across the restaurant too coz it's almost impossible to find parking around that area. But tonight, we were lucky enough.

Earlier today, I realized the worth of a quarter. I had to go to a meeting in downtown and I knew I had to park on the street by a parking meter. Got a spot (I was lucky) and fished for changed in my pocket to feed the meter. Unfortunately I only had 75 cents. I freakin need at least a dollar worth of change. So I checked every hiding spot and crevices of my car desperately hoping to find a quarter. I was so out of luck. I kept looking, even looked in the trunk as I was keeping an eye on the street for an approaching parking meter enforcement officer. I'm not actually sure what you call 'em - I think they're called meter maid.

Well, I gave up. Not a single quarter in my car. Good thing I spotted one of my Filipino coworkers crossing the street. Ate Melinda was headed to the meeting too. So I gave her a dollar bill in exchange for a quarter. Thank God I spotted her. If not, I probably would have just left my car there and get a parking ticket. So, yup, I was thinking, shit, a quarter is worth a lot when you really need it.

I also booked a hotel for my upcoming trip to Arizona with my mom.

So that's about it for today. I got a couple of movies from blockbuster to but those have to wait until tomorrow. I feel so relaxed and content I am ready to fall asleep.

Night.

My Element

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

Sunday Ballgame

Oakland A's vs. New York Yankees

More details on my next entry.

Kite Flying

by the San Francisco Bay in Berkeley.

My Kite

Here's a pathetic picture of my kite. My second kite actually. I wanted to post a picture of my first kite, "The Dragon" but I don't have it in my laptop and I'm too lazy to get up and go to my desktop. So here's a not-so-good picture of my second kite which I absolutely love. It was so fun flying it today. Winds were strong and it was hard to control it with one hand while I was trying to snap a picture.

But here it is. My precious kite... bought from a garage sale this morning. Sssssssh.

New XBOX Unveiled!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They unveiled the new XBOX 360 yesterday!



Those are faceplates for the Power Button of the new Xbox 360. They're not just buttons but they have a memory inside that contains "skins" so when you snapped it into the Power Button it will automatically change the skin of the Xbox screen.



The XBOX 360 will also have High Definition output!

I can't wait! Gotta start saving up money for this sucker when it comes out in November.

When He Held Me In His Arms

I was crying when D came over last night. I was so sad about him moving away. Don't get me wrong. I am so happy for him, happy that his dreams are getting fulfilled. But I can't help to be sad that he wouldn't be in close proximity anymore.

He doesn't want me to be sad at all. But it makes me happy that he understands. He knows where I am coming from and when he held me in his arms and let me rest on his chest, everything just melted away. He held me for a long time and comforted me with words that I will definitely hold on to, to get me through this bridge we're about to cross.

Thanks D for being you. You've done so much for me, helping me become the person that I am now. You were there for me. You comfort me. You know exactly what I need to get me through anything. You are awesome.

You are my life's greatest blessing...

Can't Sleep

It's 1:12 a.m. and I can't sleep. I tried but I kept tossing and turning so I grabbed my laptop again.

This song keeps playing in my head:

When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before it's begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart it will be completely
Or I'll never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.

My fave since I was an innocent little girl. Didn't even know what it really meant then but I loved it nevertheless.

Blah Blah Blah

Too tired to think of a title. LOL

I'm sitting here on my bed right now, trying to wind down. I didn't plan to write an entry for today but I have so much stuff in my head right now that I feel the need to kinda unload. So here we go.

.

I just got done watching Amazing Race and I'm so happy Joyce and Uchenna won coz I've been rooting for them since Joyce had her head shaved. I thought that was a very touching moment, very meaningful. And the way Uchenna kept reassuring her how beautiful she was even with shaved head, man, it made me swoon! Hehehe I'm just glad they have more than enough money now to go for their dream of starting their own family. And of course it was so satisying to see how disappointed Rob was. But let's not talk about that.

Earlier when I got home today I got a letter from the Dept. of Human Services of Contra Costa Country for a job I applied for. I passed the initial screening and now I have to go take a written test. God, I so want this job. It pays more than what I am making now and that would be really nice. Who knows, I might even be able to afford a little house in the suburbs if I get this job. So we'll see. I know I have to study hard for the test though. So please cross your fingers for me and wish me the best of luck for this job.

Oh, I forgot to mention on my entry yesterday that there was another shooting close to my office yesterday. My boss, a coworker and I were sitting in the office, talking when we heard "bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang," probably eight shots. And my boss said, "Hmmmm, sounds like somebody just emptied a gun!" My coworker started walking to the door and my boss tried to stop him but he laughed and he said "I am going to lock the door." So we sat there waiting for the sound of sirens.

5 minutes. No sirens. 8 minutes. Still no sirens. So we thought it was probably just another "harmless" shooting. 10 minutes passed and there they were. Cop cars and fire trucks all over the place, about a block away from my office. My boss went to check and sure enough, there was an old African-American man, probably in his 50's on the ground and a woman cradling him. Fuck. Then I heard cop cars zooming by. It sounded lke they were chasing somebody or maybe they were just in a hurry to get somewhere. I don't know.

But it amazed me how long it took for cops to show up. Fucking 10 minutes, dude. That's helluva long time for them to show up! It's so disappointing. Everything that's been happening in this neighborhood, the stories you hear are so sickening and depressing. So in a way I am glad I am getting a new job. My workplace is getting way too dangerous for me. I think it's really time for me to go.

So that's pretty much it for today. I've been busy trying to look for a part time job and it looks like I'm gonna get one soon. Just something to pay off my bills and something to do with all the time in my hands when D leaves. Yep, D, the love of my life will/might (I'm not sure) be moving away soon.

Been trying to push that thought to the back of my mind but it's been tugging the strings of my heart since he told me it could soon be a reality. It really sucks coz this is only the second time I allowed my heart to totally let its guard down. To love unconditionally, no reservations and never holding back. D and I've been through a lot of hurdles and we've always come out stronger and wiser. And I hope in my heart that we can get through whatever lies ahead of us.

Yeh, it seems like I have so many stuff on my plate right now. Getting laid off, new job, less money (therefore I need a second job), looking for better paying jobs, D's move. But hey, I think this is the perfect time to live my life one day at a time.

Just one day at a time. Yesterday is gone and we can never change it. Tomorrow is not here yet so why worry about it. Today is here so I might as well enjoy it.

Life is good.

Kite Flying

I bought my first kite yesterday. And I got a chance to fly it today! I went to the Cesar Chavez Park by the Berkeley Marina - one of my favorite jogging spots. It's always windy down there and it had become a kite flyer's spot.

My kite is a stupid-looking "dragon." Stupid because it doesn't look like a dragon at all. It's a beginner kite so it was easy to fly. I took it out of the plastic case, tied the string in the loop and voila! My kite instantly went up with a little push from the wind coming from the San Francisco Bay.

It was so fun flying my kite! I was tugging the string, trying to make it go higher and running with it so it won't fall down. And looking up at my kite against the blue sky backdrop made me feel like a little kid again. It brought back memories of making my own kites with my cousins and friends in the Philippines.

I remember how we used to make kites out of newspapers and "walis tingting" (sticks you get from a coconut leaf) and using rice to glue them together. We used to steal my mom's sewing threads to attach to our kites. It was so much fun running around haystacks on empty ricefields. It was always fun. I still remember even riding our bikes and attaching the string to the back so it would fly.

Well, I didn't have to make my kite. I bought it ready to fly but I will probably make a project soon.

After an hour or so of kiteflying, I decided it was time to go. It was getting too cold for me and I had to stop by Home Depot to get D a copy of my new apartment key. They had to rekey my apartment building coz one of the tenants got mugged and so they decided it was a good precautionary measure to rekey the whole building. So I went to Home Depot and had a copy made for D.

Later in the evening I was gonna try to read the Da Vinci Code but I got side track with Nanny 911 and other shows I recorded in my DVR.

And that was my Monday. Pretty mundane - except for kiteflying.

Movie Night

D and I saw CRASH last night. Damn, that movie was pretty good. It made me cry! I'm not the kind who would cry in movie theaters. And as far as I remember, the only movie I really cried about was "I Am Sam." The sleeve of my shirt was wet with tears after the movie. And I was still crying after, in the car and in the restaurant. LOL

Anyway, not wanting to spoil this movie for everybody, I'm just gonna say that yeah, it was pretty damn good.

Of course the rest of the night with D was wonderful.

Always wonderful...

Out of Titles

Last night, D hung 3 framed Chinese art on the wall against my bed. And while he was hanging them I was thinking, what if there was an earthquake? I hope those frames aren't gonna fall on my head. And guess what happened? About 3:45 a.m. I woke up and my room was fucking shaking! It was an earthquake! I immediately stood up and grabbed my shorts but then the tremor stopped. Whew! I'm glad those frames didn't fall.

I hate earthquakes! They always fuck with my head. I can still remember the July 16th earthquake in the Philippines. The epicenter was probably 20 miles from my house. Its magnitude was 7.8 resulting to a broken bridge over the Agno River connecting my town to the next one, cracks on the pavements, sinking of reclaimed area in Dagupan City, accidents, a big hotel crashing in Baguio City, landslides and power outages that lasted for months.

I can still remember how there were aftershocks almost every 30-45 minutes. It was pretty scary. It really fucked with my head when I was laying there in the living room trying to forget about the whole disaster that just happened then the ground starts shaking. My family and I would start running outside again. Hundreds of after-shocks followed in the next few months. Probably thousands. Or at least it felt to me that way.

Now, there's a big earthquake fault that runs right through the Bay Area. Two actually: the Hayward Fault that stretches from San Jose to the base of the East Bay Hills in San Pablo Bay. I live about a mile away from this fault. Hell I used to live right above it in the Montclair District! The other is the San Andreas Fault that spans roughly around 800 miles (1267 kilometers).

So there, I do have a reason to get scared. I just hope whatever big earthquakes they're predicting won't happen in my lifetime. One big earthquake is enough for me. I guess that's what you get for being born and choosing to live within the Pacific Rim of Fire.

I Love My Car

Photo by Waves. Copyright 2005

My car reached a 100,00 mile today! That's about 161,000 kilometers. That means I've paid for approximately 2500 gallons of gas.

Yep, 100,000 miles of commuting to work, aimless drives and roadtrips. From California to the border of New Mexico and Arizona, from the Bay Area to the San Diego-Mexico border all the way to Oregon. My little car was faithful... it never broke down on me except for a flat tire on Christmas Day while I was on my way to a Christmas Dinner at my best friend's house and another flat tire on my way to Lassen National Park a couple years ago.

Other than that, she's fine. I was bad too, bad at treating her good. I only took her once for a $280 tune-up and got her an oil change every 10,000 miles. But I've never had any problems with her.

She survived 2 minor accidents (fender benders), sand storms in Death Valley and snow storms in Tahoe. I love my car.

I know she's just a Corolla (hey it's an LE hehehe) but she's been my constant companion on my journeys. She was my comforter when I was down and lonely - we went for aimless drives to cheer my heart up. She was always there.

I love my 'ol reliable Toyota Corolla. 'Til death do us part. Or I should say...

'Til Prius do us part....

No Coincidences?

Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!

Just when I made up my mind not to go on a vacation anymore, I read my horoscope and this is what it said. Okay, not that I am a horoscope junkie but since Friendster came up with this feature, it's been hard to ignore it. So this is what my horoscope say:

"There's nothing more dangerous than boredom. It can cause even the most rational and objective among us to behave in quite erratic ways. Rather than letting that happen, why not take the vacation time you've been saving up for a special occasion? If you don't, you may end up getting so frustrated that one misplaced paperclip will inspire you to stalk out of your office and never come back. Wouldn't a tan and some beach time be a better solution?"

Waaaaaaaaah.

Should I? Lemme ask my Magic 8 ball.

shake..... shake.... shake...

and MAgic 8-Ball says..............

"Signs point to YES!!!!"

Fuck.

Okay, one more time.

shake... shake... shake....

and.........

"Yes definitely."

Shit, I better start looking for the cheapest airfare to New York or Florida or something. All signs point to YES.

God, this is insane. I can't believe I am taking my horoscope and my Magic 8-ball seriously. Somebody knock some sense into me!

My Silhoutte

Just a random picture I found in my hard drive. That's me in a shuttle bus at the Grand Canyon.

Just Another Thursday

Today, my boss noticed that my desk seem to be missing something and he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He might have been a little freaked out because the big screen TV and a Playstation Game Console was stolen last week.

But yeah, my desk actually looked like it was missing something. Coz I already started cleaning, shredding and putting away stuff I no longer need. I'm excited about this new job. Change is always something I've enjoyed and this is one of them. New job, new office, new people. So I finally got rid of my filing stand (I don't know what it's called) on my desk and filed away all the remaining paperwork. I took off flyers from my wall and packed up a few personal belongings I have like a framed quote by Maya Angelou that my former boss from a previous gave me.

Been actually planning to go on a quick vacation before I start my new job since I have lots of vacation days left but it looks like that's not gonna happen. I checked out airfare today and they were outrageous. I might still do something though, maybe a little getaway just to unwind but I thought it would be better to use my money to pay off some of my debts. I think that will buy me more peace of mind, especially with the huge paycut I am taking, than a vacation in Spain and France.

Too bad coz I've really been wanting to go. But I guess this is when you have to decide - first things first. And when you live alone and with no family to fall back on, you are forced to become adult about everything. I have no one to look after me, no, I'm not a trust fund baby. I only have myself to take care of me. So I decided to put my money to better use.

I'd like the peace of mind of being debt-free. Something that a lovely beach in Spain couldn't give me.

Someday I'd travel the world though. It's my dream. And it might have to wait a little but I know someday it will come true.

For now I have to write a check to pay off my Mastercard.

Today

Today at 5:05:05 am & pm the time will be 05:05:05 05/05/05....

05.05.05 comes only once in 1000 years and coinciding with Thursday (5th Day of the week) comes only once in 7000 yrs...

Not that it's anything important. Hehehe

Fucking Scammers!

I just got off the phone with US Prepaid Telecom who owns www.phonecardtotal.com demanding my money back. I purchased a phone card online 30 minutes ago and the access number that came with it doesn't work. So I called the phonecard distributor's number and the guy asked for my pin number so he could give me another access number. To make this rant short, the access number he gave doesn't work neither! So I called 'em back again and asked for another access number. This time, the person handling my call wanted my pin number and the number I was trying to call. That's when I started getting pissed.

First, I could barely make out what he was saying. He had the thickest accent in this whole fucking world. I have nothing against other cultures and I myself have that thick Ilocano accent but damn, this guy seemed like he was talking in some Asian language I cannot understand. Or maybe he was! His accent was heavy Indian and I cannot for the life of me understand anything he was saying. Don't get me wrong. My boyfriend was born and raised in India and I love their culture. But if you have to deal with US customers, you gotta have to learn how to speak English in a way that could be easily understood.

Then he put me on hold for eternity and when he came back, he said that my phonecard has been used and that I only have $8 left on the card. FYI: I had to struggle to listen to what he was saying and had him repeat himself 3 times before I fully understood what he was saying. I was so pissed and I told him that I haven't even used the fucking phonecard because the Access numbers they gave me won't even work! How could I use $2 worth of phonecall, dummy?

He said I called Australia for 53 minutes. I don't know anyone in Australia! God dammit! Well, I do have some friends over there but I don't even know their phone number. So I insisted that I haven't used the card and that I want my money back. He said he can't give me a refund. So I tried to explain to him that, look, how can I use my phonecard for 53 minutes already when I only bought it online about 20 minutes ago? Does that even make sense to you? Shit!

I asked for a manager and he said, "Sorry Ma'am, but there is no manager here." What kind of a fucking business doesn't have a manager?!!!!!!!! Then he hung up on me! Asshole!

So I tried to call the Customer Service number of www.phonecardtotal.com and guess what! There was no answer! I tried it several times and it doesn't work. What the hell! I was so pissed by then! So I did some sleuthing online and found out that US Prepaid Telecom owns www.phonecardcentral.com got their number online and called them.

They were sort of helpful and they tried to make me feel better about my experience but I told the lady, hey, bottomline is I want my money back. I know, it's just $10. But it's worth a lot to me. I told them that if their service sucks like this all the time, then they will lose customers. And I will never go back to them anymore. Never.

So if you guys ever come accross this site, don't use them! They're unreliable and they will put you through hell before someone can help you. If I didn't do my own research on who owns them, I doubt my problem being addressed right away.

Let's wait and see how soon they can refund me my money. The lady I talked to said she'll email me in an hour. So we'll see.

For now, I'm gonna sit here at my desk, let myself fume. I'll take a few deep breaths and try to relax. I just hate business like this, taking people's money away and don't give a shit on how bad or good their service is.

To hell with them!

No Coincidences

I picked up the book 'The Celestine Prophecy" for 25 cents last Sunday at a garage sale. I was actually planning to pick it up at the City Library and it was already on queue but funny enough, it was the first thing that caught my eye when I went to the school garage sale.

So I started reading it right away and it's beginning to affect me like the way "The Alchemist" did. It started talking about conincidences and how things do happen for a reasonn.

See, things like these mean a lot to me right now. I am at a point in my life where I am beginning to get bored, uneasy, agitated and unsatisfied. And the reality of getting laid off slowly set in over the weekend. I was actually beginning to freak out although I knew it wouldn't be too hard to find another job. It's just that I sort of feel like I was lost. I lost track of my vision, my passion. This is kinda embarassing but I got caught in a gossamer of financial freedom dreams. And the longer I was suspended in that gossamer, the more restless and lost I felt. I no longer knew what I wanted.

I began to think that it was probably a good idea if I listened to my parents. If I listened to my dad, I would have been a kick-ass engineer by now with 9 years of experience under my belt. I'd probably be driving an SL500 and own a condo. If I listened to my mom, I'd be a doctor by now with a few years of experience, working long hours and never having a social life. But at least I'd be financially secure. But guess what, I followed my heart so this is where I'm at.

So yesterday, as I was cleaning up my desk, I came accross some notes from an Institute I attended in San Diego about two years ago. I took a class in Leadership Through Self-Development and as I was flipping through my notes and handouts I saw my life's Mission and Vision Statement. And as I was reading them, the words seemed to leap from the pages. I felt so much life and energy from them and they ignited the passion within me. And suddenly, I was no longer suspended in that gossamer.

It wasn't a coincidence that I picked that class 2 years ago. Someone out there knew that I would need it sometime. And I needed those learnings now. I looked at my goals and my visions. And suddenly, life started rolling again.

So I accepted a social work position offered to me although I had to take a huge paycut. But I feel good about. I know I made the right decision. All that matters to me now is that I know that I know that this is what I really want. And I will hold on to this vision no matter what. All I want in this life is to make a difference, whether as a Social Worker or as a future Lawyer. It doesn't really matter, as long as I am making a difference in someone's life.

And all I need now is a little dose of luck and helluva perspiration and hardwork to ace the LSAT and get me into one of the top Law Schools in the country.

Okay, back to my reviewers. :)

Love and All The Good Stuff

Last night I told D that I wouldn't be writing about him in my blog anymore. Coz what if his ex stumbles upon my blog! But when he woke me up this morning, smiling at the sound of his voice I had second thoughts. And I decided, hmmm, I shouldn't stop writing about him, about us. This is my blog and I can write whatever I want, right? Of course I would respect the fact that some stuff are better kept in private. But a love as grand as ours is worthy of every space in this blog.

Too bad he might be moving away soon. When that time comes, I would miss him terribly but I'm sure we'll work something out. I would be moving in that direction anyway when (not IF - hehe) I get accepted at Vanderbilt University.

I love you D. Near or far, together or apart, I know the love that we share we'll always keep us close.

TransAmerica Building

Photo by Waves. Copyright 2005

TransAmerica Building after D and I got out of Cobb's comedy Club in San Francisco.

Lavender Flowers

Photo by Waves. Copyright 2005

So you probably believe me now. I really am a big sucker for wildflowers. I had to stop for these ones too and gathered a bouquet that sat in my car's cupholder all the way to my hall table here at home.

I just wish their beauty would last forever. But no, they don't. They're here for a while and you gotta go see them at the perfect time. If you go a little early or a little late, you won't be able to find them in their splendor.

My mom and I were lucky enough to see them at the peak of their beauty. And I got to take some home with me. :) They were irresistible!

Wildflowers on A Hillside

Photo by Waves. Copyright 2005

Aaaaah, I can't get enough of these suckers!!!!!

I wanted to take 'em home with me! Spring is indeed the best time to visit Yosemite. The Merced River was raging, the waterfalls cascading and wildflowers proudly displaying their beauty by the road and on the mountainside.

Hwy 140

Photo by Waves. Copyright 2005

I just had to pull over to snap pictures of these wildflowers along the Highway. There's tons of them and if it weren't for my mom, I would have sit there a little longer to admire their beauty. I would have let my heart linger a little more... because they fill it up with gladness.

Yes, I'm a big sucker for wildflowers.

Food Rant

Okay, so here's a food/restaurant rant from Saturday's dinner with my mom.

After coming back from a very long day drive to Yosemite, I decided to take my mom out to a semi-nice dinner as a Mother's Day treat since we won't be spending next weekend together. I wanted to take her to a Thai restaurant but I can't find one in Stockton where she lives. I know nothing of the area so I called a couple of my friends who lives there and funny enough, they don't know of any Thai restaurants in the area.

So as I was driving aimlessley on Pacific Ave. near March Lane, desperately looking for a decent place to eat (no Chinese or Oriental Buffet please), I saw Chili's restaurant. And I thought, okay, let's just go to Chili's. It was a leap of faith because I already had a bad experience with them in the past. But I thought maybe it would be different this time around.

I ordered a rack of baby back ribs and my mom ordered a half-rack of baby back ribs and Carribean Chicken with some sort of a Spanish Rice. We were so hungry since we only had brunch in Yosemite. Food came and it was the driest, blandest (is this a word?), most horrible ribs I ever had in my whole freakin life! I was so embarassed because I wanted my mom to have a good dinner. Since I was so hungry, I decided to eat everything in my plate and so did my mom.

After finishing our dinner, server asked us how it was. So I told her. I had to. It's just the way I am. I told her that the ribs were the driest and blandest I've ever had and that she should let the people know in the backroom so they could at least do something about it. A few minutes later, the manager came over to our table and offered us free dessert etc. I declined. He apologized for the experience and said they will only bill us half of whatever we ate. I told him that wasn't necessary, that I just wanted to let them know the food was really horrible and that eating at their restaurant was a leap of faith because of another horrible dining experience (Chili's in San Jose.)

About 2 years ago a friend of mine and I went to Chili's for a Friday dinner and guess what. There was a single strand of hair in my rice - and it looked like a cat's hair! Yep! The length, the color, the texture was of a cat's hair! The manager apologized and offered dessert which I declined. I mean, c'mon who would wanna eat something else after finding cat hair in your food! I told the manager it's ok but this is the last time I will ever eat at Chili's. He ended up giving the meals for free - a meal I barely ate.

So I told that story to the manager of Chili's in Stockton. And that I think it's about time for me to step up and write a formal complaint to their corporate office. I mean for the price I pay to dine in their restaurant, I better get a decent meal. Not some dry, fucking bland pieces of bones!

Man, it was shit.

The manager took 50% off the bill so I just left a $10 tip for the server. I didn't wanna seem to be like a cheapskate trying to get away from paying the whole thing. But shit, it was really one of my worse dining experience.

Maybe not. I just got reminded of a very bad experience at El Torrito.

But I'll leave the details of that experience for next time.

Not Just Another Sunday

Okay. I know, that's kind of a lame title. But I'm running out of 'em. So since today was a rather good Sunday I decided to call this entry - Not Just Another Sunday.

Yep, today was rather good despite the lie I told my mom when she asked if I was going to church today and where. I told her I might try the church at the end of my block. It's United Church of Christ something. Of course it was a lie. I didn't go. Instead, I drove around the neighborhood to look for garage sales.

I have been trying to fill up a box I am sending back home so I am hitting almost every garage sale in my neighborhood every weekend. Of course I've been finding a lot of stuff for myself too. I live in a neighborhood where people are generally wealthier than the rest of the people in the city so it's always fun to check out what they are trying to get rid of. Their junk is my treasure - most of the time. And they usually hold garage sales for fun - not as a money-making scheme.

So check this out:

I posted a pic of a Nokia Cellphone I got from a garage sale about a month ago. Nokia 3595 with manual, charger and headset for $1. C'mon. There is no fucking way you could beat that price. And it worked perfectly fine!

Over the past couple weekends, my exploits were getting better and better. I got a barely used (looked new - I swear) Jansport backpack for $5, which is usually $45 in the departments stores.

A brand new, still sealed in box, Timex IRONMAN Triathlon Chrono Watch for $1.50. I wanted to tell the lady, "You gotta be kidding me! Dollar 50 for this?" But I just shut my mouth, searched my pocket for loose change and took off. That one goes for $40 to $45 in the store plus an 8.25% tax.

A brand new, never opened box of a water fountain for $5 which usually sells for $30.

An almost new Kenneth Cole Reaction bag (no signs of wear at all) for $2 which would usually go for $35 at the department store.

A pair of elegant Kenneth Cole Reaction kid's shoes for $1.50, used once in a wedding according to the little brat, not even a single scratch on its soles. It could pass as brand new! They usually cost between $40 to $50.

Got the Celestine Prophecy book for, guess how much! $.25!!!!!! Yep, 25 cents for a book that would cost $14 at Barnes and Noble. And it's in perfect condition!

I got a lot more stuff over the weekend and everything looked brand new!

It was a great garage sale Sunday. It's a blessing, isn't it?