something to aspire for

40+ years of love, friendship, and faith. Greatest role models ever!

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Finally made it to the Grand Canyon

Nothing beats God’s art. I am so thankful that John and I got to go even if it was just for a short time.

(collage created with PhotoShake)

Happy birthday, John!

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Happy Valentine's Day!

I haven't made this in a long time, but I thought it was simple, delicious, and quite appropriate for a nice Valentine's dinner. Besides, why spend when you can make it at home, right?

One of John's ultimate favorites, whole wheat pasta with fresh tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, capers, mushrooms, lots of garlic, and topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano and fresh mozzarella. Followed by mixed berries cooked in red wine and reduced to about 50%, poured over low fat vanilla ice cream atop a mini angel food cake.

Patience is a virtue!

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one happy moment

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Four years

Yesterday, John and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. It’s amazing that time has zipped by as fast as it has. And what a coincidence that I received this in the mail yesterday:

BEGIN WITH GRATITUDE

A day that begins with gratitude is a day that you'll be able to fill with positive progress. When you're sincerely appreciative of where you are and what you have, you'll greatly expand your own possibilities.

Begin with a thankful thought. And connect yourself with the abundance that is all around you.

There is always something for which you can be sincerely thankful. And the simple act of being thankful ignites a productive momentum in your world.

By focusing your thoughts on the positive aspects of your life, you cause their influence to grow. Be grateful, and your gratitude happily creates even more things in your life for which you can be grateful.

The appreciation for what you have gives more value to all that you are. The blessings you enjoy are blessings precisely because you see them as such.

Tap into the great reservoir of real value that is already available to you. Live with gratitude, and you'll create even more reasons to be thankful.

-- Ralph Marston

---

With that in mind

Thank You, Lord for…

…four great years with John (9 counting the pre-wedding years)

…four wonderful years of friendship (17 counting the pre-relationship years)

…a love so understanding that it pulls me through everything I’ve ever had to deal with these past years

…a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, an ear to listen

…someone to laugh with, share my dreams with, build a life with

…my soul mate, my other half, my best friend, my everything.

I am so blessed.

Shameless plug

I’ve been meaning to update the blog for some time now. I’ll work on it this weekend

But in the meantime, I’d like to request you all to check out John’s band, American Sugar. Their first album is now available online at http://cdbaby.com/cd/americansugar. I believe they are working on getting the songs up on iTunes as well (for those who want to buy individual songs rather than the entire album).

The music is pretty hard core rock, but amazing nonetheless...well, of course I’m biased, but John really rocks the kit in this album!

Thanks for giving it a listen!

stage wife...haha

I've always loved going to John's gigs, even when we weren't [officially] a couple yet (which is eons ago. haha). You know how they say that moms who guard their showbiz kids are "stage moms"? Well, I was always the stage friend, turned stage girlfriend, now stage wife. haha.

I'm so excited to share that his rock band (American Sugar) has been signed by a local label. It's a small step, but a step nonetheless. On Friday, they will play at Just One More Blues Bar (intersection of US Hwy 49 North & Hwy 42 West, 5 miles north of the 49-59 intersection). Although their music is really hard rock, they will be performing everything in a blues style--so it'll be toned down quite a bit:) Saturday is the big gig at the Tavern--they will be releasing their CD through South City Records.

I just wish you all could go. Since most of you are not actually here in Hattiesburg, I won't have anyone to rock out with:( I'll take videos and post them after the gigs for you, though!

The Ruckus Live!

Saturday was a big night for John. He was able to play with The Ruckus, a popular local punk ska band (composed of K-State students). Fortunately, the weather was great for an outdoor concert and I was able to get some videos. I was way back on the bleachers so some are hazy, but you can still enjoy the Ruckus rockin' it out

Thanks to our friends (you know who you are) who came out to support John and the band. We hope you guys had as much fun as we did!

Below are the videos I took. Most of the songs they performed are original compositions. I think it's amazing how productive they are as a band. (Thank you, Rylan, for getting John hooked up with the band!)

She's Got a Girlfriend Now
The song is a cover from The Reel Big Fish. Funny, funny song!

Sometimes
This one's an original composition included in the group's Get Serious album.

Hell
not sure if this is a cover...will update when I get the info:)

No Future
...another original...

In between sets, Matt introduced the band but I didn't quite catch all of it. In any case, the band is composed of Matt Hubbel (lead vocals and trombone), Jeff Brown (trumpet and vocals--he also writes most of the music), Robby Avila (backing vocals, trombone, and sax), Rylan Ortiz (guitar), Chris Maxwell (bass), Chris Martinez (backing vocals and trumpet), Daniel Aguilar (auxiliary percussion), and of course, John who rocked out on the drums:)

Brad Idea
Here's the story behind this one:
They had a "friend" named Brad who thought that all of his ideas were great--but really weren't...So everytime someone in the group shares a not-so-brilliant idea, they say, "Yeah, right...that's a really Brad idea" hence, the birth of the song:)

Dry Cereal
Because it was a public concert, there were a lot of kids there and the guys had to be on their best behaviour--meaning no funky linggo that they would normally use in their spiels at the bar. So if they were introducing this any other time, the segue would have been much (!) different!

I wasn't able to catch the whole song, but below is John and Daniel's percussion/drum off:)

When the Ska Bands Played
A great ending to a great concert!
This is my favorite track on their album...and yes, it's an original composition too:)

Hope you enjoyed watching the videos!

John's set at Radina's

The following are clips of songs that John, Sarah A., Rylan, and Ricardo performed at Radina's Cafe just last night. I used our digicam to record so the sound quality is not all that balanced. I was also sitting at the table closest to John so in a couple of the vids, you can barely hear Rylan and Sarah.

Loved the atmosphere. Loved the songs. Hope you like them too!

Blue Bossa



I Will



Heard It Through the Grapevine


An Alison Krauss song..if anyone can tell me the title of the song, that will be great! hahaha

seven years

Today marks the 7th year that John and I have been together as a couple. This is also the first time in 5 years that we got to celebrate it together. We just had dinner at 4 Olives and it was wonderful. We started with the Humbolt Fog (creamy California goat cheese with a vein of ash) followed by beef tenderloin tips and creamy asparagus orzo rissoto for John and kalamata chicken with gorzonzola polenta for me. Wheat bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil complemented the meal to a tee. The Belgian chocolate fondue was a great end to the perfect meal! Of course the best part was just eating it together (yeah, so that sounds corny...so sue me! hahahaha). Too bad I didn't bring the camera... presentation wasn't half bad either:) hehehehe...

4 Olives, 3033 anderson ave, plaza west shopping center, 785.539.1295
check it out

*300 bottle wine list * 80 wines by the glass * wine flights * all wines served in crystal * all wines stored on site in a 2400 bottle wine cave * full service mediterranean themed menu * fresh seafood * premium meats * exotic game * full list of the finest imported and artisinal cheeses * fresh baked breads * single origin coffees * premium loose leaf teas * full bar menu * original cocktails * sparkling cocktails * wine & alcohol infusions*

Happy anniversary, John! Love yah! I am so thankful that we are finally in the same time zone:) hahahaha. Mwah!

Today is also my Mom's special day. Hopefully this time next year, we'll all be celebrating together! hehehe...that would be great! Happy birthday!!!! Love you, Ma!

Welcome Home

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has welcomed John to Manhattan with such warmth...

Straight from the airport to a dinner get together. Thanks, (1) Daddy Percy for the ride and (2) Ate Aileen for organizing the small dinner. Kahit limpak limpak ng asar ang inabot namin ni John, okay lang. hahaha. Thank you parin!

To PhilSA for the Friday pot luck. Ate Myrene, thanks for getting that together. Kahit mabilisan ang plano, it was still great. Kung akala nyo makulit ako, naku po, susuko siguro kayo kay John.

To Dr. Shanklin and the HRIMD folks. Yes, he's real, and he's finally here:) I know, I know, no more going home at 4 a.m. We'll see. Anyway, John loved the food, the wine, and the company. JinSoo and the guys, thanks for making him feel really welcome...I don't know about the guys' night out stuff though. I'm not sure that would be good. hahaha.

Yun, so John's first week has been hectic. Everyone here has been so excited to meet him. I'm glad he's finding it all cool:)

Happy, happy days:)

isang tulog na lang!

I'm a wreck! A happy one, that is! My hubby is arriving tomorrow na. At this time, he is already airborne and on his way. WOOHOO!!! After forever and a day! This time tomorrow, I'll be with him na::) Hay....

[Arlene, if you're reading this, pagbigyan mo na pagka-hopeless romantic ko. Tagal din namin hinintay to noh!!! Besides, sanay ka naman na sa amin diba?]

Anyway, some things that made me smile today...

1) I was reading a friend's blog and I cracked up when I read this. To all husbands out there...note to self!

2) 6DTF's songs are being played by stations in Baguio...YAY! So proud! And I heard it has been getting good reviews and requests too. Astig. You go, guys!!! Even my Mom told me about it. She's equally proud of her son-in-law:) Of course...

3) John...enough said!

4) My best friends from Brent told me that they sent gifts for me through John. During one of our email-ala-chat sessions, they told me that they were sending a walis kasi ang pangit ng mga nandito. I cracked up at that...imagine John carrying a walis. hehehe. Then today, I got their email saying that they got me flowers instead: "Hehehe.. Oist magugustuhan mo ang mga flowers na ipapadala namin through John.. Magsawa ka sa bulaklak..Hehe...Yun ang pinangwrap namin sa walis.. Wehehehe... =)" So now I'm intrigued. hmmm... But the visual of John carrying a flower covered walis was kind of cute. hahahaha.

5) I woke up and realized that the semester is over and I didn't have to go to Experimental Design today! Wooohooo! hahahaha. The past week was horrid! Well, my fault din naman for procrastinating...but it was such a challenge to get that paper done! Another quote from Ann: "Hehe... Si amelia ngayon ang toxic ang life... Di bale lapit naman na punta si hubby eh.. Yahooo... Madagdagan ang katoxican ni amelia...But it's a GOOD toxic.. Wehehehe.... " Amen to that!

6) My other friend who's had this crush for the longest time is finally seeing progress. Ang obvious na nga eh. You go girl! Work the charm! Like Ann said, enjoy every kilig moment there is! Kahit medyo mahina maka-gets yang si *****, feeling ko, paduda lang yan! hahaha.

7) Isang tulog na lang!!! [di naman obvious na excited na ko, noh? medyo lang...]

Still Standing

So kagabi, which technically was this morning, while we were rushing our papers, my officemates were wondering what I was listening to because I was "chair dancing"...you know, when you swivel back and forth to a groove? hahaha. So I told them I was listening to 6 Days to Friday's new song Still Standing.

They decided they needed a break din and asked me to share. So, at 4 AM (yes, 4 AM), we were blasting the songs (Beautiful, Still Standing, and Erin's Song--formerly Baby Girl).

One question they had for me was: When John arrives, will he be able to bring copies of the CD? I would like to buy one. PANALO!!!!!!! When I told them that the group didn't technically have one yet, they said that they should because it's really good music. How encouraging considering that these are people from different countries and musical genres!

I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW PROUD I AM OF THESE GUYS!!!

6dtf: Big, big, big HUGS. (note: John, you can collect all of it when you arrive...hehehehehe)

Baby Girl

Wow...last night, I received my copy of Baby Girl, the demo single of 6 Days To Friday. Galing! I am so proud of you guys! Na-excite tuloy ako for the next ones! Way to go you guys! I especially loved the vocals of Ems (and her 6 other alter egos...hahahaha...si Ems pa lang, buong choir na! hahahahaha). I can't tell you enough how happy I am for you. This is quite an achievement! WOW is all I can say!

a little bit longer

Hmmm...today has been a rough day. I found out that John's interview has been moved. I don't have a definite day yet for the new schedule, but we're still hoping he'll be able to make it here by April.

Yesterday I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I can't begin to explain the range of feelings that were going through me. Granted, I probably could have done better keeping my temper at bay or my tongue in check. I apologized, but it's probably because this is something I feel extremely passionate about--not to say that it's not the same for him, of course. And John's right, when things don't go the way I planned, I don't do too well. I think it just depressed me more that I didn't realize how bad I was making him feel. Sigh...I guess this is all part of the growing years--learning from your mistakes and all that wonderful jazz. Of all the things we could argue about, it had to be this, right...dengit.

Deep down, I truly believe that there is a divine purpose for everything that happens. I suppose I should just keep my initial reactions to myself until I've calmed down. Until that certain point when I can see "reason". I wonder how long it will take me to get that down. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I'm transparent, I can't hide the way I feel. I'll say whatever the hell I'm thinking. I'll share however the heck I'm feeling IN THAT MOMENT. Probably not a good thing to do. I probably end up sounding like a selfish, insensitive brat. It's not all about me, right. Yeah...

I apologize that my anger/irritation/bad vibe was misdirected. It was not meant to be towards John. It's the situation, the uncontrollable factors that make me feel so helpless. And if anything, feeling helpless is not my game--the control freak that I am. Passive is not exactly a word that ranks highly on my vocabulary. I understand that I cannot control everything...but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

God, how I pray for strength and guidance! My friends tell me not to think about it and just focus on what needs to be done here...They remind me that I am a full time student with much too much work to do with much too little time to do them. I think only the people who truly know me VERY well will know what an impossibly difficult task that is.

I suppose this whole thing was just so anti-climactic. It certainly wasn't the best news to wake up to! The entire day, I was just on edge. I guess when you look forward to something SO much, any deviation or delay just takes you down. And knowing that so many other decisions are at stake doesn't make the waiting any easier. But patience is a virtue [I'm trying to convince myself of that, too]. So I guess I have to hang in there just a little more. It's just as hard on him as it is on me. I just wish we could be together. Is that so much to ask?

my best medicine

Each day it seems as though there is more to think and worry about. I've always tried to be the most positive person that I can be...but these past few days have been a real struggle of sorts for me. If there is one thing that kills me, it's having things up in the air. I mean, I realize that life inevitably holds certain uncertainties, but I think there is a level at which those uncertainties are just too taxing to cope with. I'm a very goal oriented person and at any given point in time, I usually have a picture (if not a timeline!) of the next five years of my life. However, due to certain challenges beyond my control, I now don't even really have a clear picture of the next six months.

This entire week, I've tried looking at other options in the event that John will not be able to get a visa to join me here. The whole process has just been cost prohibitive, frustrating, time consuming, and stressful. I've gotten opinions about staying here, moving elsewhere, going home, etc. It's been interesting to hear what others have to say. And though I am open minded, sometimes it's hard to explain to them why I'm stressing out.

Some of them tell me that even if John can't follow, I should just stay and finish my studies. What's the next two more years of our life if we've already waited this long? Monday will be the 5th valentine's day that I'm spending away from John. I was banking that he'd be here by now...but obviously he isn't. And when I tell them that my priorities have shifted and that a three letter title after my name is not worth the best years of my marriage...they called me a hopeless romantic and an impractical fool (well, okay, maybe not that harsh, but that's what they meant). But really, I seriously believe that the first year of marriage is the formation time--when you're getting used to living with each other. It's been 6 months since we got married and of that, we've spent 1 week together. So much for formation. They keep reminding me that progress in the Philippines is slow and life is hard...but married life apart is not exactly any easier. Sigh...decisions, decisions, decisions!

Just when I thought I'd go crazy from all these thoughts running around in my head, John called me. At first I was very sad on the phone and I just could not help whining. But he has a way of reassuring me that we can handle it, that things will work out for us, and that no matter what, we'll get through it. He'd very soothing...and more importantly, humorous. After a few minutes, he had my mood completely turned around. I was so thankful for that phone call. It raised the mood bar ten notches up the scale. Truly, he is my best medicine.

I wish that I could be as patient with life as he is...as trusting of the universe...as faithful in God' s Plan. He is my greatest blessing.

snippets

Today, I spent some time chatting it up with a friend of mine. If you looked at us, you'd probably think that there isn't much we would have in common...different backgrounds, different cultures, different majors, different dispositions....night and day. But then we get to talking and I learn a lot...or at least things that were in the back of my mind were reinforced...

Some factoids that I stumbled upon today:

1. No matter how corny or cliche-ish it sounds, I believe that we can learn at least 1 thing from every person that we meet and interact with. There are things in my past that I never truly understood. Like why certain people did what they did. And then this friend of mine, while we were talking about his life, gives me the answer, plain as day. And I think, "Dengit, ganun lang pala yun. So it really was JUST that. " I could've saved myself a lot of sleepless nights and tears. But then, finally, I can write another one of those issues off: case closed.

2. I've gone through a lot of things to get to where I am. But no matter how we feel we've sacrificed, suffered, endured...there's at least one other person who has sacrificed, suffered, and endured more than we have. I told him that we go through all these trials and come out stronger than people who have every single thing handed to them on a silver platter. And he said, "If you gave me a choice between being happy but weak, and being strong but sad and alone...I'd go for happy and weak in a heartbeat." That stumped me because I've felt that way before, too. Being strong ALL the damn time can get so tiring. Where does it end, you know? But then, I told him, being strong now makes you want to go on...it's what pushes you so that you'll be ready for the good that follows. And he said, "But see, that's what scares me...that someday, I'll be this strong, unshakeable person...and something comes along but I'll not be able to feel and I won't realize it's even there." That's true too. We get so busy building a wall to protect ourselves and in the process, we shut things out. Life is so complex.

3. Most of all, I am so blessed to be married to the one person who has seen me through it all and still accepts me whole heartedly, unconditionally, without reserve. We've faced some of the biggest challenges that relationships can go through. And yet, here we are, best friends. Husband and wife. Growing stronger in our faith, in each other, and in life. I love you, John!

6 Days to Friday

So siempre, plugging muna ako for my hubby:) They have finally created an email account and a friendster page. Check them out, join up, keep track of what's going on with them: sixdaystofriday@yahoo.com. Easy enough to remember and commit to memory.

I'm super proud of these guys, not only because they happen to be family (drummer's my husband, vocalist and guitarist, my cousins hahaha), but because they really are talented. I like what Ate Julie said in her testimonial: they are talented as individuals, and even more so as a group. I love that they don't let others dictate what their music should be. They're not "tug-tog pera" as I like to refer to bands who play only mainstream music, only what's uso, no individuality, no identity. True, mahirap sila makahanap ng gig dahil nga di sila mainstream, but they don't let that get in the way of developing their own style. They may sing cover songs, but they add to it a certain flavour that's truly their own. And now, they are working on their own songs, and hopefully their own album. I'm looking forward to getting a copy.

I miss hanging out with them...super kwela, super kenkoy, super kalog (teka, pare-pareho lang ba ibig sabihin nun?). Most of all, I miss watching them in action. Their chemistry on and off the stage is explosive--in a good way. High energy, good music, funky. Gasgas na nga yung CD ng gig nila na nasa akin eh. That's why I can't wait for the new album! I'm sure it will be great:)