Point Of Grace

B-Day!

2007-08-27T01:21:00.001-04:00

Another birthday... Another year older! Well, its better than the alternative! :)

Thanks to everyone who remembered my birthday and sent emails, text messages and e-cards. Special thanks to Patrick, Sandra (love the Hk stuff and book you sent) , Raquel(finally got to open the gifts you sent early this year for my bday) , Benz (will certainly enjoy shopping with the GC) and Pebbles (love the Precious Moments Christmas Village building you sent!). :0)

I spent my birthday at home in my pajamas all day. I caught the flu Monday night after the extreme change in weather earlier so I was just achy and miserable Monday night and I knew that by Tuesday, my actual birthday (Aug 21st), I will still be feeling unwell. We canceled our dinner reservations since it wont be a good dining experience for me anyway, given the fact that I was sick. I didn't even feel like getting up to change and get dressed so going to a fancy restaurant was the last thing on my mind. Anyway, I settled for a cup of chicken noodle soup and some crackers. Then we had cake the next day (the 22nd) when I was feeling a bit better. Patrick had the cake made with a princess standing beside a green frog. He said he is the froggie who is a prince in disguise. :0) The cake was cute and yummy too. Nothing fancy but the cake is so moist and the filling is my favorite (vanilla cheesecake filling).

Thanks again to everyone who remembered my birthday and sent their greetings!

Dulcinea

2007-04-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

Dulcinea is a popular restaurant/cafe in the Philippines and I have a lot of wonderful childhood memories of having breakfast and merienda cena with my parents at that restaurant. Even when I was in college, my parents and I would have breakfast there before they drop me off at AC.

Anyway, this entry is not really about the restaurant but about the song from the play Man of La Mancha, the song is entitled Dulcinea and its about this woman that the character Don Quixote in the play is in love with. I love plays specially Broadway shows and though Man of La Mancha is not really one of my favorite plays/story, I love the song.

I was watching the Ally Mcbeal DVD the other week and she sang the song in one of the episodes and I am reminded of the song. Here is the lyrics to the song...

I have dreamed thee too long,
Never seen thee or touched thee.
But known thee with all of my heart.
Half a prayer, half a song,
Thou hast always been with me,
Though we have been always apart.

Dulcinea... Dulcinea...
I see heaven when I see thee, Dulcinea,
And thy name is like a prayer
An angel whispers... Dulcinea... Dulcinea!

If I reach out to thee,
Do not tremble and shrink
From the touch of my hand on thy hair.
Let my fingers but see
Thou art warm and alive,
And no phantom to fade in the air.

Dulcinea... Dulcinea...
I have sought thee, sung thee,
Dreamed thee, Dulcinea!

Now I've found thee,
And the world shall know thy glory,
Dulcinea... Dulcinea!

Its strikes me as a really heartfelt song someone can sing when they are searching or hoping for love or have found that love but still finding the way to having that love reciprocated and fulfilled. :)

Hey, thats me!

2007-04-04T23:45:00.000-04:00

A friend and fellow w@wie, Cherryl mentioned that she saw our DVD menu shot in Jason Magbanua's site. I wasn't sure where Che saw it so I asked for the link and she sent me this:
http://myweddingvid.com/images//DVD_MENUS_03/
target1.html

And yes... thats me alright. :)

Thanks, Che for pointing it out to me and for the compliments.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-22T02:34:00.000-05:00

Happy 2007!

2006-12-31T23:18:00.000-05:00

May we all have a peaceful, happy, blessed, healthy and prosperous 2007!

Boston and the trip back...

2006-11-05T00:54:00.000-05:00

Went to Boston with Patrick for some business matters. Here are some pictures taken during our 4 days stay in Boston. We didn't really get to do a lot of dining and visiting around because of the schedule we had to follow the whole time we were there. It was also cold and damp, raining all the time we were there so as much as I can, I just stayed indoors and tried to rest in the hotel room. Here is a view of the busy streets of Boston outside our hotel room ... The Boston trip was so frantic and hectic. I didnt sleep well because the hotel where we stayed is right in the middle of the busiest streets of Boston. We were 5 minutes away from Harvard/MIT campus and the Harvard Conference Center where the convention was held and there was a hospital right across the hotel where we stayed so I would hear the sound of siren blasting every now and then and the sound of cars honking their horns as early as 5 am. The drive back from Boston to PA was just terrible. Traffic was bad, there was a lot of construction and we had to change route several times. We got lost and missed our exits several times, making us very frustrated and tired. It took us longer to get home, it should have just taken us 7 hrs to drive back but it took much longer to get home. Anyway, when we got home, we had about 4 days worth of mail and packages in our mail box and front porch. I found this particular package waiting for me. Its a package from Benz sent through the kindness of Cheryl N. [thanks so much, Che! Appreciate your taking time to bring this to the US, pack it and ship it to me] and this package had tons of goodies for me...

Hello Kitty stuff
(stickers, collectibles, stamp sets, etc)

and these...

Precious Moments ornaments

Hello Kitty goodies and Precious Moments stuff... these are a few of my favorite things!

Thank you so much Benz for the stuff you sent. That's really so sweet of you! It brightened my day and I now look forward to decorating our tree because I have more Precious Moments ornaments to hang. :)

Christmastime is here...

2006-11-30T01:55:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is over and Christmastime is here. I have managed to put up the 7 ft tree, decorate it and hanged all the ornaments. Ive put a wreath by our bay window and a talking snowman right by the door. Santa and Mrs. Claus sits by the front porch window and some Christmas stockings made of aluminum hanging by our mail box. Ive also added another wreath with lights right beside the door. Ive been meaning to set up the Christmas village set beside the tree and add more decorations but I dont have the strength and energy to do that at this moment. But today is November 30th and tomorrow is December 1st already so whether I like it or not, I have to work on the finishing touches of our decorations before the week is over. :) I really dont mind though since Im really a Christmasy person. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Still working on the Christmas tree, I still need to hang some more ornaments and fix the trimmings and decorations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T01:49:00.000-05:00

We are spending Thanksgiving at Patrick's mom's place. I am bringing the pumpkin pie I baked last night and we are also bringing some grapes and pound cake. Its going to be a small gathering because there's just 7 of us who will be having Thanksgiving dinner together.

Medical Journey Update

2006-10-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, its been a roller coaster ride these past few months when it comes to my medical journey. I've been seeing 3 doctors - family doctor (general MD), neurologist and rheumatologist and I have been put through a lot of laboratory tests (yup, lots of blood work and pricking and poking of needles)and other radiology and vision imaging tests (MRI of the brain and neck, MRA of the brain and neck, x-rays, CT scans).

Because the MRI and MRA, CT scans and X-rays came out ok, (I wont go into the specifics of all those tests, it will be a long explanation and story). The laboratory tests, however, weren't all good. I tested ANA positive which normally means that there is a presence of an auto-immune disease in the person. My sed rate or sedimentation rate is constantly elevated which also means there is an internal inflammation. With those results, I was told to see a rheumatologist. I have unexplained chest pains and back pains, joints and muscles stiffness every morning and just a lot of pain overall.

Neurologist believes that the severe debilitating headaches I get is what they call intractable migraine (the kind that could last for days or even weeks when it strikes), thankfully, it wasn't a tumor, an aneurysm (as shown by the MRI), so the neurologist was hoping that the rheumatologist will be able to shed light and give me a clearer and more complete diagnosis as to what is wrong with me.

So last Thursday, I saw the rheumatologist and after asking me a lot of questions, looking at my test results, doing a physical check on me, (every point or muscle she squeezed or poked was painful!) and after ruling out a few things in her list, as well as looking at the medical history from the neurologist's notes, she believes that I have FIBROMYALGIA and chronic fatigue syndrome. My symptoms overlap between the two diseases. Each disease can afflict a person on its own or exist with some other auto-immune disease or together.

I have more blood tests coming up. Rheumatologist wants me to take this ANA panel blood test that will show more detailed and specific results and will help her come up with a medical regimen for me. She is still figuring out the best medicine combination, the dosage and the kind of approach when it comes to controlling the disease. Apparently, this is going to be a trial and error, hit or miss kinda thing and patients respond to different medicine concoctions or combination.

=====

Just to give you an idea of what Fibromyalgia (pronounced as : fi-bro-my-al-ja) is:

Other names: Fibromyositis; Fibrositis; Myofascial pain syndrome

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet and anxiety. Fibromyalgia can develop on its own or along with other musculoskeletal conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The cause of this disorder is unknown. The disorder has an increased frequency among women 20 to 50 years old. The prevalence of the disease has been estimated between 0.7% and 13% for women, and between 0.2% and 3.9% for men. The overwhelming characteristic of fibromyalgia is long-standing, body-wide pain with defined tender points. Tender points are distinct from trigger points seen in other pain syndromes. Unlike tender points, trigger points can occur in isolation and represent a source of radiating pain, even in the absence of direct pressure.

Fibromyalgia pain can mimic the pain that occurs with various types of arthritis. However, the significant swelling, destruction, and deformity of joints seen in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis does not occur with fibromyalgia syndrome alone. The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness.

For some patients, pain improves during the day and increases again during the evening, though many patients with fibromyalgia have day-long, unrelenting pain. Pain can increase with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress.

=====

Anyway, as for now, I'm on some medications to help me with the pain, it hasn't really helped much yet but I have been taking the meds for only a few days now and doctor said that it might not start taking effect until after 2 to 3 weeks of taking the medication so I have to wait and see. I have to go through more blood tests so the doctor can really evaluate the degree of my fibromyalgia and how we can control it.

This is going to be another journey on its own as we figure out how to control the disease. Its not curable but there is hope when it comes to living life with it. I am just happy as it is that it is not something worse like lupus. I've been worried about that. So not having lupus is one positive thing that I would like to look at from where I stand right now. Its very exhausting and taxing just to go through all the doctor's visits, laboratory tests and the waiting, is just agonizing. Its tough because in the midst of all these, work, chores and obligations do not cease ... so I have to keep at it while going through the medical journey , some days, its really overwhelming, exhausting and draining.

I wish to thank those who have been patiently listening to my woes, checking on me, praying for me and with me and climbing on board my medical journey. We continue on, onward and forward, hoping to find relief, getting answers from doctors and looking forward to waking up to painless days.

Needless to say, Patrick has been my anchor of strength and though I get frustrated and grumpy at times, he has always been the optimist and source of comfort and good laughs amidst the turmoil. :)

Captive

2006-10-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

I was really exhausted and cranky the other night. I was so irritable that I snapped at Patrick for reasons I no longer remember. I think I asked him to do something and he didnt do it right away (perhaps, something to do with garbage or setting the table for dinner?), so I snapped and was really agitated about it. He then turned to me, looked at me and said and I quote:
" Even if you put me inside a well, hold me captive there and just feed me dirty potatoes... I'd still love you." Of course he said this with this "pity me" look. Then we both broke into laughter! We were laughing so hard, tears were coming out of my eyes. Patrick has his way of making me laugh and feel silly when Im grumpy and tired. So after that very cute statement from Patrick and that much needed laugh, I was feeling better and a little less grumpy. :)

For the love of television...

2006-07-13T19:20:00.000-04:00

*Bold all of the following TV shows which you've ever seen 3 or more episodes of in your lifetime.
* Bold and italicize a show if you're positive you've seen every episode of it.
* If you want, add up to 3 additional shows (keep the list in alphabetical order).

21 Jump Street
24
7th Heaven
Adam-12
The Adventures Of Pete And Pete
Aeon Flux
ALF
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
American Idol/Pop Idol/Canadian Idol/Australian Idol/etc.
America's Next Top Model
Angel
Arrested Development
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Babylon 5
Babylon 5: Crusade
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Baywatch
Beavis & Butthead
Beverly Hills 90210
Big Love
Bonanza
Bosom Buddies
Boy Meets World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug Juice
Chappelle's Show
Charlie's Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Chicago Hope
CHiPS
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Coupling - UK
Creature Double Feature
Criminal Minds
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Danny Phantom
Dark Angel
Dark Skies
Davinci's Inquest
Dawson's Creek
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dharma & Greg
Diff'rent Strokes
Doctor Who
Due South
E-Ring
Earth2
Emergency!
Entourage
ER
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond
Facts of Life
Family Guy
Family Ties
Fantasy Island
Farscape
Father Ted
Father Dowling Mysteries
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Frasier
Friends
Futurama
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Gilmore Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Good Eats
Grey's Anatomy
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke
Hannah Montana
Happy Days
Harsh Realm
Hercules the Legendary Journeys
Hill Street Blues
Hogan's Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Inuyasha
Invader Zim
Invasion
Hell's Kitchen
Highlander
JAG
Jackass
Joey
Knight Rider
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Land of the Lost
Law & Order
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
LA Law
Laverne and Shirley
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space
Love, American Style
M*A*S*H
MacGyver
Magnificent Seven
Malcolm in the Middle
Married... With Children
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Mission: Impossible
Monk
Moonlighting
Mork & Mindy
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Murphy Brown
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Next Food Network Star
NCIS
Nip/Tuck
Numb3rs
One Tree Hill
Oz
Perry Mason
Pokemon
Power Rangers
Prison Break
Profiler
Project Runway
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (British)
ReGenesis
Relic Hunter
Remington Steele
Reno 911
Rescue 911
Rescue Me
Road Rules
Robotech
Rome
Roseanne
Roswell
Saved by the Bell
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seinfeld
Sesame Street
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Slings and Arrows
Smallville
So Weird
So you think you can dance
South Park
Spaced
Spongebob Squarepants
Sports Night
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Starsky & Hutch
Strange Luck
Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars etc
Superman
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor
Taxi
Teen Titans
That 70's Show
That's So Raven
The 4400
The Addams Family
The Andy Griffith Show
The A-Team
The Avengers
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Brady Bunch
The Champions
The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
The Dead Zone
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Electric Company
The Flintstones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Golden Girls
The Honeymooners
The Invisible Man (2000s)
The Jeffersons
The Jetsons
The L Word
The Love Boat
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Monkees
The Munsters
The Muppet Show
The Mythbusters
The O.C.
The Office (UK)
The Office (US)
The Pretender
The Professionals
The Real World
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Sopranos
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Sweeney
The Twilight Zone
The Unit
The Waltons
The West Wing
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
The Young Ones
Third Watch
Three's Company
Top Chef
Top Gear
Twin Peaks
Veronica Mars
Voltron
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (US)
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK)
Will and Grace
Without a Trace
Wings
WKRP in Cincinnati
Wonderfalls
Wolf Lake
Xena Warrior Princess
You Can't Do That On Television

Nurse Boomer

2006-10-15T00:16:00.001-04:00

Here is another pre-mission interview from the mind of Stuffed Toy Commander, Patrick G.
=====
An Interview With Nurse Boomer, the Kangaroo...
August 21, 1999

This is Sam Duckson, coming to you
live from the underground bunker of
Stuffed Toy Commander Patrick
Giagnocavo, with the second in our
profiles of "courageous stuffed toys".

Tonight, we are talking with Nurse Boomer, the Kangaroo.
Nurse Boomer always has Joey, her son, with her in her pouch.

Nurse Boomer originally took care of the other toys in the box
at Wal-Mart, and once healing them all, she realized that there
was much more to do in the world, and many more she could
bring her wisdom, love and talent for healing hearts to.

Stuffed Toy Commander Patrick Giagnocavo recruited her,
and she is now about to be shipped to a secret location
somewhere near the dangerous suburbs of Manila, Philippines.

Q.  Please tell us a little more about your duties and where you
are being posted.

A.  Well, my duties are to heal those I am assigned to.
Sometimes this means bandages and aspirin, sometimes this
means hugs and kisses; sometimes, too, it means just listening
to my patient while sitting silently.

Q.  We understand that you have been assigned to work with
Tuck the Guard Turtle - can you tell us a little more about that?

A.  As you know Sam I can't discuss the particulars of any
assignment.  I can state however that Tuck and I will be working
together.  I am to be given charge of a beautiful young woman
who needs my care.

Q.  How do you hope to effect healing in this particular case?

A.  Well, the case history I have indicates 100 milliliters of the
heart strengthener "iluvyu" every hour, backed up by 4 kisses
every three hours, and one hug per hour.
That's a start, althoughI expect to add some cuteness, smiles,
and twinkly-eyeness later on. Our objective is nothing less than
a completely healed, radiant young woman, healthy, happy
and whole.

Q.  You do face some dangers though don't you?

A.  Yes, that IS why Tuck was sent first.  I can't directly fight
the Terrible Lonelies - I can only strengthen the young woman's
immune system from some of their evil weapons, like the
"Cutting Words knife", and especially "Cold Hearted Gas" -
which is very dangerous, because it can poison the entire
atmosphere between two or more people!

Q.  My goodness (interviewer blanches)! That sounds terrible!

A.  It certainly is, Sam, and we're seeing a lot of it these days.
I wish I never have to treat another case.  It just shrivels the
heart.  Only the fact that I am especially trained for this task
allows me to face it.

Q.  You have a tough job ahead of you Nurse Boomer.
God Speed on your assignment!

This is Sam Duckson, with a report from the front lines on the
war against the Terrible Lonelies.

Stuffed Toy Commander Patrick G.

2006-09-29T19:20:00.000-04:00

I was going through my old emails and found some of the emails that Patrick had sent me many years ago. He would send me stuffed toys and then he comes up with a pre-mission interview with the stuffed toys as if those little plushies are really being sent out on a real mission. Anyway, read the text of the pre-mission interview of Tuck, the Guard Turtle written and conducted by Stuffed Toy Commander Patrick Giagnocavo.

===========================
Note from Sam Duckson, Interviewer:
August 14th 1999


In our continuing series of profiles on
"courageous stuffed toys" we would like to
bring you today the story of Tuck,
the Guard Turtle.

Recently retired from a tour of duty at
a local Wal-Mart department store here in
Ephrata, PA, by Stuffed Toy Commander
Patrick Giagnocavo, this courageous but
rather slow-moving toy immediately requested
assignment for a "dangerous mission involving
international air travel, with an ultimate
destination in the mysterious,
uncharted suburbs of the city of Manila,
in the Philippines."

We were able to talk to Tuck for a few moments
before he prepared to "ship out".

Q. Tuck, why would you request re-assignment
immediately after your first tour of duty?

A.  Well, I like to lead a life of adventure
and intrique - Wal-Mart just wasn't exciting
enough for me,and the fluorescent lights gave
me a headache by the end of the day.

Every night, under cover of darkness, I would try
to make it to the Pharmacy aisle so that I could
get some aspirin, however, I was never able to
move fast enough to avoid the night watchman
and was captured and returned to the toy aisle.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish in Paranaque?

A.  I am unable to confirm or deny my ultimate
destination, Sam, you know that.

However, suffice it to say that there is a
very wonderful young lady who needs my protection
from a Lonely Heart when her boyfriend is not
around. I hope to be able to provide some comfort
by standing guard during the night for her.

Q.  Isn't it true that Lonely Hearts are very
dangerous for young women?

A.  Yes Sam, it certainly is.
With my soft velvety covering, my cute black eyes,
and the hint of a smile on my face, I hope to be
able to guard against the Terrible Lonelies -
they won't get past me, as long as the young lady
keeps me in view!

Certainly, a Lonely Heart is one of the most
dangerous weapons those Terrible Lonelies have
against young women.

Q.  I notice that you have rather large,
soft, floppy flippers and a cute stubby tail
as well.

A.  Of course!  All the better to gently fit
in the hand of the sweet young lady, and keep
me from rolling around when she puts me down!

Q.  Why were you chosen to lead the initial
foray into this dangerous, mysterious area?

A.  Well, Sam, I am quite frankly a cute little
fellow, completely harmless looking.
This will help us going in - we'll seem to be
nothing more than a "toy" if you will -
not the beginnings of a powerful
"love and kindness force" to be deployed later
once our Fearless Leader, Stuffed Toy Commander
Patrick, gives the signal.

Q.  Where in the young lady's room do you expect
to be deployed?

A.  Exact tactical deployment will be determined
once we arrive at the site to be protected.
The Terrible Lonelies have no doubt carefully
examined the room already and staked out their
positions. We'll have to adjust to that fact once
we get "touch down".

Q.  Tuck, thanks for your time,
and Godspeed to you on your important mission!

This is Sam Duckson, signing off -
tune in next week for more
"Profiles in Stuffed Toy Courage".

Thirty!

2006-08-22T15:20:00.000-04:00

I turned 30! Its an end of an era in my life. I feel so much older perhaps because 30 seem to be so far away when I was in my teens and twenties. I used to relate the age 30 with maturity, self-fulfillment and security -- financially, career-wise and serious relationships and or raising a family of your own. I feel old but Im still as childlike as always but the concept of mortality and the nagging health issues Ive been having these past few months bother me a lot.

For my 30th birthday, Patrick and I took the afternoon off and decided to go to King of Prussia. Then we had a late lunch at The Bamboo Club Asian Bistro. The restaurant is known for its amazing Asian cuisine and ambience. Patrick gave me a shopping spree at the Sanrio store (I didnt buy a lot, I was not in a shopping mood on my birthday!), he also gave me a bouquet of roses. Then, we visited more shops, I got to do some early Christmas shopping and then we had light dinner at The Cheesecake Factory Restaurant because we wanted to have room for dessert. We split an appetizer and had a slice of cheescake each. Patrick ordered the original style cheesecake while I had a brownie sundae mousse cheesecake. Yum, yum! Then we went home. That was pretty much how my birthday was! We got home sometime after 10 pm. When I checked our answering machine for messages, I was glad to hear that several people from different corners of the US and the Philippines called to greet me a Happy Birthday. My cellphone was full of messages too and some people emailed as well.

So thank you to all of you who remembered my birthday. Big thanks to Patrick --for making my birthday fun and all the hot pink and silver gifts, add to that the Hello Kitty lap desk and micro fiber blanket, Sandra --for the Grey's Anatomy DVD, Precious moments figurine and Hello Kitty notepad, Benz, John and Kite -- your gift is a delight! It will be a nice touch in our Hello Kitty themed bathroom, Raquel -- for the Hello Kitty overnight bag, my sister and family -- the nice blouse, Peachy Pie -- for calling and chatting with me even if you are paying for the overseas call. Thanks again, everyone!

Being thirty makes me want to make changes, good changes in life, I have a long list of the things I should do, achieve, improve and even get rid of. I'll let you know how that turns out. In the meantime, I know that the following weeks will be a series of medical related activities. Im not looking forward to that but Im hoping for good results.

Almost Thirty...

2006-08-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Its the eve before my birthday... I'm almost thirty! Well, its an end of an era, gone are the days when Im twenty-something.

In my 20's ...

I earned my college degree (was 19 yrs and 7 months when I graduated)
I got my first job
I put up a small business
I helped raise my nieces
I lost my dad
I moved to Pennsylvania, USA
I visited and explored a lot of the states in the US
I became independent
I took my masters degree in the US
I have had some harsh realizations in life
I got published (articles and write ups)
I lost some and gained some friends near and far
I met a wonderful man who became very special to me
I have more medical issues
I solidified a handful of friendships that will last a lifetime
I fell in love, got engaged and got married

That pretty much sums up my life in my 20's...

So as the gate to my 30's is opened, I can only hope for better things, lasting friendships, happy marriage, growth and wonderful memories!

Fighting the sniffles...

2006-08-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

Ive been stuck at home all day, feeling achey all over, with stuffy nose, headache and scratchy throat. It started Monday night when I felt a cold was coming, I took Airborne and loaded up on vitamin C. I know it wasn't going to prevent it or cure it but Im hoping that it will lessen the severity and shorten the duration of the symptoms of a bad cold or flu.

I went ahead and followed my Tuesday schedule, ending the day with a quick to the salon. Ive been meaning to get a haircut for the longest time so I set the appointment last weekend and decided that though I am fighting the sniffles, I should just go ahead and show up at the salon. So I had a haircut - chopped 6 inches from my hair. Its still long though despite all that hair gone, it can still be tied up on a pony tail and its still a few inches past my shoulder. Im turning a year older next week and wanted to welcome that with a haircut. hahaha! :0) Had my brows waxed too and in half an hour, I was done and off to meet the tub of hub a.k.a. Patrick.

We decided to have dinner at Macaroni Grill and after waiting for 15 minutes, we were finally seated. Since I wasn't feeling well, I decided to just got a big bowl of their pesto mushroom soup and Patrick had their chicken salad.

So we had a nice dinner until it was time to get our check. It took a long time before the server brought our check and when it finally came, Patrick slipped his credit card in that black leatherette folder where they had the check. The server came and took the folder and then the long wait starts. It took her forever to bring us back Patrick's card. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the manager approached us to tell us that the server lost Patrick's card and that he and the other servers will be looking for it. So we had to keep waiting... we waited for another 20 or so minutes until we both felt it was time to go. They have not found the card and so its probably the case that someone picked it up and didn't surrender it to an employee. So we left and as soon as we got home, Patrick reported the card as missing and cancelled it.

We didnt hear back from the Macaroni Grill manager who said that he was going to call as soon as he finds it.

Now, not only was the server not apologetic (in fact, she even tried to avoid us after the manager revealed that she -- the server, lost our card), they didnt even offer us something while we waited. Not even coffee or tea or dessert... not that we wanted to take advantage or we needed anything but it would have been nice if they offered since they were causing the delay to begin with.

Anyway, so Patrick is waiting for that replacement credit card and I hope it arrives soon.

On a lighter note, despite the sniffles and the achey muscles, Im delighted because our new dishwasher arrived today and Patrick is working on hooking it up and getting it all set up. We decided to buy a GE Nautilus Convertible Dishwasher.

When the greetings start to trickle...

2006-08-08T20:44:00.000-04:00

Ive gotten a few " Happy Birthday" emails from some of my friends as early as last month! I got a card (sent through snail mail) from a friend in California early July and I got the first card sent via snail mail from the Philippines today. The greetings are starting to trickle and though Im trying to ignore the fact that I will be turning 30 in 2 weeks, the cards and messages certainly remind me of the milestone birthday lurking around. :)

I appreciate those who really take the time out to write and mail a snail mail card. Nothing beats snail mail! Its more personal, it shows that the person has really taken the time out to send their wishes and greetings. Not to say that emails and text messages are less appreciated. Im really just a snail mail kinda gal. And I try my very best to send snail mail cards and letters to family and friends on their birthdays, Christmas and other occasions. I know that there are times when they get lost in the postal limbo world and they never get my cards or letters but I still try and hope for the best.

When the greetings start to trickle, it reminds me of how birthdays bring thoughts and memories of the person who is celebrating a birthday and how I discover once more the joy of being remembered and wished well by family and friends near and far. I realize too who actually take the time out to send me greetings, call or even send gifts... that brings that warm fuzzy feeling inside. :)

Come "hale" or high water

2006-07-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

We've been experiencing really crazy weather lately. We usually have really excruciatingly warm days and then get rain and then more rain making everything more humid but not cooler. The past couple of weeks, Pennsylvania had a lot of rain, flooding and thunderstorms. For the past 2 weekends, people would be cleaning their yards and porch from all the leaves and the branches of trees that were either hit by lighting or affected by strong winds and heavy rain.

Yesterday, we had lots of heavy rains again but there was a bit of hale with it, tiny ice pellets that melted easily when it hit the ground. But around 11 pm last night, just as Patrick and I were having our Sunday night quiet time (tv is off and planning the week ahead), I heard a lot of noise from upstairs. It seemed like something is hitting our windows or our windows were about to be broken. I checked and the windows were fine. I came down and opened the front door to check how strong the storm is. We had heavy rains and hale. It was alternately falling from the sky. I turned on the light in the front porch to see ice cubes all over.

Here's a handful of "hale" that we got last night.

Our front door mat...

Front porch - mulch with hale (they look like crystals or diamonds in the dark)

I was hoping the hale would help cool things down a bit but after 5 to 10 minutes, the hale melted already and we were back inside with the airconditioner on (we had turned it off because of the fluctuating electricity and the power interruption earlier).

Looking forward to a cooler and better week.

Surfing Down the Aisle

2006-01-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

This is the article I wrote for Pinoyexpats about planning a wedding in the Philippines while living in the US and how technology portrayed a significant role in that wonderful journey.

==============================================
Surfing Down the Aisle
By Gracie G.

Photo taken from www.forbesbookclub.com

Planning a wedding is never easy and it’s doubly harder when you are planning a wedding from halfway across the world. When we got engaged, it was understood that the next step would be to plan the wedding -- a wedding that will be held in Manila, Philippines. That means we had to do the entire wedding preparation process from thousands of miles away.

One thing I knew for sure was that planning the wedding via “remote access” was going to be an adventure; one that is time consuming, exciting and perhaps even frustrating and that it would take a lot of energy, patience and careful thought. There were a lot of options to be considered, traditions to be preserved and figures to be calculated.

Having been away from the Philippines for about 5 years, I wasn’t certain if my idea of what a Filipino Church wedding was still accurate. I know that trends are always changing and there are probably new things that are being done at weddings in the Philippines in general, may it be a church wedding or a non-denominational ceremony.

Time and again, we would hear that planning a wedding is always filled with the most wonderful and stressful moments and I knew that it is going to be quite a ride planning a wedding from overseas. I immediately turned to the World Wide Web or the internet as a tool and guide when I started the journey of wedding planning.

The internet became my constant companion when more than ever, the wedding industry has grown at a tremendous pace. The boom in the industry has given brides all over the world with more ideas, suppliers and new trends to make weddings more personal and interesting. I was so thrilled with all the things and elements that could add character and pizzazz to our wedding. Though there were times when what the internet offered was overwhelming, it was very nice to have everything accessible and plan the wedding overseas whenever and wherever I could go online.

The technology has become a major part of the most pivotal moments of our wedding preparation. I could not count the many times that the internet, emails, instant messaging (chats) has been a part of our journey. It allowed me to check out the various suppliers both here in the US and in the Philippines that I can choose from to provide the goods and services for the wedding. It paved the way for me to not only hire our suppliers but to be in constant communication with them about the wedding details, however big or small it may be. Although seeing the venues during ocular inspections and meeting the suppliers face to face remain the ideal approach in wedding preparation, being able to visit websites, view online photos and correspond via emails and instant messaging was a nice option, a practical solution that offered convenience and accessibility to the couple and the suppliers as well. It gave us a chance to explore our options, to know what and who is out there in the wedding arena and the suppliers also get to step up to the challenge of working alongside an online bride who is planning a wedding remotely.

There was a tad of a drawback. Sometimes, there are things or details that you only notice when you talk to someone in person, when you touch something – the color, the texture, the effect, and the sound of the things that will be seen, felt, noticed and heard at the wedding. Sometimes, it takes a face to face chat, a handshake, an hour or so of talking to someone before you feel the level of comfort that is very much needed when it comes to entrusting someone to handle a part of what is to be the most wonderful day ever. But that concern is oftentimes lessened with communication and a good relationship that is built electronically and transcends into something more personal.

As time went on, family, friends, co-workers and even strangers offered not only their congratulations, but also their suggestions. But the internet also offers an opportunity to hook up with groups of people who can be a source of support. In my case, and in the case of many other Filipino brides and grooms, I became a part of the W@W (weddings at work) community and found an online haven where every single day, brides and grooms from all over the world, from all walks of life, talk about weddings. It was a virtual space where you can freely talk about weddings, ask even the mundane questions, relate with each other and openly discuss the ups and downs, the highs and lows and in-betweens of wedding planning and preparation. It was like having friends and allies, supporters and a cheering squad, helping you regardless of the time difference and the distance. The W@W community has become a resource center available night and day with tons of brilliant, practical, smart and warm people sharing their insights and actual experiences in planning a wedding.

Weddings have a way of enveloping everyone around you and this is doubly felt with the outpour of support, help and advice from the W@W community. I know for sure that there are hundreds if not thousands of friendships and “sisterhood” that have been formed because of W@W and these are friendships that go beyond the wedding and lasts even after the wedding planning and preparation is just a vivid memory.

The internet bridged the distance between where I was and where the wedding would be and allowed me to get in touch with fellow Filipino brides in the Philippines who were more aware of the wedding suppliers, trends and practices that are currently available and done in the Philippines. It even allowed me to be easily coordinate with the members of our wedding party and get everyone connected and well informed with the progress of the preparations.

More than ever, the wedding industry and community has grown in tremendous pace, the boom in the industry and the interest in wedding and anything wedding related has given us brides all over the world with more ideas and ways to connect to make the wedding of our dreams to happen. The World Wide Web has allowed me and tons of brides across the world to plan a wonderful wedding even via remote access. It’s allowing many of us to have the wedding we want with a world of possibilities at our fingertips. So to all the engaged couples and newlyweds, congratulations and happy surfing!

Grace is a newlywed living joyfully in Mount Joy Pennsylvania with her Italian- American husband, Patrick. They got married in Manila, Philippines 10 months ago. She loves baking, broadway musicals and her www’s - - the web, winter and weddings!

June birthdays and anniversaries...

2006-06-01T14:08:00.000-04:00

So many people are celebrating their birthdays this June. So many wonderful and special people in my life. Happy Birthday -- Jody, Benz, Peaches, My Daddy Cool, Toni and Eileen. Also, Happy Wedding Anniversary to my sister Charrie and brother-in-law Karl and to Zarina and Manoj.

Happy, happy, happy! :0)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2006-06-10T01:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Dad!
We miss you and love you!
Its been 8 years since you joined our Creator...
but we will always remember
that you were a wonderful father.

Dinner and video

2006-06-08T01:08:00.000-04:00

Spent the night with Mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Patrick's sister-in-law who was visiting from Colorado and my mother-in-law had dinner with us. We then headed back to our place so they can view the wedding video that Jason Magbanua had sent (via Fedex) several weeks ago. Not everyone in Patrick's family has seen the video, so far its just one of his sister, a brother-in-law, a sister-in-law and their mom. I intend to mail copies of the DVD to his siblings who live outside PA and overseas. My mom, sister and family on the otherhand, have viewed the video over and over again. :0)

Everytime I watch the video, I see or notice something new, notice something that I havent before and each time we get to the part of the vows, I cant help but get teary-eyed once again... well, Patrick will probably beg to differ and say that I shed some tears when I see us getting emotional and crying during the wedding vows. Well, thank heavens for video and photos, we can always reminisce and share those precious moments with family and friends.

Its been gloomy lately, its been raining and making it more humid. It doesnt get cooler at all, we feel sticky all the time. Summer is here and though my allergies seem better, I dont really enjoy the heat. We would sometime hit 95 degrees farenheit and its just June! Stay cool and dry! :0)

One More Time

2006-06-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

Create your own video at One True Media

Boob-tube

2006-05-02T15:27:00.001-04:00

Ive always loved watching TV. I do my household chores with the TV on, I couldn't study if the tv is not on. TV is a major part of my life and some shows lasts for a very long time that I feel like its become a part of my weekly or daily schedule. I remember how I felt bad when Ally Mcbeal ended, I felt like my week won't be the same without Frasier. How Summerland made me feel its summer and beach season all the time and how Friends somehow made the idea of living in NY city fun and adventurous.

This month of May will mark the end of a TV era. There are a lot of shows ending this season. The West Wing which I sort of followed during its early years is coming to an end. A new president will be elected, a new cabinet, a new White house staff will then emerge but the show is going to be over as President Barlet says goodbye. Will and Grace, an NBC comedy thats been happy and gay (with pun intended) is also coming to an end. There are shows that I didnt even know existed until I hear about it being cancelled but there are shows that have become so much a part of my days that I feel like I know each character so well or that Im friends with those characters on the show.

Anyway, last night was the 2nd to the last episode of 7th heaven. Its been 10 years since they first entered the world of boob-tube. Nobody thought it would last that long since its a pretty "normal" goodie two shoes family oriented tv show. With the family's dad being a preacher and the stay at home mom and a cute dog named Happy, its really a family oriented show that anyone and everyone can watch. Next week is the series finale -- Goodbye to the Camdens. I cant believe how grown up the kids are now. Some of them were only 4 and 7 yrs old when they started and now the kids are dating, getting married or have a kid. I think I will be shedding a few tears when the show comes to an end next week. I will certainly miss seeing Eric, Annie, Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon, Ruthie and the twins every Monday night.

And then there is Charmed ... its been on air for the past 8 years. There have been countless demons and supernatural creatures in that show. Its coming to an end this month of May hopefully with the Charmed ones victorious and beating the triad and the bad guys. Its been a fun show to watch, interesting because of the magic factor and what they can do with the story using magic as a reason and cause of the things going on.

It seems like more and more of the shows that I like are saying goodbye, its time to sit back and watch the new shows take into shape and become a part of me -- my current favorites are Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Lost and House.

I still have some of the "seasonal" shows such as American Idol, America's Next top model, The Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars. :0)

Here is a list of the shows that ended recently or ending soon, Im not sure if this list is complete. Networks can decide to cancel more shows...

ABC
"Alias" - The show will end its run in May, 2006
"Emily's Reasons Why Not" - Didnt even see any of the episodes
"Hot Properties" - Saw one but didnt find it good
"Jake in Progress" - Felt bad for John Stamos as he was trying to make a comeback
"Night Stalker" - Saw one episode but got bored halfway

CBS
"Love Monkey"
"Threshold"

Fox
"Head Cases"
"Killer Instinct"
"Kitchen Confidential" -- I just love watching them cook the food
"Malcolm in the Middle" - Ends in May, 2006 - Its been a long run!
"Reunion"
"That 70's Show" - Ends in May, 2006 - Its time for the 80's I guess...
"Arrested Development" -- Funny but somehow the ratings didnt do too well

NBC
"Heist" - Just lacked appeal
"Inconceivable" - Found this show interesting, pretty annoyed that they cancelled it after 3 episodes!
"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" - nothing like the original The Apprentice. Martha got fired!
"The Book of Daniel" -- I knew this was not going to make it from the start, its too blasphemous!
"The West Wing" - Ends in May, 2006 - The president can only serve for 2 terms
"Will & Grace" - Ends in May, 2006 - Say Goodnight Will and Grace!

The WB
"7th Heaven" - The show will end its 10-year run in May, 2006 - Will miss this show!
"Just Legal"
"Charmed" - The show will end its 8-year run on May 21, 2006 - The power of three will set them free!
"What I Like About You" -- likable till the end!

UPN
"Sex, Love & Secrets" - no idea about this show.

So to the wonderful show that are going off-air and coming to an end... Cheers! Thank you for the boob-tube memories.

My Grumpy Valentine...

2006-02-14T23:27:00.000-05:00

Its Valentine's Day! Patrick and I just planned a quiet Valentines, nothing biggie, nothing fancy, we were just going to have dinner and exchange small gifts, perhaps just a card and a small token. But because of the winter blues we have been experiencing lately, we weren't feeling very well and I was particularly feeling lethargic and grumpy getting all agitated over small things.

We did not make reservations for Valentines, we were thinking, we would go for something less formal because we already had a fancy dinner date during our anniversary. But everything was packed, even the fast food places were full so we decided we will just have our "valentine's date" the next day. When we got home, Patrick then made appetizers, serving a bunch of hors d' oeuvres for dinner. We had pizza bits, shrimp spring rolls, chicken spring rolls and pot stickers. We had that as a meal. It was a lot of fun. Clean up was easy and preparing them was not a lot of work.

Happy Valentine's Day!