Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It's easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link totheir 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I therefore conclude that my life is boring. Pathetic. Pitiful. Check out how bland my life is.

I got this from MommyBa's blog. She's a new friend in the blogging world. A Pinay living in the land of Harry Potter and the Royal Family, as she says.

Instruction: Highlight the ones you've done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played DVD for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

C'mon! Play now and leave me a link to your blog (if I haven't been visiting yours yet) or just let me know you played so I'll have some fun reading how adventurous your life is or how it is as boring as mine. :)

Dear God,

I know that I should focus on praying for more important things like my uncle's health, the well-being of my mom, dad and brother, continuous provision for my own family, the oil spill in Guimaras, the nursing exams fiasco, and for Filipinos to get by despite rising prices and the 12% tax. I will pray for all of these, promise.

But You know, I've NEVER, and I mean NEVER, asked for something like this. It's my first time to ask for something I really don't need that much (or is it?). But God, it beckons...I can hear it saying my name....


Isn't it a beauty?

But it's okay if you don't give me a Motorola Razr V3i in Hot Pink. I know I don't need it. I understand. A trip to the salon for hair rebonding or a trip to the dentist for teeth whitening cost less and are playing around the "need" boundary. I can settle for any of these close seconds.

But then again, You're the boss. Thankfully.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It's easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link totheir 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Actually, this is not my first fan post. I have been posting about Housemania and Rockstarmania. But now, this is really the fan in me (the squealing type) typing on the keyboard.

Carolyn, you're fired!
Yep! The ice queen received the boardroom verdict from Donald Trump this week when the poofy-haired boss was reportedly irritated at her outside projects. According to news reports, her fame on The Apprentice got to her head. Book deals, TV offers, speaking engagements and product endorsements arrived left and right. She began to lose focus on her job as head of the Trump National Golf Club and Trump was having a hard time reaching her because she was always on a trip to give a speech.

Known as a toughie in the boardroom, this blondie sometimes gave out even harsher comments on the show's candidates than Donald Trump himself. Many a time have I felt intimidated by her fierce glare and brutal questions. You see, when I watch I feel so involved. Too bad, I really like her despite of what a terror she is. I wonder if the show will succeed without her and her iciness.

Now that she's out, Trump's daughter Ivanka will fill in for her. 78-year-old George Ross will also be replaced by Trump's son, Don Jr. George wasn't fired like Carolyn but he just isn't going to participate much in the new season of the show because it was relocated at Los Angeles.

Trump reportedly advised Carolyn to "take some time off and spend it with her family, and then get another job."

Pinay in Survivor Cook Islands
Finally, a Filipina in Survivor! I'm a die-hard Survivor fan and always dreamt I could be a part of it -- a contestant, a member of the production crew, Jeff Probst' wife...

Jenny Guzon-Bae, 36, was born in Chicago and was a natural tomboy who loved racing bikes, climbing trees and playing football as a kid. She earned a degree in journalism (hey, sistah!) and became a reporter for Chicago's Fil-Am news show, "Philippine News Reports". She is now a real estate agent and resides with her husband, son and three dogs in Illinois.

I am psyched to watch her and the other 19 survivors try to co-exist with one another (or cut each other's throats, which is more likely). The show is now on its 13th season. Thank goodness for my friend Pia for giving me a heads-up on when it'll be shown -- September 14.

I truly truly miss Jeff's words -- "I'll go tally the votes," "Once the decision is final, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council immediately," "Wrigley, the tribe has spoken." Wooooohooooo!!!! I'm such a Survivor nut!

Toby, The Thunder from Down Under
Ryan Star is my crush in Rockstar: Supernova but I just started liking him midway through the season when he gave an outstanding rendition of Losing My Religion on piano. Toby Rand, meanwhile, caught my eye from the start.

He has a very good voice and good stage presence. He's also such a goofy guy in the Rockstar Mansion. He ran around naked to nail his song choice, made Dilana run around naked to resolve who gets the song they both want and took his shirt off in one of his most recent performances. Tommy Lee said "God bless you" referring to his antics.

I especially loved it when he sang the new Supernova track "Be Yourself and Five Other Cliches" and when he totally rocked it out with "Rebel Yell" last episode. While performing, he invited screaming girls from the audience to party with him on stage. He was such a blast that I wanted to jump on stage with him, too. He was so HOT!!!

I hope he wins the coveted role to front Supernova. If not, well, I'll still be a screaming fan of the Aussie boy.

The Devil Becomes Meryl
I am dying to watch The Devil Wears Prada because I like watching fun movies, and I love Meryl Streep and Ann Hathaway. Too bad it's the type of movie my husband will never go see with me. Too chick flick, he might say. So I guess, it's solo for me again because none of my girlfriends live near, which is okay. I'm one of those weird types who like watching alone.

It's highly recommended by Jenny and besides the deluge of world-famous fashion brands, she said Meryl Streep was awesome. Well, no one expects less from the Oscar grandslam Streep.

And Ann Hathaway is just lovely lovely lovely. I just love looking at her face. She's so pretty, beautiful, gorgeous. If I can't be as pretty as her (because I'm so far from it), then can I just have those two precious hours to watch her movie?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It's easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link totheir 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments.  It's easy, and fun!  Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!  I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link totheir 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Ta--daaan!!! After two weeks of butt-busting ab-crunching workouts, I lost the elusive 2 pounds! I finally touched the 130's! I am now 138!

I know that's not big accomplishment for most people but for me it is an incredible victory -- a victory over stubborn fat, unwanted pounds and a life lack of discipline. Of course, I'm not perfect and I still eat a brownie or two sometimes. But I realized that eating right and eating light can be done. Working out every day may seem tough but when I feel like...'oh man, it's time to work out again', I just get up and do it without thinking of how I feel. Because if I focus on how I feel I will never be able to do it.

Thanks to the support of everyone in our house, I am now able to enjoy a two-hour workout daily. They watch my son for me. Speaking of everyone in our house, some of them seem to be getting on the weight loss bandwagon. I hear 'not gonna eat rice', 'this is enough', 'I have to exercise'. It's really great to hear those things!

I do this not only to be size Small again and to wear, in my friend Jenny's words, skinny jeans and slutty tops. I also do this because I am scared of diabetes. It runs in my family. A grandmother, an uncle and an aunt in my mother's side have it. Another grandmother in my father's side has it. Both grandmas have lost one leg. I am really really downright scared. If I don't act today, I might end up living a life of deprivation (no sugar, no desserts) and having only one leg or worse. Only God knows.

So whoever is reading this, whether you are carrying extra pounds you want to get rid of or you are content with your weight, please exercise and eat healthy. I am not a person who can already claim success in this. I still have a long way to go. But all of us need to stay fit and consume what is only right for our bodies. Sure, have a cookie or two, or order your favorite frappucino every once in a while, but don't forget to get back on track. Don't forget that you are doing this for your own good.

As I said, I still have a long way to go - 28 more pounds. I am positive that if I continue my workout regimen (strength training, ab/core work and aero activity) I will achieve my goal. At the start, I thought it is a matter of wanting to. Now, it is a matter of need. I have to stay fit. I may not be able to reach 110 lbs. But if I reach 120 but have earned muscle mass, I know that I have more than reached my goal.

Now, I enjoy a slightly flatter tummy, a smaller waist, thighs that are beginning to trim and newly developed biceps and triceps. But what I know I'll enjoy more is the fabulous feeling of knowing I say no to overeating during every meal, feeling satisfied with my reduced portions and sweating it out every single day.

Let's go, people. It's time to move our butts!

I've heard once that the most complicated relationship a woman will ever have is with her mother. I've also heard people say that there is a time in a woman's life when she and her mother can no longer live under the same roof.

Were they talking about me when they said that?

I love my mom deeply and I think she's a remarkable woman. We enjoyed a lot of things together, always shared stories to each other and survived together a harsh life with my dad. We had a beautiful relationship and I've always been thankful I got my mom to help me through my crazy life.

But then things changed. I don't know exactly when they did. Most definitely, it started after her separation from my dad in December 2003. And sometime before I got married. Little arguments here and there. Little heartaches that were brewing inside. Then came big arguments, lots of tears, loud voices and indescribable drama. They escalated even more after I gave birth to Mikey. I wince when I remember these moments because I can't believe they happened between me and my mom.

She would always feel hurt or offended by something I say. She got hurt when my mother-in-law helped fix our wedding and she didn't do nearly half as much. She said I didn't make her feel important by including her in the preparation. But she lived far away then and my mother-in-law was so involved only because she kept volunteering to do stuff that I let her do out of respect. But I always called my mom about every bit of detail on the wedding plans.

She got hurt when Glenn and I decided to have a civil wedding before our Christian wedding so that my dad could see me get married since he doesn't want to go and see her at our Christian wedding. I remember calling her and my dad and my brother on the eve of my civil wedding to tell them that I love them and I am overwhelmed with the fact that I'm getting married the next day. I needed their send-off and their blessing. My dad and brother both told me they love me and were proud of me. But my mom was cold and mono-syllabic, obviously angry especially when she said, "is that all?" After about a couple of weeks, we saw each other and she was hysterical and crying and said she couldn't accept the fact that I held another wedding ceremony for my father's sake.

She got hurt many many times after I've given birth to Mikey. She was the one who took care of him his first few weeks because I wasn't able to due to my C-section. When I was already getting well, I started to take care of him but she almost wouldn't let me touch my own son. She would always point out then that I was doing things the wrong way and then she would say "let me do it." More than one time, she would get Mikey from me because she doesn't trust me with him. When I finally got mad and told her I can't have anymore of it because he is my son, she launched into a barrage of accusations and verbalized heartaches. "Your heart has always been far from me. You never needed me. You never made me feel that I'm your mother. You're so proud that you don't want to listen to what I say. You keep wanting to do things your way."

She also mentioned then that she got hurt when during the time I needed money, I wouldn't take what she was lending me. She kept saying I was so "proud". But I only wouldn't take it because I want her to keep the money because she'll need it more. And because I could find other ways to get the money I needed.

Now, she would cry at the smallest of things. So small that I sometimes have to try my best to recall if I said anything that offended her. She would get offended when we take Mikey from her when she visits. It's not that we don't want her to hold him, it's just that we also want to hold our son every once in awhile. We have to 'borrow' Mikey from her. She acts and feels like Mikey is hers when she is here and every moment that she's not carrying him or taking care of him is a moment stolen away from her.

She just visited last Wednesday to stay for a few days. Today, she left without telling me she would. Not even over breakfast this morning. I would not have known if our helper did not tell me. I knew she had plans of staying longer so I was shocked when I found her ready to go home. She avoided my eyes and she had a curt way of answering me when I asked her to stay longer. She avoided looking or holding Mikey and almost rushed out the door. But she was crying.

I kept sending her text messages asking her if I said or did anything wrong. She didn't reply. I said I was sorry, very very sorry, for whatever it is I've said or done. She never replied. Not even once.

I've been carrying a heavy heart ever since I discovered she was leaving today. I kept thinking about her long after she left. I cry at little things that remind me of her and her short stay here.

What was the darn thing I did this time?! What was it? Why was she crying?

Some people say that you always hurt the ones you love. While this is not true about my other relationships, even my marriage, it is true about me and my mom. I am troubled, frustrated and very sad that in the things that I do, there is always something that would hurt or offend her.

I feel that I am such a bad daughter for my mother to keep crying because of me. But today, there's somebody else crying. Me. I can't take anymore of this. I can't live knowing that I do not make my mother happy anymore. I can't live knowing she hurts because of me and I don't make her life any better.

I've always thought that she would be the happiest woman when I get married and start my own family. But now, everytime we see each other, there's always something I do that would break her heart.

Tonight, I have a heavy heart when I go to bed. Because tonight there is no other image in my head but the look of resentment in her eyes when left for the door.