Happy New Year!
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
12/31/08
Happy New Year 2009!
Ended the year by going to the doctor to get my annual routine physical exam results and to find out what is up with this cold that I've been nursing for 11 days now. I received a clean bill of health (Whohoo!) and antibiotics for this cold. Being drugged up with codeine, I really didn't feel like partying like it was 1999 earlier in the day. But since we were entertaining friends visiting from Canada & Mexico, we felt compelled to go out and party. Ended up getting all split up from each other during the countdown...Sigh. Forgot to jump up and down so I could grow taller for the new year...Double Sigh. Then had to bribe the bouncer to get in the club without having to wait in line. I guess, "face value" has also gone down with the economy...Triple Sigh. The bouncer then did not card me to check if I was over 21 years old or not...Quadruple Sigh!...LOL
Happy New Year!
For Besi & Birdie's greetings, please click HERE.
Happy New Year!
12/21/08
Happy Hanukkah 2008!
Our friends, the Boroditskys invited us, once again,
to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah.
It was a lovely festive affair at their beautiful home.
Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends!
If there was such a thing as a Filipino Jew,
this is how he may look like...LOL
to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah.
It was a lovely festive affair at their beautiful home.
Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends!
If there was such a thing as a Filipino Jew,this is how he may look like...LOL
8/16/08
Bill’s Surprise Big "New" 40th Birthday Party
Please click HERE for posting onBill’s Surprise Big "New" 40th Birthday Party.
7/26/08
A night with friends and the Lady Supreme
For the second time around, my friend Tom invited me to our friend, Nelson Lee's Annual Hollywood Bowl Party, where a bunch of friends of friends of friends (x 21) get together for a picnic prior to one of the hottest shows of the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. This is Nelson's 21st time to organize the event. Last year's party and show was South Pacific with Reba McEntire & Brian Stokes Mitchell. This year's show was Diana Ross: Lady Supreme. I have not seen her in person since Bill and I served as one of the several extras in her "I Will Survive!" revival with RuPaul video shoot shot in location at West Hollywood. (If you watch closely, you will surely see me wiggling on top of Bill's shoulders ... LOL).
Unfortunately, Bill was in Washington D.C. for a conference, so he could not join me to go to this gathering. Since it was a diva night, I invited some of my friends who I knew would surely enjoy the show.
or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow of the album.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
21st Annual Hollywood Bowl Party & Diana Ross Night
Unfortunately, Bill was in Washington D.C. for a conference, so he could not join me to go to this gathering. Since it was a diva night, I invited some of my friends who I knew would surely enjoy the show.
or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow of the album.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
21st Annual Hollywood Bowl Party & Diana Ross Night
7/4/08
Happy 4th of July 2008!
Friends usually ask if we are having a BBQ party for this specific holiday, since we have a strategic view of the fireworks at the marina. I felt exhausted from the trip to NYC, so we decided to just chill. We hung out with our friends, Pat & Michele, at their place in the Venice Canals, and then headed back home to watch the fireworks.or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
4th of July 2008
5/31/08
Traffic on the freeway - Don't drive, fly!
We've flown on small planes before, but mainly abroad.
The last time we experienced flying on a small plane in the U.S.
was when we flew over the Grand Canyon.
The pilot was so cool that he broke all rules
and flew lower than what regular rules & regulations would allow.
It was an awesome way to see this majestic place!
So when our friends Patrick & Michele invited us to fly
from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch,
we immediately jumped on the opportunity.
Who needs to deal with the traffic on the freeways
when you can fly?... LOL.
We flew up and down the gorgeous Pacific coast,
flying low enough to almost see some celebrities
getting rid of their tan lines out on their oceanfront Malibu mansions.
It was such a beautiful day and
a fabulous way to see our hometown from a different perspective.
Thanks Patrick & Michele!
Next time, I want to fly over the Hollywood sign.
Flying from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch
The last time we experienced flying on a small plane in the U.S.
was when we flew over the Grand Canyon.
The pilot was so cool that he broke all rules
and flew lower than what regular rules & regulations would allow.
It was an awesome way to see this majestic place!
So when our friends Patrick & Michele invited us to fly
from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch,
we immediately jumped on the opportunity.
Who needs to deal with the traffic on the freeways
when you can fly?... LOL.
We flew up and down the gorgeous Pacific coast,
flying low enough to almost see some celebrities
getting rid of their tan lines out on their oceanfront Malibu mansions.
It was such a beautiful day and
a fabulous way to see our hometown from a different perspective.
Thanks Patrick & Michele!
Next time, I want to fly over the Hollywood sign.
Flying from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch
3/23/08
3/16/08
Finding Face
It took me awhile to join social networking sites, such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook; since I was 
under the impression that it was only frequented by the peers of my nieces and nephews (teenagers to twenty-somethings). I kept out of MySpace, since I was worried that I would be easy prey to online pedophiles ... LOL.
But two months ago, I decided to join Facebook to search out old friends. Boy, am I glad I did! I finally found old friends that I have failed looking for via Google. I was able to find long lost friends that I had last touched based with ... all the way from the time I left the Philippines 13 years ago, from college, from high school. I even found my best friend during my sophomore year in the seminary, who I last saw when the priests finally kicked me out of the seminary, since they concluded that I would just be wasting my good looks if I became a priest ... LOL. My image of him was that of a 14-year old, and thus did not immediately recognize him in his picture of a man close to hitting his 40s. It feels exhilirating to even think where and how to begin to catch up on all the years that have gone by. Or who knows, perhaps friends don't really give a F+_)(*&^%$#@! about what each other has been up to... We'll see ... just elated to see "old" faces (and by no means am I referring to the wrinkles) ... LOL.
under the impression that it was only frequented by the peers of my nieces and nephews (teenagers to twenty-somethings). I kept out of MySpace, since I was worried that I would be easy prey to online pedophiles ... LOL. But two months ago, I decided to join Facebook to search out old friends. Boy, am I glad I did! I finally found old friends that I have failed looking for via Google. I was able to find long lost friends that I had last touched based with ... all the way from the time I left the Philippines 13 years ago, from college, from high school. I even found my best friend during my sophomore year in the seminary, who I last saw when the priests finally kicked me out of the seminary, since they concluded that I would just be wasting my good looks if I became a priest ... LOL. My image of him was that of a 14-year old, and thus did not immediately recognize him in his picture of a man close to hitting his 40s. It feels exhilirating to even think where and how to begin to catch up on all the years that have gone by. Or who knows, perhaps friends don't really give a F+_)(*&^%$#@! about what each other has been up to... We'll see ... just elated to see "old" faces (and by no means am I referring to the wrinkles) ... LOL.
1/4/08
P.S. My Bucket List
I really wasn't excited about the New Year 2008.
In some way I've been scared to "death" of it.
I'm not afraid of dying. But since we never know when that day will come, I try to live my life as if time was running out for me. Even before 9/11, we had experienced some close calls, such as almost drowning, getting lost in the woods, etc., which made Bill draw up a living trust and me write down a "bucket list" (list of all things we want to do in our lives before we kick the bucket.) Perhaps because of these experiences, I began to have this wanderlust or desire to do and see as much as I can, while I'm still young/er.
What I'm afraid of is people I love dying on me.
Sorry to sound so morbid, but in 2007, we were surrounded by several health scares and
were constantly reminded to value the concept of "health is wealth":
The day after Christmas 2007, I got some scary news that my father, who is in the Philippines, was rushed to the ER. He had suffered from vertigo caused by an atrial flutter. Thankfully, after a few days the doctors let him go back home and with medication is now doing better.
As the youngest child born to parents who were already in their 40's when I came into their lives, I somehow always worried that I would not have the privilege of enjoying them as long as my older siblings. As I child, I would often lay awake at night waiting for my Dad to come home (which was almost always pretty late at night due to his work). Since social drinking was an inevitable part of these late nights, I would always pray that nothing bad would happen to him on his drive home. My paternal grandparents lived close to their 100th birthdays, so longevity, fortunately, does run in my veins. But my dad still drinks whisky, smokes cigarettes, and eats fried oily food. He is an anomaly, since he has outlived most of his peers who lived healthier lifestyles.
Bill's Mom, Mabel and Stepdad, Roy (just like my Dad), are in their mid-80's and are not at the peak of good health. Roy battled bladder cancer by undergoing extensive chemotherapy and Mabel is suffering from a leaking heart valve.
Mike Pohjola, our good friend, who we have been watching over, has Parkinson's Disease. All his treatments have not had promising results.
Besi, our Yellow Labrador had been diagnosed last July with Degenerative Myelopathy and was given a few weeks/months to live. Somehow she has temporarily overcome this hurdle and is still with us.
All our plans for out of town/country trips are on hold due to the fear that something bad may occur while we are away. I know death is inevitable, but here is to keeping strong until those sad days comes and hopefully beyond.
Just by chance, the first two movies we saw during the first weekend of the year were, "The Bucket List" and "P.S. I Love You". Both films were marketed as light comedy/love story films and I almost forgot about the "death" aspect. I guess with what I was feeling, both films hit a nerve and I found myself breaking down in tears inside the theater restroom.
Part of my Old Bucket List (*as also shown in the movie):
*Go skydiving - checked
*Go on an African safari - checked
*See the rest of the New 7 Wonders and other exotic/ancient places - checking
*Learn to drive an 18-wheeler truck (in lieu of race car driving) - unchecked
(don't ask me why, 'cuz I don't know the answer myself...LOL)
Run a marathon - unchecked
....etc.
Added to my Bucket List:
Visit Mike more often in the nursing home.
Spoil Besi even more.
Spend more quality time with Mabe & Roy, as often as we can.
Call my Dad & Mom more often and visit them in the Philippines at the end of the year.
P.S. I love you!
In some way I've been scared to "death" of it.
I'm not afraid of dying. But since we never know when that day will come, I try to live my life as if time was running out for me. Even before 9/11, we had experienced some close calls, such as almost drowning, getting lost in the woods, etc., which made Bill draw up a living trust and me write down a "bucket list" (list of all things we want to do in our lives before we kick the bucket.) Perhaps because of these experiences, I began to have this wanderlust or desire to do and see as much as I can, while I'm still young/er.
What I'm afraid of is people I love dying on me.
Sorry to sound so morbid, but in 2007, we were surrounded by several health scares and
were constantly reminded to value the concept of "health is wealth":
The day after Christmas 2007, I got some scary news that my father, who is in the Philippines, was rushed to the ER. He had suffered from vertigo caused by an atrial flutter. Thankfully, after a few days the doctors let him go back home and with medication is now doing better.
As the youngest child born to parents who were already in their 40's when I came into their lives, I somehow always worried that I would not have the privilege of enjoying them as long as my older siblings. As I child, I would often lay awake at night waiting for my Dad to come home (which was almost always pretty late at night due to his work). Since social drinking was an inevitable part of these late nights, I would always pray that nothing bad would happen to him on his drive home. My paternal grandparents lived close to their 100th birthdays, so longevity, fortunately, does run in my veins. But my dad still drinks whisky, smokes cigarettes, and eats fried oily food. He is an anomaly, since he has outlived most of his peers who lived healthier lifestyles.
Bill's Mom, Mabel and Stepdad, Roy (just like my Dad), are in their mid-80's and are not at the peak of good health. Roy battled bladder cancer by undergoing extensive chemotherapy and Mabel is suffering from a leaking heart valve.
Mike Pohjola, our good friend, who we have been watching over, has Parkinson's Disease. All his treatments have not had promising results.
Besi, our Yellow Labrador had been diagnosed last July with Degenerative Myelopathy and was given a few weeks/months to live. Somehow she has temporarily overcome this hurdle and is still with us.
All our plans for out of town/country trips are on hold due to the fear that something bad may occur while we are away. I know death is inevitable, but here is to keeping strong until those sad days comes and hopefully beyond.
Just by chance, the first two movies we saw during the first weekend of the year were, "The Bucket List" and "P.S. I Love You". Both films were marketed as light comedy/love story films and I almost forgot about the "death" aspect. I guess with what I was feeling, both films hit a nerve and I found myself breaking down in tears inside the theater restroom.
Part of my Old Bucket List (*as also shown in the movie):
*Go skydiving - checked
*Go on an African safari - checked
*See the rest of the New 7 Wonders and other exotic/ancient places - checking
*Learn to drive an 18-wheeler truck (in lieu of race car driving) - unchecked
(don't ask me why, 'cuz I don't know the answer myself...LOL)
Run a marathon - unchecked
....etc.
Added to my Bucket List:
Visit Mike more often in the nursing home.
Spoil Besi even more.
Spend more quality time with Mabe & Roy, as often as we can.
Call my Dad & Mom more often and visit them in the Philippines at the end of the year.
P.S. I love you!
12/5/07
Happy Hanukkah 2007!
Wearing a yamaka for the first time for Hanukkah/Chanukah.
To all my Jewish friends, "Happy Hanukkah!"
11/25/07
Happy Thanksgiving 2007!
Spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Palm Springs with my B's:
Me and my bitches, my dogs, Besi & Birdie
***
Me and my biatches, two of my best buds, Jojo & Caloy
8/23/07
29 more years to go until full retirement
Turning 38 feels so insignificant,
until I realize that I have
29 more years to go until full retirement.
Yehey!...LOL
I only started feeling happy a few days later
when I had a reunion with some of my buds from high school,
who now live in Seattle,
and their families were sweet enough to give me a party.
8/11/07
"Love is like a box of eggs"
If "Life is like a box of chocolates." ...
then, for me, "Love is like a box of eggs."
"... you've got to take extra care not to break it."
Here's to a dozen eggs
to represent each year of our 12 years together.
Our friends, Patrick & Michele Calderigi
were wonderful enough to grace us with their company
in our romantic celebration.
6/23/07
A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Close to midnight on the day after Christmas Day of 2006, we were jolted out of bed hearing the doorbell frantically ringing. I peeped out the window, and saw a dirty gaunt man shivering in the night. I called out to him and he hollered back my name. I rushed downstairs to see who it was. It took me awhile to recognize this homeless-looking man, whose first words were, "Help me, I'm dying...". I was shocked to realize that it was our old friend, Mike Pohjola, who also happens to be the builder of our house. Bill and he had a falling out about five years ago and we had no knowledge of his whereabouts and how to contact him. The last time we saw him, he was starting to have the early signs of Parkinson's disease. Now, here we were opening the gate to allow him to come in. He could not walk straight and stop shaking. The disease obviously was already in its late stages. His appearance matched his current living conditions, since he apparently had recently come back to L.A. and was living out on the streets.
Since he is our friend and being that it was the Yuletide Season, we welcomed him to our home and let him stay with us. We went through the process of buying him new clothes and footwear, treating him to spa treatments, etc., to at least get him cleaned up and to resemble his old self. As the days passed, we grew more exhausted than the day before. It was evident that we were not capable of taking care of him. He needed 24/7 assisted living and professional attention. For the next months we assisted him in his medical/financial affairs and getting him placed in a nursing facility. We try our best to spend most of our free time visiting him. With this experience, I tip my hat off to all doctors, nurses, and care-givers for what they do on a daily basis. I certainly could not take their place. I feel so helpless seeing a friend at this state and not being able to do more. I wish there was a cure. Today, we are at the UCLA hospital, where the doctors will be performing a pallidotomy. I hope it helps in alleviating his pain. I remain hopeful...
Since he is our friend and being that it was the Yuletide Season, we welcomed him to our home and let him stay with us. We went through the process of buying him new clothes and footwear, treating him to spa treatments, etc., to at least get him cleaned up and to resemble his old self. As the days passed, we grew more exhausted than the day before. It was evident that we were not capable of taking care of him. He needed 24/7 assisted living and professional attention. For the next months we assisted him in his medical/financial affairs and getting him placed in a nursing facility. We try our best to spend most of our free time visiting him. With this experience, I tip my hat off to all doctors, nurses, and care-givers for what they do on a daily basis. I certainly could not take their place. I feel so helpless seeing a friend at this state and not being able to do more. I wish there was a cure. Today, we are at the UCLA hospital, where the doctors will be performing a pallidotomy. I hope it helps in alleviating his pain. I remain hopeful...
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