Summer is about to end here in Dallas, and I can tell just from driving around without the AC on! It's usually so hot here during summer na tatamarin ka lumabas ng bahay sa init. :-)

Anyway, to end the busy workweek last Friday, we were invited to go to a party hosted by Bonbon's friend, Jasmine. We had the party at her beautiful house in Frisco and we also got to meet a lot of wonderful Filipinos there (most of them couples who also brought their cute little kids along). The food was Mexican, and the desserts were delicious. :-)  

(From L-R) Jie, Jasmine,Joanna, Jeff, Goldie with her son Andrew, Len, Benny, Nom, Me, Ayeen

(From L-R) Kaye, Ayeen, Me, Joanna, Goldie with her son Andrew, Jie, Jasmine

Until next time!

Well, I really have nothing to do tonight so I took this test. :-)

And it really did sound a lot like me!

Good-natured Realist (GR)

(Just visiting? Take the free personality test and determine your iPersonic type!)

Good-natured Realists are warm-hearted, helpful personalities. They do their work conscientiously and have a pronounced organising talent. They often feel they are committed to traditional values. The family in particular is extremely important to Good-natured Realists. Their greatest pleasure is making themselves useful and taking care of other people. But they do not like pushing themselves to the fore; they prefer to fulfil their tasks out of the limelight. Good-natured Realists are real workaholics; they are very reliable and nothing is too much for them when it is a question of completing a project. Thoroughness, conscientiousness and sense of duty are their strongest points. They prefer established and familiar situations to new and unknown situations.

In dealing with others, Good-natured Realists are considerate and obliging; they are always happy to put aside their own requirements in the interest of their family and friends. Their home is mostly very well cared-for, cosy and tidy. Their perfectionism on the one hand and their aversion to delegating tasks on the other hand often lead to them taking on too much both professionally and privately. They cannot stand discord; conflicts make them very unhappy. One could almost describe them as being harmony-addicted - and this sometimes leads them to strongly neglecting themselves and their own wishes because they are unable to bring themselves to put up a fight.

Good-natured Realists dream of a stable and trusting relationship for life. Marriage and family are very important to them. They take care of their partner attentively and lovingly and put up with a lot for a harmonious relationship. They are also loyal and reliable friends. However, they can be very hurt if their interpersonal commitment is taken for granted for too long.

I can't believe another year has passed. This is now my second Independence Day here in the US, and somehow it does feel like I'm also marking a new chapter in my life. :-)

New acquaintances, new Friendster "status" (haha), new apartment (soon), and new job (possibly!). :-)

Photos taken July 3, 2008 at Addison. With BonBon, Paul, Jeff, Goldie, the couple from NJ (I can't remember their names, sorry!), Kaye, Brandon, and Ayeen (my date that night).


We're going to another one tomorrow!

Summer has just started here in Texas so we've had temperatures rising up to the high-90's these past few days. Kinda reminds me of the hot and humid weather in Manila, although here's it's pretty dry. So walang pawis.

Anyway, I just got back from apartment hunting with Kaye and my Mom this morning. The area where we live in (Uptown Dallas) is actually what you would call the perfect place for singles. There's a lot of restaurants, bars, and shopping centers nearby, so you'll never run out of things to do...But then again, Ayeen and I need to save money so we're trying to look for a cheaper apartment. More money = more money for travel next year. Still haven't decided where I want to go.

Hay, I'm getting a little sleepy. I think I need to take a nap in a bit. I was having nightmares about work early this morning so I don't really feel well-rested. Ugh. I think I need to find a new job. But you know, I'm getting some calls from recruiters lately, it's just that all of them are for jobs outside Dallas (one is in Greenville, another in Houston). And at this point, I don't really feel like relocating right now. Just not something I wanna do at this point.

Oh well, at least I have a job right? It's still something to be grateful for.

Okay, now I'm really sleepy. Gotta go to bed and recharge.

Bye!

It's definitely been a while since my last post!

My weekdays are still busier than ever because of work, but I've now managed to put in an hour 3-4 times a week now to go to the gym. Hah! Can you believe it?!? Sinong mag-aakala na ma-aadict ako sa Spinning? :-) So now my regular routine is work 9-10 hours in the office, head to the gym for some cardio and weights, go home to eat, and then work from home for a little bit. It's still not the most optimal work schedule for me (since I really would want to get rid of doing any kind of work when I'm home), but that will do for now.

Ayeen and I are also planning for a vacation in November. There's a ton of possibilities: Las Vegas, Aspen, California, or maybe a cruise in the Carribean or Bahamas. Yay, I'm so excited! I saw this ad on TV for the Paradise Island in the Bahamas (www.atlantis.com), grabe ang GANDA!!! I think I remember an episode of Oprah 5 years ago where she brought all her employees there for a vacation. That, along with Napa Valley and Fiji, is probably one of my top places to go to for my honeymoon. Hay...

Okay, so before I get carried too away, I would probably need to get married first. And that msot likely wouldn't happen in the next three years or so. Oh well. It's always nice to dream. :-)

It's almost 8:30 am and I have church at 9! Gotta prepare now. Bye!

Masakit pa rin katawan ko... 

Yep, I now have a gym membership!

I spent last Friday night at Bally's Total Fitness to claim my free, one-hour workout with the trainer.

And ladies and gentlemen, I think I just had the most torturous experience of my life.

Hay, grabe. My whole body is still aching two days after the grueling session. My muscles, which haven't been subjected to any form of exercise in the last 25 years, are in shock. Every little movement takes so much effort...Sitting down, reaching for the remote, going up and down the stairs...UGH. Even peeing becomes a dilemma.

Anyway, I just hope this goes away soon. Might finally try yoga on Wednesday though.

Kailangan sulitin ang bayad. :-)

My new favorite song!

Well, as most people close to me know, I've always had issues with my jaw joint. For almost two years now, I've always had that dull pain on my left ear...Hay...And believe me, it really sucks. Doing the simplest, normal things become a real challenge when you have TMJ disorder. Eating, yawning, clenching your teeth...

So anyway, I've been seeing an oral surgeon for a few months now and he recommended arthroscopy to treat it. It's an oupatient surgery, but I still had to be on general anaesthesia during the procedure. I had it done just last Friday. I'm still felling some pain on my left jaw, but I can open my mouth a little wider now. Hopefully, I'll be better in a few days. I'm going back to my surgeon tomorrow for my post-op appointment. And I might need to wear beaces too...Ang gastos!

I wanted to immortalize the procedure so I took a picture of my scar (see the electric blue stitches?).

Okay, so I don't really know how this works. But apparently, I'm supposed to earn money by signing up in this social networking website. Haha. The name of the site is "YUWIE" (kinda like Friendster or MySpace, but the interface is less prettier). And yeah, pretty weird name...You'd think they could at least come up with something cooler than that...

Well, it's free so wala namang mawawala. Hehe. Click here if you have five minutes to waste.

I just found about this the other day. My beloved Brad Renfro is now dead. And he's only 25.

Brad Renfro was my biggest crush (next to Patrick Garcia anyway) during my pre-adolescent days. He was the coolest and prettiest 12-year old guy in Hollywood then. I fell in love with him on "The Cure", but only got to watch two of his other movies ("The Client" with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, and "Sleepers" where he played the young Brad Pitt). I never heard much of him again after that.

Apparently, he got involved in drugs, alcohol, and theft in the past five years. It seemed like a pretty troubled life.

How tragic.

If you're interested in reading his short bio online, click HERE.