Lessons learned:
- Always be more cautious when driving.
- Things happen which we can not control.
- Your life is more valuable than your car.

And I thought that Edc was just kidding when he told me to expect something from the mail. But surprise, surprise it’s here! A package from the ‘dynamic-duo’!

I first opened the card because the soccer ball sticker caught my attention (i love soccer!), and as expected, Edc wrote something sweet and very thoughtful that got me teary-eyed (again) and made me miss him more (have you ever thought of writing for Hallmark? hehe). The thoughtful Edc, never fails to give me ‘extra’ surprises…there’s a set of soccer ball stickers secretly sneaked inside the folded card! awwww that was sweet :-)

Here’s another ‘OMGness’ lol…Richie knows that I love cats, he got me this cute kitty bookmark made of metal! The tassel even has little kitty trinkets. I especially love what was written on it “Happy is the home with at least one cat” surrounded by paw prints :-)…so adorable! I will definitely use this one!

And lastly there’s the True Faith CD from Edc. Oh my, it’s reminiscing time once again… Back to the good ol’ 750 connection days,haaaay. I love the cover Edc, very inspiring… for my next web project haha.

Thanks guys, you’re the best!

Edc never forgets me during his travels. He sent me souvenir magnets from his trips. I especially love the turtle magnet…my tarsier magnet has now a companion, hehe. The shawls are adorable too, I now have an addition for my fall wardrobe…good choice of colors Edc, green and brown, luv them! The picture frame is very nice, luv the bamboo and the woven canvass…so unique…so ethnic…so tribal! hehe… though I still have to figure out how to make it stand.

As I continue to pull more goodies from the box, the tiny soccer cellphone trinket almost fell on the floor. It’s so tiny and cute, it needs to be showcased…I think i’m going to hang it inside my car.

I can’t believe Edc sent me a Japanese fan…he remembered! I collect anything that is Japanese…arigato gozaimasu Edcel San!…I want a kimono next time, hehe.

It will never feel the same if Edc will not include something with Lea. Thank you so much for the magazine. Is that lea’s signature? ohhh how I wished! hehe.

So what else do I have here…hmmm…Oh my gosh, a Ronan Keating CD! “I bet this one is from the darling Richie” hahaha. Walang kakupas-kupas, Richie never fails to send me Ronan stuff and a cd is a staple goodie…it’s a must, LOL.

I luv the Scooterista magazine. I never knew it existed, LOL…and nope Richie, I’m not the editor, just the walking model, hahaha.

Another suprise were the stuff from Mimi. The sweet note from her made it really special. It was very heart-warming and I was touched, we will definitely meet someday my dear Mimi, maybe we can visit Manila together :-)

The heart-warming note from her was enough for me but I didn’t know that there’s some more.Inside the nicely wrapped box were Malley’s chocolates. You know me, when it comes to chocolates, resistance is futile! The scrumptious chocolate cookies were so delectable, very rich and decadent… the box is almost empty now, hehe…

Thank you so much guys for everything. I’m so happy, my birthday is just days from now, but it feels like today! Wow, this really made my day :-)

While we were chatting last week, he told me that i’ll be getting some postcards soon, but I didn’t know that he also included DVDs! My heart was pounding as I impatiently opened the yellow-orange Jiffylite package…And there they were: the much awaited films that we’ve been talking online for quite some time now, “The Kite Runner” and of course “The Coffee Prince”.

The postcards were very nice as well, with Edc’s doodles and the ‘wish you were here’ remarks, really made me miss him more. But the best of all is the picture of him with Lea. It’s definitely a photoframe-material. I promise to showcase it. Thank you so much Edc for this natural high moment. This will linger throughout the day or so. By the way I still have the LSS of the mp3 you sent me last night LOL.

Summer for me is a long agony of stickiness and sweatyness. But i’m still not sure if I like summer more over winter, because I also hate extreme coldness. Why can’t we just have fall all the time?

Don’t get me wrong summer for me is not all that bad…especially if i’m in a secluded white sand beach, walking along the shore, as my toes and feet slowly digs through the powdery sands with an ice-cold Stella Artois in one hand…Just enjoying the unadulterated summer breeze as the warm wind blows through my hair…ahhh so nice…so calm…so beautiful…

And then I woke up…i’m still here in the concrete jungle of Louisville, darn!

But summer is a happy season, everything is bright and colorful. The skies are blue, seasonal flowers bloom, people wear bright colored tank tops and flip flops. People are tanned and some are faux-tanned. You can eat all the ice cream you want. Scooteristas on the streets. People enjoying the waterpark and so on. It’s also good reason to get a haircut, make it really short, and you won’t feel guilty…and …and..one of my faves, the summer olympics! it’s coming, wooohooo!

So to celebrate summer I designed a new theme for this fabulous website of mine, haha. I called it “dance with the fireflies” and it’s now on it’s version 33! Again if you’re still using the old version, you can change it using my theme switcher on the sidebar. Try it, it’s like magic, LOL.

I bet friends and families back home are now planning for their summer vacations…Ahhh the white sand beaches of Boracay and Pagudpud…the cool climate of Baguio…Scuba diving in Puerto Galera…Snorkeling in Palawan…Trekking in the Mt. Province or Sorsogon…and so on and so forth…

And I’m here…still suffering from the winter climate. I’m just glad that spring is on its way. Last week’s winter storm was the last straw for me…I’m just getting tired of the snow.

I’m planning to visit this year…and i’m crossing my fingers…I still don’t have an exact date…But a visit to Manila is long overdue…It has been ummmm, hmmm four or five years already? So Edc and Richie, get ready with an itinerary ok…

Some pictures taken from last week’s snow storm: It was around 8:30am and
I’m on my way to work.
* You can view the original pictures here –> “scooterista crossing” or here “cca stardust gallery”

Appetizers, anyone?

While waiting for another friend in the hotel. We had some appetizers: ‘Value City’ muchies (lol) and several bottles of Miller Chill to start the ball rolling. After waiting for an hour and a half and four bottles of Miller, our friend “K” failed to show up. I was pretty drunk myself, I was afraid I might be crawling to Pucker’s. But thankfully not. We were all laughing and really enjoying the moment…I was talkative, but I knew I was drunk coz my upper lip is getting numb by that time and could’nt talk straight in English LOL. Remember the ‘Robin’ test? Well, i tried saying the word ‘Robin’ several times to check myslef…”Ro-Ro-robeeeen”…”Ro-o-ow-ben”…”Robin!’…Ok, Mina is fine….for now LOL

Pure conversation classics

While taking tequila shots at Pucker’s, we reminisced…talked about college life, travels and the silly stuff we did during the good-ol’-days. The owner of the bar was there, checking us out every now and then, and wanted to join the conversation,maybe because we were all laughing and was really having a good time. He was nice and friendly. Our ‘tequila attendant’ kept on visiting our booth and made sure our shooters were filled with tequila goodness. After four shots…hmm was it four or five? Couldn’t remember, I was long gone. I can’t really remember what I did, but thank God ‘E” was beside me, I think there were times that I was hugging her, thank God she’s there or else I’ll be lying on the floor!

…long gone

We knew it’s time to go back to the hotel for I was being quiet in my cozy little corner of the booth staring at the ashtray. So the three of us walked back to the hotel and hit the bed. I think I hit the bed first, for I was long gone.LOL

Am I sober now?

It’s 9 am and I’m up, writing this blog…still a bit dizzy…Can’t stay away from my computer for a long time I guess, hehe.

It has been a great year for me regarding work. I’ve been talking about work all the time, because it has been my life when I started living here in the States . It may sound pathetic, but in a way it taught me so many things. Being independent and deciding things for myself was a huge transformation for me. Back in the Philippines, aside from work, I partied all the time, night-outs with friends, overnights here, ovenights there. I don’t know if i’m still adjusting here or not..but it’s different! I might just be exagerating, I still manage to have fun every now and then. Maybe I just miss my friends back home. I have grown to really love my work now, even though its far different from the work that i used to. Unlike on my previous job, where I sit infront of my computer all the time,designing, drafting, editing, print here, print there..and the only time I get to see the outside world was during site visits…were I guess…alright. But I wanted some more…I wanted to communicate more, to serve more and to “move” more. So when I had the chance to land this job, I embraced it and at the same time praying that this will give me insights on what I really want to do. It’s different..it was a total shock for me…it’s energy consuming, time consuming. But I like it…I really like it alot. 2007 was roller coaster ride for me, I was promoted, became an empolyee of the month (again), was awarded an employee of the year (for the past year), travelled, met important people…made more friends.

2007: the year of shopping…dot…com
I think I have shopped more online than in an actual store in 2007 (well except for the groceries). I was cleaning up my desk and found this stack of receipts from mailed packages…and thought…”my gosh, I think i did alot of shopping this year…online shopping!” Bought my cds and dvds online (from my favorites music store yesasia.com). Bought lotion, sanitizers and other beauty products online (from, where else…my fave…bathandbodyworks.com). Bought stuff for my computer online, softwares and hardwares (from circuitcity.com and corel.com). Bought magazines, perfumes, watch tool and other knick-knacks online (from ebay.com). Bought shoes online (from zappos.com –>my place of nirvana, hehe). Bought my ipod and ipod accessories online (from apple.com). Purchased songs for my ipod online (i-tunes store). Bought feng shui items online (from fengshuiweb.co.uk). Upgraded to a better plan from my web host (the best web host ever–>site5.com)..etc .etc.! But I think the best purchase that i did in 2007, was my ipod…Oh, my ipod how can I live without you! LOL. At first I was really hesitant to buy one, but through the convincing powers of my bestfriend Edc, I finally did it with no regrets at all! I use it all the time, not just for music but for other entertainment as well. Plus, it’s a good tool if you want to isolate yourself from the annoying public, hehe. As of this moment I have 948 songs, 100 videos and 10 podcasts.

2007: the year of lost and found
Well, I really didn’t lose anything important that year. But I finally found the person, that i’ve been searching for a long long time. Fely was my closest friend way back in highschool, we’ve lost communication for more than 10 years. Through the power of the internet and the world wide web, I found her again, and I’m so happy. We have alot of catching up to do…unfortunately we have to do it online. I was extra happy that my bestfriend Edc have finally met her in person giving the opportunity to represent me, I felt like i was there meeting her again. Edc is like the other half of me…oh he’s the best!
Met new friends in 2007, and I mean a diversity of friends…Japanese, Italian, African-American, Latinas, Turkish, Russian. I love making new friends from all over the globe. Learning their language and culture excites me alot. Hmmm, did I use the word ‘excite’? lol. It’s fun to learn a new language! I have started studying the japanese, spanish, italian languages years ago (and still in the learning process), but now i’m into russian. What a beautiful language, but it’s a tongue-twister for me…zdrastv-oo-tye! (hmmm, not sure about the spelling though, hehe)

2007: the year of web designs…and graphics
You all know by now, that web design is one of my passions. I’m not a proffesional nor an expert on this part, but I learned it through self-study. And I’m hooked!. I did alot of web designing that year, not just for my own homepage but for others as well. It’s a natural high for me when someone wants my ’services’ to make their own webpage. Aside from my ccastardust site, I made some designs for Edc, the AFLS group, the 750 connection group, the seasoned writer Sabine etc. etc! But the best thing that happened to me in 2007 is when I won the logo design contest for this organization in Texas. I was extremely overjoyed when they have chosen my design.

2007: their nine-lives are over
Isis and Gertrude past away. First, it was Gertrude, she had some sort of illness or something and then the adorable Isis, my fave. They were really old cats and I guess their nine-lives are over. I miss them alot.

2007: the year of ‘goody bags’
I think I have received more gifts in 2007. Thanks to my family and friends. I especially love the gifts from Edc and Richie, most of them were unexpected ’surprises’. These guys are good! They can really make this girl happy and excited, hehe..and now this girl is craving for more, LOL..you guys started it, hehe. It’s not just me who got goody bags but them as well. I think it has become our (the three of us) tradition to do this every year…excites ourselves with the exchange gifts of goody bags. Some are ‘expected’ but the best part are the hidden surpises in the bags. You’ll never know what you’re gonna get!

2007: the year of the comeback ‘Kit’
He finally did it this time! Kit is back in the motorcross racing again. It was an exciting feeling for me as well, coz it’s the first time that i’ve seen him racing, not just in photographs. I admit it, I had mixed feelings about this, I wanted him to go back to racing, but at the same time scared, because it’s kinna dangerous…accidents might happen you know. But thank God he finished with no broken bones or something…only missing bolts from Hodie, hehe. It’s so exciting to watch these guys race their bikes, and i’m thinking of joing them in the future, but I need my own bike first.

I think I have written enough, whew!…did I say, it’s gonna be short? LOL. But I know there are more stuff to write, i just don’t wanna bore you guys.

2007 is a good year for me and I hope 2008 will be the same as well, even better. 2008, is the year of the rat (in chinese astrology) will it bite?

I’m just so excited that I just have to write something about it :-)

One of my best buddies, Rence, just came back from his vacation in the Philippines. With him, was a package from Edc and Richie. Obviously, Rence mailed it right away (I think he mailed it on monday). Thanks Rence!

The much awaited package landed on my hand this afternoon around 5:30 pm, hehe.

It was a very tiring day for me at work. After doing some errands. There’s nothing in my head but just to go home and eat some pizza. I put my stuff on the table, went to the dresser, change and came back again to the table…and there it was! the package! I can’t believe I didn’t see it the first time!

I was like…jumping up and down for joy! And was like a child opening presents on Christmas day (actually i’m always like that everytime I receive a package).

And here they are…

From Edc: a black bennetton bag, 3 magazines, 2 sets of danggling earrings, 3 DVDs and the cutest travel mug from Starbucks Philippines (Edc I want more of this! hehe, I wanna start a collection LOL).

Richie gave me the coolest shirt from Graphic Designed Lifestyle. I luv it! Plus he didn’t forget my most requested CD. Thank you, thank you thank you!

The sweetest Richie also gave Kit a shirt from Graphic Designed Lifestyle. Kit was so happy because the graphics are in orange, hehe…his favorite color.

But wait! There’s more!

I didn’t know that Edc sneaked something inside the travel mug. It’s a tarsier magnet. A souvenir from his Bohol trip. Awwwwww Edc, you’re so sweet!

Thank you so much again guys for all the awesome gifts! Now all I have to do is fill up your goody bags, hehe. You know what I mean ;-)