2009

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year. Hope you're fine in 2009. hahaha.

And to welcome 2009 here is my version of baby new year. Okay it's me as a baby.

Be safe tonight!!!

Fosse

I saw this video playing at a bar and just had to find it and post it. It's pretty hilarious.

Happy Holidays!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Died

So today I was at work and after a team meeting I got into my car to go to my next spot. I get into my car and try to start it. Guess what? It didn't. I thought maybe because it was cold that it didn't work. So I wait and I try again. It still won't start.

I don't have Triple A but thank goodness I have coverage under my insurance. They were pretty quick. It took them 30 minutes to come over and jump start it. Turns out I needed a new battery.

He told me to go to Pep Boys to get a new one and that's what I did.

Thank goodness this didn't happen while I was driving or else I could've gotten into an accident. Whew!

Maybe it is time for that new car.

What's Playing

These songs have been on repeat on my ipod recently. Enjoy.

Flying

Yesterday I had a dream that I was flying and of all places it was over Disneyland. I felt happy and it almost felt like it was real.

I looked online as to what it could mean and here's what I found:

Many of us have had them: dreams of soaring high in the sky; flying to the stars. And many of us have had these: dreams of falling from some great height fearful and panicked. What do flying and falling dreams symbolize? In waking life we are limited--we cannot take to the skies like Superman. Therefore, flying dreams can be symbolic of liberation from limits or 'rising above' a situation.

Flying dreamers are usually flying high in the sky--the sky being a symbol of spirituality. So these dreams may symbolize an expansion in spiritual awareness and leave the dreamer with feelings of empowerment, hope, peace, and exhilaration. Sometimes dreamers report meetings with angels or spirit guides while flying. Keep in mind that this angel or guide may be you in disguise--you as your Higher Self--the Self which has more wisdom and knowledge about you than anyone else. Whether the angel is you yourself or an actual angel, pay careful attention to dreams of this nature--they are powerful dreams potent with spirituality.

Now I wonder what Disneyland means in my dreams.

Saved

This afternoon at work after lunch we hear all this commotion coming towards the elevator. It ended up that two people were stuck in the elevator on our floor at work. My co-worker Tony was shoving notebooks in the door so that there was some air to flow inside the elevator as the two were saying that it started getting warm.

My boss came up with an idea to find something to open the door such as crow bar. However at the American Heart Association we don't have a crow bar ready. Go figure.

At the entrance of the elevator we have a red dress display with mannequins. Claudia said less remove the mannequins as there is a metal rod that is holding them up. So we lift up two of the mannequins. She handed one of them to me and the arms fell off. hahaha.

Anyhow Tony and Claudia used the two metal rods to open the door and the two were freed.

Thank goodness they were able to pry open the elevator door. I couldn't imagine being stuck in the elevator. I'm sure I would've gotten claustrophobic in there.

Here's two Superman Tony and Superwoman Claudia for freeing the two that were stuck in the elevator.

Dedicated to You

Oldies Remixed

I love these remixes. Now to find them so I can put them on my running music list. Enjoy.

The Deed is Done

Boy, am I glad it's over. I completed the Las Vegas Marathon yesterday in 5:48:44

Not exactly the time I was hoping for but hey I finished and besides it knocked off 45 minutes from my last marathon.

We had perfect conditions but I just pooped out at mile 20. My body couldn't run any more so I walked the last 6 miles. In addition I had a slight cold.

Third marathon complete. Could there be a fourth? Maybe - the Rock n Roll Marathon San Diego in June.

Been a While

It's been a while since I've posted. Things have gotten busy and well I've been lazy. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got stuffed. (All the nasty minds - tsk! tsk!)

I've seen Spring Awakening, saw the Vanity Fair exhibit at LACMA and also watched Milk and I recommend all of you to go to all three. It's all worth going to.

This Sunday is my marathon in Las Vegas. All the hard work in training will hopefully pay off.

Anyhow, I need to shower as I ran 5 miles. I will blog more later.

Work!!!

That's all I have to say. WORK!

Repeal Prop 8!

I just signed a pledge to repeal Prop 8 and I thought you might be interested in joining me and over 100,000 Courage Campaign members across California.

We have to come together right now to say that we refuse to accept a California where discrimination is enshrined in our state constitution.

Please sign the "Repeal Prop 8" pledge now and forward this to your friends as soon as possible:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealProp8

Thanks!

30th Birthday - Part 2

Here are pictures from my Birthday Party that happened on Sunday, October 26th. Thank you to everyone who came out. Turning Dirty 30 wasn't that bad after all. Also thank you to Andrew for "filling in" and taking all these photos.





Click here to see the rest of the photos.

Well Put

It's Not Over

Proposition 8 as of right now seems like it will pass. Those who were in favor thought that once this passed it will be enough said about same-sex marriage here in California.

Unfortunately for them it is not. This is the new Civil Rights Movement and we will do everything we can to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. We are just going to get stronger and louder.

I am asking all of you to do the following:

Reopen prop 8 for CA, please visit and sign: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/seg5130/petition.html

Call (916) 657-2166 and tell the Secretary of State they MUST count ALL the ballots!! (PLEASE HELP!!)

Let's not let hatred, bigotry and discrimination against a group of people stand or even be put into our constitution.

Please support me and many of my friends who voted and were in support on No on 8. Let's continue the fight!!!

Our Next President

Change is Finally Here!

Election Day!

Today is a very important day in American History as we choose a new president. In addtion in California many propositions are on the ballot including Prop 8 which eliminates the right for same sex couples to marry.

Long lines are expected - which is what I came upon this morning. I had to wait an hour and a half to vote but I'm glad I did. Make your voice heard - Go out and Vote.

P.S. Vote No on Hate and Vote NO on 8.

Halloween

I spent Halloween with friends at Carnival in West Hollywood. It was a wild night with so many people walking the streets on Santa Monica Blvd. I was dressed as Diego from Go Diego Go - a friend of Dora the Explorer. I was recognized by the little ones especially this little girl who was dressed as a fairy was screaming to her mom - Mama, mama - It's Diego!!!

My final destination of the night was Java Detour where I met up with Brian, et. al. Below are some photos from the night. Enjoy!

Protestors

Tonight I went out to dinner with Trevor, Andrew, and Reginald. We went to one of the restaurants in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. I can't remember the name it was some frenchie type name so I can't recall.

Anyhow, we were having a great conversation and we noticed a bunch of No on 8 supporters gathering on a corner to promote No on 8. It was great until there were Yes on 8 supporters driving by in a couple vans.

Well one of the funniest things I heard while they were chanting No on 8 came from a group at a neighboring restaurant yelling "No on Straight - No on 8" in unison with the No on 8 chants. This cracked me up.

Straight, Gay, or whatever you may be discriminating against a group of people is unfair. Make sure to vote No on 8 on Tuesday.

No on H8te!!!

We are one week away from elections and there is a lot of decisions that are going to be made. One importation decision here in California is Proposition 8.

Proposition 8 is to amend the state constituion to define marriage between one man and one woman. A lot of propaganda is going around. Those who are in favor of proposition 8 is using children to scare people to vote yes.

Unfortuantely, the tactics are misleading and not true. I had asked my teacher friends whether they teach marriage or in the curriculum that is required is there a mention of marriage. All of them said no.

Proposition 8 is about discrimination and hate. If two people who love each other want to confirm their love through marriage. Let them be. What is the harm? What if you were not allowed to be with the one you love. How would that feel?

Two good friends of mine got married on 8/8/08.

I would hate for their marriage be reversed because of this proposition.

Please do not believe in the propaganda that the Yes on 8 have produced. Vote no on hate - Vote NO on 8.

Girl Can Dance!

I was sent this video randomly and this girl CAN dance. I wish I could move like her when I was her age. Heck I wish I could move like her now.

Birthday Week

I had a great birthday week with the culmination at the Bungalow Club last night. Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes and to those of you who came out and celebrated with me.

It meant a lot to hear and be with friends as I turned Dirty 30.

My Endorsement

With the elections quickly approaching I have finally chosen a candidate that I will be supporting. Join me with a vote for this candidate.

More Watermelon for Everyone . . .

I've been going to my chiropractor since June and they recently started sending out a newsletter. There was something in the newsletter that caught my eye and that I wanted to share with everyone about watermelons.

Like berries, watermelon is loaded with phytochemicals, including lycopene, beta-carotene and citrulline. When citrulline is consumed it is converted to arginine. Arginine is an amino acid that has beneficial effects on the heart and circulatory system, as well as the immune system. Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, leading to another beneficial side benefit of watermelon . . . a Viagra-like effect without the hazards of a toxic drug.

Can't get Viagra - eat a watermelon slice. hahaha.

Dirty 30 - Part 1

Yesterday was my 30th birthday and with it falling on a Wednesday I couldn't do anything too wild. So a couple friends and myself went out for a couple drinks. A couple became a lot and I did end up yacking. So much for not doing anything wild, right?

Anyhow thanks to Andrew, Olaf, Melissa, Pinay, Eric, Jay (Juan, Junior, whatever), Eduardo, Peter, Dutch, Trevor, Jessica and everyone else who came out to have a drink with me.

Highlight of the night - besides hanging out with friends was meeting Tabatha from Salon Take Over and Shear Genius.

Below are some photos from last night. Part 2 is happening on Sunday.

Dirty 30

Dirty 30 Here I Come!

Here are other people who share the same birthday as me on October 22nd -

Zac Hanson

Shaggy

Brian Boitano

Jeff Goldblum

Annette Funicello

Tony Roberts

Christopher Lloyd

Timothy Leary

Two More Days . .

Two more days and I turn the Big 3-O. In the meantime - Happy Birthday to my mom!

Filipinos are Yummy

So I was supposed to go on vacation in Spain but unfortunately due to my work schedule I wasn't able to go. Sucks, huh? I'm glad that Andrew, Leia, and Gwen had a good time.

Before Andrew left I was wondering what could he bring back from Spain for me. I actually heard that Filipinos is a dessert in Spain and he was able to locate some.

A couple days after he came back he had the pleasure of bringing me to the Emergency Room at Cedars. If you don't know what happened read the earlier posts.

Anyhow, he had given me these and I finally ate one of the packages yesterday. They are chocolated coated cookies in the shape of O's. They're pretty good but it's just weird that it is called Filipinos. It's like having a dessert named Chinese, Mexican, Canadian, etc.

Jam With Me

Enjoy these songs. Jam with me . . .

Running at Night is Hazardous to My Health

For those of you know I still have my sprained wrist but at least I'm back and running. Here we are and it's a Tuesday night and I needed to get a 3 miler in. Going down 6th Street I almost had a repeat of last Wednesday. Almost a week later.

I tripped and almost fell but I caught myself and didn't fall. Whew!!! I didn't want a repeat visit to Cedars Sinai.

I did get a good look at the sidewalk and it is probably the same piece of concrete that made me fall and sprain my wrist. I probably will need to change my route if I have to run at night. No more running on 6th street. I'll figure a different route.

The Aftermath

Last night was supposed to be a usual evening. After coming home around 8 p.m. from my meetings in Long Beach I was getting ready for my run. On the schedule was an easy 3 miles. Easy enough, right? Been doing that for months now so 3 should be no different.

Well last night was different. As I was going down 6th street towards Fairfax it changed. As I was running my foot got caught on a slightly raised part of the sidewalk causing me to trip and fall. I totally skidded my knees and of course with me in my head I was thinking - I must finish the 3 miles.

When I finally reached Fairfax I felt a sharp pain in my wrist. Didn't feel good at all so I decided to walk back home. When I got home I contacted Andrew and decided to go to the Emergency Room at Cedars.

Cedars was great and I was in and out in an hour. They took x-rays and lucikly nothing was broken but I do have a sprain and now have to wear this thing on my arm. Below is a picture.




They also took care of my abrasions on my leg. In addition I had to get a tetanus shot.

Thanks Andrew for bringing me to Cedars and thanks Trevor for bringing me home and getting me McDonald's.

What a run, eh? Maybe I should just run on a treadmill from now on.

I've Decided to Go Do It!!!

I've decided to move forward with a costume of Diego for Halloween. This is what I need:

1. Cargo Vest
2. Light Blue Shirt
3. Blue Cargo Shorts
4. Gray/Orange Sneakers
5. Orange Backpack
6. Stuffed Jaguar

Hopefully this will be easy to find. It'll be an easy costume since I won't need a mask. blah!

Visiting the Old Roomie

My Mondays are usually spent in Orange County. I first start off with a visit to my chiropractor, now I started adding hitting the gym before I head back home. Today I decided to give Rey a call. Trevor had asked me to go Hi-Times Wine Cellar to pick up a bottle of Pinot Noir. My wine literacy is very limited so I asked Rey to go with me to pick out wine. I figured it would be good to see him, catch up and see Malia.

After I worked out I stopped by Target then a store that sells hair product for cheap and then it was off to the old apartment. It's always good to see Rey. (It's always good to see you Stacey but you were at work. I'll call you soon though. Maybe lunch since I'll have meetings in Manhattan Beach.)

Anyhow when I went over there Malia was aslept. The minute I stepped in she awoke. Rey brought Malia out she was acting really shy. Actually I think she was scared of me. Then again she's probably not used to me especially since I do not visit often. Rey was laughing and was saying that Stacey is going laugh. Everytime Malia would take a peek at me she would scream. He made some comments and I texted Stacey the comments. If you want to know what they were e-mail me. Just don't want to offend anyone. Hahahaha.

Malia eventually warmed up. She was crawling over, playing with my cell phones and eventually wanting for me to pick her up. Below are pictures from when we were playing. Rey even had me feed her a little bit.



We were lucky to have Erin come home to stay with Malia a little bit so Rey can accompany to Hi-Times. When we arrived at Hi-Times it was a little funny because Rey got teary eyed. Ever since Malia was born he has done very little drinking and he's finally getting back into it.

As we made our way through the wine I picked up a Pinot Noir by Thousand Foot from the Russian River Valley. Rey also made a suggestion for another wine that I might like so I picked it up. It's called a Menage a Trois. I laughed but we'll see how good it is when I give it a sip.

Thanks Rey for hanging out. It was fun. Come up some time and we'll do Ugo.

Dance! Dance! - The Todo, Todo.

When going to a Filipino family party - dancing and karoake is a favorite past time. What is interesting is the dancing part. Not sure how line dancing became so big amongst the Filipinos but I am surprised at how many line dances there are to songs that you may already know. We all know the electride slide probably started it all but second to that the Todo Todo is a widely popular selection. Anytime you are at any Filipino gathering you are sure to hear and see the Todo Todo. Below is the music video and after that is a bunch of Filipino Moms, Dads, Nanays, Tatays, Apongs, Lolos and Lolas doing it.

I've done it a couple times but I still need to learn the steps to get them down. Who wants to practice with me? haha

Top 100 Hip Hop Songs

VH1 is counting down the Top 100 Hip Hop songs. Some of them I agree . . some of them I don't but I know for sure that I'll be downloading a bunch of these songs. Below is the list -

100 Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
99 Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft/ Ying Yang Twins - "Get Low"
98 Warren G ft. Nate Dogg - "Regulate"
97 Eve - "Who's that Girl"
96 DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - "Parents Just Don't Understand"
95 L'Trimm - "Cars With The Boom"
94 Master P ft. Sikk, Fiend, Mia-x and Mystical - "Make 'Em Say Ugh"
93 N.E.R.D. ft. Lee Harvey and Vida - "Lapdance"
92 Yo-Yo - "Can't Play with my Yo-Yo"
91 Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone - "Ridin'"
90 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)"
89 Cam'ron - "Oh Boy"
88 Jungle Brothers - "What U Waitin' 4"
87 Wyclef Jean ft. Refugee All Stars - "We Tryin' to Stay Alive"
86 Heavy D. and the Boyz - "Now That We Found Love"
85 Black Star - "Definition"
84 UTFO - "Roxanne Roxanne"
83 2 Live Crew - "Me So Horny"
82 Chubb Rock - "Treat 'Em Right"
81 PM Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"
80 Three 6 Mafia ft. Paula Campbell- "Hard Out Here For A Pimp"
79 DMX - "Ruff Ryders' Anthem (Stop Drop)"
78 Arrested Development - "Tennessee"
77 Cold Crush Brothers - "Cold Crush Bros. at the Dixie"
76 Big Punisher ft. Joe- "Still Not A Player"
75 Lil' Kim ft. Lil' Cease- "Crush on You"
74 EPMD - "You Gots To Chill"
73 Black Sheep - "The Choice Is Yours"
72 J.J. Fad - "Supersonic"
71 Whodini - "Freaks Come Out at Night"
70 3(rd) Bass - "Pop Goes the Weasel"
69 Common - "I Used to Love H.E.R."
68 T.I. - "What You Know"
67 Mase - "Feel So Good"
66 House Of Pain - "Jump Around"
65 Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three - "Love Rap"
64 The Roots - "What they Do"
63 Kid 'n Play - "Rollin' With Kid N Play"
62 Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
61 Slick Rick - "Children's Story"
60 L.L. Cool J - "I Need Love"
59 Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
58 Ludacris ft. Shawna- "What's Your Fantasy"
57 Big Daddy Kane - "I Get the Job Done"
56 Busta Rhymes - "Woo-Ha! Got You All In Check"
55 Terror Squad ft/ Fat Joe and Remy - "Lean Back"
54 MC Lyte - "Cha Cha Cha"
53 Lox ft. DMX and Lil' Kim - "Money, Power, Respect"
52 Foxy Brown ft. Jay-Z - "I'll Be"
51 Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew - "The Show"
50 Lil' Wayne - "Tha Block Is Hot"
49 Boogie Down Productions - "My Philosophy"
48 Nas - "One Love"
47 Young MC - "Bust A Move"
46 De La Soul - "Me, Myself, And I"
45 Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks On Me"
44 Method Man ft/ Mary J. Blige - "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need to Get By"
43 Game, The ft. 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It"4
2 Roxanne Shante - "Roxanne's Revenge"
41 Funky 4 + 1 - "That's the Joint"
40 Run-DMC - "It's Like That"
39 Tone-Loc - "Wild Thing"
38 Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise"
37 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two"
36 Nelly - "Hot In Herre"
35 Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love - "Ladies First"
34 Cypress Hill - "Insane In The Brain"
33 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
32 Puff Daddy & The Family ft/ Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim and The Lox - "It's All About The Benjamins"
31 Kool Moe Dee - "How Ya Like Me Now"
30 Tribe Called Quest - "Check the Rhime"
29 Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance"
28 Ice Cube - "It Was A Good Day"
27 Beastie Boys - "Hold it Now, Hit it"
26 MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
25 Fugees - "Killing Me Softly"
24 Eric B and Rakim - "Paid in Full"
23 Outkast - "B.O.B."
22 Naughty By Nature - "OPP"
21 Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force- "Planet Rock"
20 Kanye West ft/ Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
19 Ice T - "Colors"
18 50 Cent - "In Da Club"
17 Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
16 Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
15 Eminem - "Stan"
14 Tupac - "I Get Around"
13 Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
12 L.L. Cool J - "I Can't Live Without My Radio"
11 Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
10 Kurtis Blow - "The Breaks"
09 Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
08 Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin and Juice"
07 Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
06 N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
05 Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - "The Message"
04 Run-DMC ft/ Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
03 Dr. Dre - "Nuthin But A 'G' Thang"
02 Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
01 Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"

Homework for the Kids or for the Parents?

I go to the Hawthorne Library a little earlier than I usually do for a recruitment meeting. It’s a new location so I wasn’t sure what I would expect. Whether the room would be set up for me or would I have to set up, where signage goes, etc. I got here extremely early so instead going straight to the meeting room I decided to sit down at a desk, pull out my computer and do some work. I was hoping to go onto the internet unfortunately I need a library card t and currently I do not have one so I sit and play bubble breaker on my phone.

As I look around I notice two ladies at a table next to me working on a project that looks like it is meant for their children. They are hard at work painting, gluing, scraping, coloring, etc to make it look decent. Whatever they are building looks like a scene of Native Americans. (Maybe in time for Thanksgiving). They had fake trees, Indian figurines and fake grass, etc.

As I sit here watching them two work a thought comes to me. Is homework really for children or is it for the parents? I’m sure as parents they want their child to do as well as they can in school to ensure that they receive the best education possible. However, does it come to a point where as a parent you do the homework, projects, reports or whatever is needed so that your child gets the best grades possible?

When I was a child my parents did help me do my homework when needed but I remember most of the time it was myself figuring out the math problem, writing the book report, looking in an encyclopedia for answers. My parents had a way of helping me with homework. They made sure that they didn’t give me the answer right away but made sure I knew the process in getting to that answer. (This came less and less especially when I got into Algebra and other subjects past grade school. Hahahaha)

Shouldn’t homework be about teaching the student not the parent? If the children don’t succeed through the homework how is the child going to learn?

At the end the kids whom I’m assuming that the project belongs to eventually came around and it turns out they were playing and running (or as my parents would like to say – gallivanting) around the library.

Call on Me

Last night I went out with Brian, David (or Navid - whatever he goes by), Bobby and Olaf. Anyhow we were at Eleven and all of us were on the patio. While we were out on the patio the song - "Call on Me" by Eric Prydz starts playing. I mention to Bobby that I thought that this music video was funny. He actually knew the music video.

Anyhow, so it's Saturday night and I was playing with youtube and came across it. It's too funny not to post. Check it out!

To the boys - let's hang out again soon. I hear Brian calling out Beer Bust. Shall we?

Watch for Flying Debris

I had a hard time getting up for work this morning after a night hanging out with Brian, Navid, Olaf and Bobby. It was fun but I had a hard time getting up especially since I had a good amount of alcohol to drink. Well that and I didn't get home until about 1:30 a.m.

I had my alarm set for 4 a.m. however I didn't get up until much later granted I only had like 3 hours of sleep. I actually was at work an hour late but it's what happened on the way to work that freaked me out.

I was driving on the 110 freeway towards Long Beach. As I was driving I was coming up on the 105 and I see the car in front of me roll over something and it looked like somebody's bumper or a huge piece of metal. The car rolls over it and it comes flying at me. It lands in front of my car and I drive over it.

I was so freaked. I pulled over and check everything out but there wasn't much I could check out especially on the freeway. I kind of just stayed where I was for a good 20 minutes. Not sure what I should do - stay and figure out to do or just go straight to work.

I ended up going straight to work. At times there were awkward noises from the car especially when I would veer a little to the right or make a right turn. When I finally arrived at work and parked I took a peek under the car to see if there was any damage. I do see some marks and notice my front passenger tire is deflating. I decided to call for road side assistance.

I had him change the tire and check for damage. Turns I drove over damaged the tire and bent the rim. I find a place in Carson to check out the tires. It turns out to be even worse. In addition to the front passenger right tire being damaged and the rear passenger right was also damaged. Along that my aligned went off. Luckily, they were able to fix everything.

What a weird day? Don't you agree. Well it didn't stop there. I was on my way home and made the transition from the 110 freeway to the 10 freeway. Guess what's in the middle of the frikkin freeway. A pink couch.

I didn't hit it but I think I'm going to be staying off the road for the rest of the day. I don't think I was meant to be driving today.

Back to Schedule

Now that I am back and running since I am injury free I am also back to hitting the gym and hitting the weights. I have not touched a weight at all during the summer and in my first workouts I am obviously weaker. So it'll have to be lighter weights until I get back to where I was before all the injuries. Anyone want to hit up the gym with me? Let's go!

Really? Diego?

I had a pretty busy day today. Had to drop Andrew off at the airport, go onto a conference call and do two recruitment meetings. It's a lot. However I did get a good laugh today. I was making reminder phone calls for tomorrow and one of my co-workers come by with a cut out of Diego and was like - "Look, It's You!!!"


Do I really look like Diego? Could be a Halloween Costume for this year. Check out the pictures of me and Diego and you tell me if I do.

Dedicated to Andrew . . .

hahahaahaha . . .

Off and Running

For those of you who didn't know I have taken 3 weeks off from running due to injury and illness. This week has been the first time I have been able to run. The first couple runs were good. It felt good to be pounding the pavement. Today was my first actual long run. My last long run was 15 miles. I was going to attempt to do 10 miles. Unfortunately that didn't happen. I was able to do 8.4 miles. Not a bad start but still a ways to go until getting my legs and body back into shape for the marathon in December. Send me good thoughts!!!

Here's What I'm Jammin to This Week

Play on Names - Part 2

I wanted to share with you another story. If you read the last post about Buster Hymen well I have another one but this one happened to Trevor. Actually, what happened to me on Friday made me think of what happened to Trevor.

Trevor was at In n Out waiting for his order. At In n Out when your order is ready they call your name.

An order was ready and they were calling out SHADY NASTY. They say it a couple times - Order for Shady Nasty. Order for Shady Nasty. No one responds and they call it one more time. Order for Shady Nasty.

A woman finally walks up to pick up her order and says - It's Sha-Dynasty (Shah-Die-Nys-Tee) picks up her order and walks off.

Play on Names

On Friday I was doing reminder phone calls for my meetings on Saturday. As I was going down the list I come across BUSTER HYMEN. Okay so I see this name and I'm like this is a fake. Buster Hymen - Bust Her Hymen. Although I don't get too many fake names on my reservation list to my meetings but it can happen.

I decide to call to see if this person was real. One number was an 866 number and the other was an area code that I have not seen before. So obviously my suspicion for this being a fake is heightened. I call both numbers and they were both hotlines for doing your own business or having an at-home business. So I hung up.

Approximately 45 minutes passes and my phone rings. I pick up and someone asks did someone call inquiring about starting your own business. I respond to saying No. I was doing reminder calls for my meeting tomorrow and your number was listed for Buster Hymen. I apologize but someone is playing a prank.

The person responds actually Buster Hymen is my manager in the Calabasas area.

OH SH#T BUSTER HYMEN is a real person!!!

Magkaugnay

Congratulations to Kayamanan ng Lahi for a great show this past Saturday at the Ford Amphitheatre.

For anyone who is interested in Philippine Folk Dance this is a great group to join. For more information visit http://www.kayamanan.org/. I used to dance for them.

The Day After

Yesterday I had my teeth whitened and afterwards my teeth were really sore. There was a weird pain but it's the day after the pain is gone. Except when I eat. I need to be careful what I eat so that there is no pain and that my teeth don't stain again. So that means no coffee, tea, ketchup, soy sauce, etc. etc. There was a whole list. Water and Crackers it is. hahaha.

A Brighter, Whiter Day

Tomorrow I have a teeth whitening appointment. I have been wanting to do this forever. Ever since I was young I was always made fun of my teeth especially the color. Now I get a chance to get them nice and white. I'll be doing the Zoom! procedure at my dentist and will have trays done for upkeep. Woohoo! I do it tomorrow afternoon and hopefully it will turn out well. I took a before picture and I will take an after picture to post on the blog after it's done. I'm so excited. I'll keep all of you posted.

A Must Read

Check It Out . . .

http://dailykos.com/story/2008/9/4/105623/5197/586/586233

Trippin

Today was one of the few days I go to lunch by myself. My counterpart Juliana is in Philadelphia on vacation so it was just me. On my way to the City National Plaza Foodcourt a lady trips on a piece of concrete that was raised a little bit next to tree.

What I thought was funny was that she looked at her male friend (not sure if it is her husband, friend, boyfriend, or whatever - however I do think it is her husband or boyfriend) and gave him this mean stare like it was his fault.

Next time she needs to watch where she's going because if she does the same thing and blame it on the guy she is with - She's Trippin!!!

3-D

This past weekend was the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon. I was there of course supporting my team. Everything went well and it looks like everybody finished.

With all the events ending around noon I spent the rest of my day and the Happiest Place on Earth - Disneyland!

One part of the day Trevor and I went to go see the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience Attraction. As I was walking into the theatre I was reminiscing about what used to be there - Captain E-O. That was one of my favorite shows. I kind of wish it was back at Disneyland. Enjoy the vids below.

And We're Back!!!

For some weird reason Blogger decide to disable my blog saying that it is a spam blog. Weird - Wonder's what's on my blog that would make them think it was. Oh well. Now it's back. Whew!

Show Me What You Got

Foccacia . . . Fascitis....I Got a Foot Problem

As many of you know that I am training for the Las Vegas Marathon in December. This past Saturday I was scheduled to run 16 miles. I did the usual pre-run prep that I do -

Have breakfast which consist of a slice of cinnamon raisin toast with extra crunchy peanut butter.

Drink Water.

Take Two Advil.

Drive to Training.

Take a Gel (mainly Tri-Berry or Strawberry Banana Gu).

I did all this and was prepared for the long mileage. Before the run I noticed a feeling in my right heel. I attempted to run but then I felt a pain in the heel of my foot so I ended up stopping. I didn't want to risk anything by having whatever I had get worse by running 16 miles.

I asked my Coach what it could be. He said it was mental which isn't an answer I was going to accept. That day I had a positive outlook for that run prior to feeling the pain in my foot so it wasn't mental.

I went home, rested, and iced my foot. I figure I should do this to make the situation better and try it again on Sunday.

Well Sunday came and did the whole regimen again and attempted to run. Same thing happened. So I stopped running again.

On Monday I decided to go to the doctor and see what was happening. He examined me and thinks I am developing Plantar Fascitis.

According to WebMD Plantar fasciitis (say "PLAN-ter fash-ee-EYE-tus") is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed). Then your heel or the bottom of your foot hurts when you stand or walk.

They list a bunch of causes but one that is obvious of what happened is:You walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces.

So as of right now I need to rest my foot and stop running. I swear if it's one thing it's not another. I really hope that this doesn't affect my marathon training. I've done so much to reach the point to where I am. Send me good thoughts and hopefully I'll be crossing the finish line of my marathon race.

4 Miler

Who's up for a 4 mile run today?

In Memory of Pamela Rudin

Many people come into your life and touch you in a different way. Being the Director for Train to End Stroke many do. It’s a gratifying job seeing people doing great things for other people by raising funds for the Stroke Association but also seeing the changes physically by completing a full or half marathon.

Majority of the people doing the program are people who have never done a marathon before but just want to get into shape. Others are doing it because they want to honor a loved one who has been affected by stroke. Then we get the special ones as I like to call it who have been affected by stroke themselves. We give them the title of Stroke Hero.

Pamela Rudin was one of these heros. Pamela came to me in August of 2004 to train for her first marathon in Honolulu. Having aphasia it was hard for her to communicate and carry a conversation which probably made her a bit shy coming to a group like Train to End Stroke. However with her involvement I saw her warming up and even becoming friends with other participants. You knew with her bright smile and laughter that she was having the time of her life at training and at the marathon events.

Pamela didn't stop at just one marathon in Honolulu. Last time I checked she has done Train to End Stroke 6 times raising over $14,000. What would motivate Pamela to do this. Pamela is a stroke hero. She had her stroke as a baby. From a baby to adulthood I am sure she had to go through many obstacles and she wanted to make Train to End Stroke another obstacle that she would overcome.

There was one obstacle that she couldn’t win. Pam had been diagnosed for melanoma for 10 years and doctors recently discovered she had two inoperable brain tumors. For the past month or so, she was undergoing radiation and treatment. Unfortunately she passed away on Thursday of last week.

This news of Pamela's passing has saddened me. She was a great inspiration to myself and to many that had the honor of being on the same team as her.

I have decided to dedicate the marathon I am doing in Las Vegas to Pamela Rudin. It is the least I can do as she has done so much for the American Stroke Association.

Support me by making a donation in her honor. If you would like to make a donation click the link on the side bar.

This Weeks Jamz

What I'm jammin to right now . . .

The Greatest

We have now completed one week of the Olympics with one one more week to go. Many of you just as I was have been glued to the TV watching the different sports. Of course the most watched is swimming dominating the coverage. Why? To see if Michael Phelps can set a record of getting 8 gold medals. He did it. Congratulations to him and to all of the Americans who competed this week.

P.S. Why wasn't tennis as heavily televised? Dangit. For those of you who know me - I'm a Tennis junkie. Oh well. Special shout out to Venus & Serena for winning Gold in the women's doubles and the Bryan Bros. for winning Bronze.

Ice Pantabulous!

Frozen Desserts have skyrocketed in popularity especially with Pink Berry and Pinky Berry wannabes. There's the new place called Ice Pan at the West Hollywood Gateway where Target, Best Buy and other stores are located. Trevor and I first discovered this place a couple weeks ago after dinner at Rockin Sushi. To order you need to pick out the flavor, then the type of milk, and the topping you would like.

Once you have ordered is where the fun begins. They make up their special concoction in a cup and pour it over this pan. As soon as it freezes the worker folds it and hits it and continues. It is quite a physical undertaking for him or her. It could be a good way to get your aggressions out if you're mad. haha.

They work on the ice cream for a good 5 minutes until it is the consistency of ice cream.

With my first bite I was surprised how good it was. I skeptical at first but it is really good ice cream. They claim for it to be healthy as well.

If you're in the area I suggest you try it.

My favorite - Strawberry Ice Cream made out of Low Fat Milk with Bananas.

Tonight we did the same thing however I was too full from dinner to get any but Trevor got the flavor above. However, they were working on a sample flavor and we are able to taste it. The flavor is - Cucumber.

I know it sounds gross but it was actually good. It's a flavor I could see being served at spas. It was really refreshing but then again I couldn't take another bite. Not sure if the flavor would be popular but if they do happen to have I'm sure I'll have it.

If any of you want to head out to Ice Pan let me know and I'm sure myself or Trevor would accompany you.

Found

Found the ipod. Whew! It was under my seat in my car. Unfortunately I got a parking ticket because my meter ran out in West Hollywood. Argh! I swear I was only a minute off. If it's not one thing it's another.

Where Are They?

I can't find my ipod. I left my house key inside my apartment. Where is my head today? Argh!

Don't Drink and Run

My training for the Las Vegas Marathon in December is well under way. This past Saturday I ran 14 miles with my team in Long Beach. It was a great run and most of it was along the beach. I also ran into my friend Brian who ran about a mile with me. He was doing 19 miles that day.

Today was a maintenance run of 3 miles. Before the run I drank a whole can of Diet Coke. Bad mistake! I kind of felt gassy and full the whole run. This also made this run a lot slower.

At least I am learning this now and not at the race. No more Diet Coke before running - just water & gatorade.

Philippines Takes the Title Back

The Hip Hop World Championships were held in Las Vegas this year and the Philippines All-Stars took Gold, Eclectik from Trinidad & Tobago took silver and Kaba Modern from the U.S. took Bronze. Congratulations! Holla!

St. Louis Steel

Here's a sign that I thought that was funny when I visited Trevor in St. Louis last year. Must be a lot of upright steel structures in St. Louis