Dermot Mulroney

On behaf of St.Patrick's Day this week, I have chosen Dermot Mulroney - as my next Cock-a-doodle Do!

I truly love him in My Best Friend's Wedding and The Wedding Date.

Also See this uber hot scene from 2005's The Wedding Date by clicking Here

Aidan & Carrie: My Heartbreak.

To this day, watching Season 4 episodes still completely breaks my heart into a million pieces. Even though I know where the fates (aka the writers) have weaved Carrie's love life. It still bothers me that Carrie finds her happily ever after sans Prince Charming.

BIG (John James Preston) is the runner up IMO of Carrie's love interests throughout the show. Although he plays (in my world, Sex and the City can't be referred to in past tense; it'll live on forever! LOL) a Big role in her life, I will forever be a Team Aidan Fan.

Many people are satisfied with Big's "Carrie, You're the One." speel but for me, Pro-Aidan, I have plenty of evidence to the contrary; so here I announce why Carrie's wedded name should be:

Carrie Bradshaw Shaw!

1. Pete approved of Carrie when they first met (hell, he humped her leg!)
2. He held off sleeping with her right away - and surprised her with a bath/candles to show that he really cared about her; "It's only been a week, don't people date anymore?"
   
3. When she wanted her 'space' he gave it to her....when she wanted 'less space,' he said "I have a life, I was just making room for you in it."
4. He refinished her floors
5. When they met at his and Steve's bar, he didn't throw a tantrum; he was civil.
   
6. He took her back after he announced, "You Broke My Heart!!!"
7. He admitted that he was 'tempted' to cheat with the bartender but DIDN'T!
8. He lived with BIG's big part in Carrie's life...even after they had the affair!
   
9. He took our City Shoegal into the country -and out of her comfort zone- he introduced her to new things outside her New York State of Mind....and showed her that a squirrel isn't. "a rat with a cuter outfit!"
   
10. He let BIG come up and stay over at his country house when it was unsafe for him to drive home wasted.
11. He carried Miranda (without taking a sneak peek) when her neck went out and took her to the doctor.
12. He bought her a MAC and a Zip drive so that she could back up her writing
    
13. He suggested becoming her lover-and-landlord
14. He proposed with Pete!
    
15. He tried breaking down 'Carrie's Wall'
16. He -was- just what she needed.
    

^but his Achilles Heel: He forgave, but didn't forget...and would never forget, or trust her.

All About She - In a Nutshell

1. N(ouns) - funny, sarcastic, witty, pretty....good at anything lol, a pure perfectionist, organized, punctual, laid back, down-to-earth, dreamer, writer, reader, lover, fighter...the list goes on.
   
2. U(sually) - in bed on my laptop, with a mug of orange pekoe tea with 3 sugar and evaporated milk with Rocky by my side, watching The Fireplace Channel -- thereafter falling asleep to the crackling of the fire.
   
3. T(elephone, -elevision, elepathy?) - I swear, opposable thumbs were created by evolution primarily for use on a Blackberry (BOO to all you iPhone PING wannabes.) TV - on the tube I love Days of Our Lives, Ellen, Dr.Phil, Tyra, Nancy Grace, History/Discovery/Learning Channel shows, HGTV, CosmoTV, CSI: Miami, Dancing with the Stars, lol and thanks to jet lag from the Philippines in January: Jersey Shore! GTL!! -telepathy? People often say that I 'read their minds' and called when they were about to call, or sent a msg as they were writing it, or asked a question they were about to ask/discuss.
   
4. S(ayings) - " Education is an investment in yourself." "If you're in my past: Goodbye. If you're in my present: Make it worthwhile, but if you're in my future: You Passed the Test." "All is fair in love and war." "Smile, even if it hurts." "If I got a nickel for everytime I was right...I'd be a millionaire!"
   
5. H(obbies) - do these really exist nowadays? Really, I BLOG. Push-button publishing is fast, efficient and the quickest way to exercise my brain and hit the refresh button on my thoughts and get those creative juices flowing.. other than that I've been hibernating from the cold, doing 'online browsing' for this season's fashion finds.
   
6. E(ducation) - @ York University pursuing my Psychology Degree not to become a psychologist, but a teacher. Dr.Phil aroused my interest in the field, and guidance counselling is a branch off of getting a BEd.
   
7. L(ikes) - watching movies and getting popcorn (extra butter, layered please!), window shopping, online browsing, dreaming, planning, having her head in the clouds but feet on the ground.
   
8. L(oves) - eating steak (I'm a carnivore) --or should I say, eating, Period; walking on The Boardwalk -google Toronto's Boardwalk- taking Rocky out for a proper stroll, playfighting with my better half, watching my nieces grow up, Double Chocolaty (sic) Chip Frapp. & Vanilla Bean from Starbucks, Sushi! Audi-s-, LR2, Sex and the City, driving with her sunroof open, music blasted, cruising on the highway...going to Niagara Falls, and finally, My life and those in it.
   

Victoria Says....or should I say Buys

A source close to Posh said: "Victoria does not own hundreds of Hermes bags. She actually has 34."

10 to 1 of My Life: A Teeny Bopper Day

My girls and I used to do these surveys all the time and email them to each other, and make fun of each others' responses...well I lied; they'd make fun of mine. Not necessarily what I said, but how I said it.

Prime example: boxers or briefs?

My answer: No Preference.

^they'd tease that a normal 17yo would answer something along the lines of, " I don't care," or "whatever."

And to this day, to that I say, "Whatevs." - blackberry messenger speak.

TEN HOW'S:
How did you get one of your scars? I tripped over my own feet while attempting to jay walk, resulting in two scars on both my hands, and caps on my two front teeth!
How did you celebrate your last birthday? The night before (as my birthday fell on a Monday) I had my immediate fam, my bf, my bff and her bf come over for my fave chinese (Lam Kee) and three birthday cakes: double chocolate, mocha fudge, and caramilk. In addition, the weekend following, we headed down to Niagara Falls -got a room- ate at the Keg, went to the casino and pigged out some more after midnight.
How are you feeling at this moment? Anxious - have one more course to finish for the year. It's course weight will determine a lot for me.
How did your night go last night? Same as usual, ended off with orange pekoe tea with evaporated milk +3 sugar. I know - sugar is bad. Diabetes runs in my family
How did you do in high school? Better than now - Honour Roll all 4 years, Received Ontario Scholar status
How did you get the shirt you're wearing? It's a brown v-neck Tommy Hilfiger longsleeve tee that my mom and dad got me for Christmas 2008
How often do you see ur best friend? Lately, at least once a week
How much money did you spend last month? What I made is what I spent. Undisclosed amount.
How old do you want to be when you get married? Guessing from our 'set' date, I will be 28
How old will you be at your next birthday? 25. A quarter of a century old.

NINE WHAT'S:
Your mothers name? Evelyn
What did you do last weekend? Watched, "She's Out of My League" and had a bridal shower on Sunday
What is the most important part of your life? My love life - Frank, Rocky and Fam.
What would you rather be doing? Laying on a beach
What did you last cry over? Life.
What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? Seeing Rocky wag his tail at me
What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? That his name is Francesco *Espada
What are you worried about? Life.
What did you have for breakfast? Nothing lol.

EIGHT HAVE YOU’S:
Have you ever liked someone who had a girlfriend/boyfriend? Yes. Frank. But that's all out of the way now lol!
Have you ever had your heartbroken? Yes, see question above.
Have you ever been out of the country? Yes, to the United States and The Philippines
Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? See first question from set 1.
Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend? Who hasn't.
Have you ever had sex on the beach? The drink, yes.
Have you ever dated someone younger than you? Haha, technically Frank IS younger than me - by 7 months
Have you ever read an entire book in one day? Almost - To Kill A Mockingbird - had one or two chapters left.

SEVEN WHO’S:
Who was the last person you saw? My sister Jackie
Who was the last person you texted? Via SMS Text - Kristine, via Blackberry Messenger - Melissa
Who was the last person you hungout with? Mel (and Steve) - we went on a sushi date. Tripod.
Who was the last person to call you? Frank
Who did you last hug? My mom and dad
Who is the last person who texted you? Kristine
Who was the last person you said "i love you" to? Person - Frank. Almost human - Rocky.

SIX WHERE’S:
Where does your best friend live? Pickering, Ontario - just outside the Greater Toronto Area
Where did you last go? ...before work? The Shell Gas station by my house
Where did you last hang out? ...umm, does the cafe inside the movie theatre count as a hang out? lol
Where do you go to school? York University
Where is your favorite place to be? In my bed or in my car.
Where did you sleep last night? First part of the question above.

FIVE DO’S/DOES:
Do you like someone right now? Yes.
Do you think anyone likes you? Duh.
Do you ever wish you were someone else? Sometimes I wish I was myself SOMEWHERE else.
Do you know the muffin man? No, but I'll be sure to ask the gingerbread man if he knows his whereabouts.
Does the future scare you? Yes, because it is so uncertain right now.

FOUR WHY’S:
Why are you best friends with your best friend(s)? Cause she knows me well and can make fun of me without it bothering me
Why did you get a myspace? Null and void.
Why did your parents give you the name you have? I'm named after some American actress...?
Why are you doing this survey? Reliving my child-teenage years.

THREE IF’S:
If you could have one super power what would it be?? To twinkle my nose and get whatever I want like 'I Dream of Jeannie'
If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? YES. DEFINITELY
If u were stranded on a deserted island & could bring 1 thing what would you bring? A survival kit

TWO WOULD-YOU-EVER’S:
Would you ever get back together with any of your ex’s if they asked you? NO WAY.
Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? No need to ask me more than once.

ONE LAST QUESTION
Are you happy with your life right now? I'm grateful for what I have, and am happy with parts of it, but there's always room for improvement.

Whipped C.r.e.a.m.

Whenever I get something to drink like a hot chocolate or double chocolaty chip frap from Starbucks, I indulge myself with whipped cream - all dieters aghast!

I like light airy-ness of whipped cream and how it tops off everything (raspberries, pies, cookies) quite well; with or without a cherry.

I've come to realized that I love whipped cream. And add to that, c.r.e.a.m.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me.

A simple statement that holds more truth than even I could realize, and here's why

1. cash flow is - and has been dictated - by school. Paying and attempting to pay for it myself has eaten up summers' full time work and school year part time hours
2. money is the reason why i'm still stuck in school (whole or in part)
3. I am not in 'debt' per se, but am indebted to family
4. there's no charge for being alive but living costs money
5. my dream job will cost me more money than my undergrad alone
6. money is what puts gas in my car allowing me to go to work to make money
7. cash crunch - fixed vs. variable expenses
8. I've learned what needs and wants are
9. Delayed gratification is a definition of my situation
10. ---knowing that one day all of this will -work- out.

How Money makes me Smile

• when I buy a gift for someone- and it's something that they really like
• when I can treat a well-deserved person out to a meal
• when I can say 'it's on me' and not 'on him' for once
• when I can get Rocky a new toy and have him so excited that I can't differentiate which is wiggling more, his tail or his butt.
• when I can owe what's due to my sister
• when I can buy something for myself knowing its a good deal, saving money as I spend it
• when happiness comes from not worring about money.

Lacy Liu

Romanticism is back and blush, ecru and ivory lace are here to seduce the senses. Waiting for your Prince Charming to come along and drown you with his chivalry, lace yourself in lace and maybe he'll come along.

Polkaroo or Polkadots?

I've liked polkadots ever since I was little because my mother would wear them for New Year's Eve as they are 'good luck.'

Polka dots are making their rounds this season and I am ever so delighted, because I only have one polka dot article in my closet. So I'm eager to add more items! Especially that the bigger dots are on the scene.

I'm gonna be a living Polkaroo. For those not yet alive during Polkaroo - and Polka dot door - GOOGLE it.

Khaki, Jeans and Cognac O My

I will forever be emulating this outfit this season, as many of my articles fit one of the three categories

1. khaki
2. jean
3. cognac (leather)

The combinations are endless. I love the look; how effortless it is and how it's a fabulous combination of all-of-the-above with pieces that are versatile and can be worn season after season. Many of my khaki, jean articles are YEARS old. and by YEARS I mean PRE 2003-4!

That's why you gotta be savvy and know whats a keeper when doing your spring cleaning!

Black and White: Yin and Yang

Back to the basics, black and white are the Yin and Yang of fashion. Colours that never 'go out of style' -when paired together, they become a super duo of a clothing statement. You can never go wrong when having a black-and-white outfit, cause they balance each other perfectly. Using different textures when dressing up as Yin and Yang, will further add UMPH to your outfit.

Neutral Earth Tones

Neutral earth tones are what's good for this spring/summer. So bring out your brushed khaki, embellished ivory, and textured taupe ensembles.

A lighter look for the season - these tones can be paired with pastels or cognac leathers to either further soften or redefine/harden the look.

Who Wears Short Shorts

I honestly can't wait til I can bring my shorts out from my dresser and get some (more) sun on my stems!

Plus that I've been dying to wear heels and strut around in my many barely worn shoes; shorts can be dressed up or down.

I have different pairs for different outfits and weather permitting, I'm going to be starting a What's She's Wearing portion, where I'll take a pic of outfits that I wear (probably not daily though)

Less is More

Small bags are making their way back into hands or shoulders via sling bags as less is more this season. Despite the trend of seasons past for hobos, I kept my beloved small bags for those days where I didn't feel like lugging my whole life on my shoulders.

Right now I've been happily trotting around with my white Guess faux snakeskin boat bag. It's a handbag that come with a shoulder strap. I love it's zebra interior lining; an oldie but a goodie

The Carrie Diaries Sneak Peek - EXCERPT

As I mentioned previously, Candace Bushnell is releasing a book giving us a glimpse of Pre-Twenty-Something Carrie (high school) in The Carrie Diaries.

Here is an excerpt.

They say a lot can happen in a summer.
Or not.

It's the first day of senior year, and as far as I can tell, I'm exactly the same as I was last year.And so is my best friend, Lali.

"Don't forget, Bradley, we have to get boyfriends this year," she says, starting the engine of the red pickup truck she inherited from one of her older brothers.

"Crap."

We were supposed to get boyfriends last year and we didn't.

I open the door and scoot in, sliding the letter into my biology book, where, I figure, it can do no more harm. "Can't we give this whole boyfriend thing a rest? We already know all the boys in our school. And—"

"Actually, we don't," Lali says as she slides the gear stick into reverse, glancing over her shoulder.

Of all my friends, Lali is the best driver. Her father is a cop and insisted she learn to drive when she was twelve, in case of an emergency.

"I hear there's a new kid," she says.

"So?"

The last new kid who came to our school turned out to be a stoner who never changed his overalls."

Jen P says he's cute. Really cute.""Uh-huh." Jen P was the head of Leif Garrett's fan club in sixth grade.

"If he actually is cute, Donna LaDonna will get him."

"He has a weird name," Lali says. "Sebastian something. Sebastian Little?""Sebastian Kydd?"

I gasp.

"That's it," she says, pulling into the parking lot of the high school. She looks at me suspiciously.

"Do you know him?"I hesitate, my fingers grasping the door handle. My heart pounds in my throat; if I open my mouth, I'm afraid it will jump out. I shake my head.

We're through the main door of the high school when Lali spots my boots. They're white patent leather and there's a crack on one of the toes, but they're genuine go-go boots from the early seventies. I figure the boots have had a much more interesting life than I have.

"Bradley," she says, eyeing the boots with disdain. "As your best friend, I cannot allow you to wear those boots on the first day of senior year.

"Too late," I say gaily. "Besides, someone's got to shake things up around here."

"Don't go changing."

Lali makes her hand into a gun shape, kisses the tip of her finger, and points it at me before heading for her locker.

"Good luck, Angel," I say. Changing. Ha. Not much chance of that. Not after the letter.

Dear Ms. Bradshaw, it read. Thank you for your application to the New School's Advanced Summer Writing Seminar. While your stories show promise and imagination, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place in the program at this time.

I got the letter last Tuesday. I reread it about fifteen times, just to be sure, and then I had to lie down.

Not that I think I'm so talented or anything, but for once in my life, I was hoping I was.

I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't even tell anyone I'd applied, including my father. He went to Brown and expects me to go there, too. He thinks I'd make a good scientist. And if I can't hack molecular structures, I can always go into biology and study bugs.

I'm halfway down the hall when I spot Cynthia Viande and Tommy Brewster, Castlebury's golden Pod couple. Tommy isn't too bright, but he is the center on the basketball team. Cynthia, on the other hand, is senior class president, head of the prom committee, an outstanding member of National Honor Society, and got all the Girl Scout badges by the time she was ten.

She and Tommy have been dating for three years. I try not to give them much thought, but alphabetically, my last name comes right before Tommy's, so I'm stuck with the locker next to his and stuck sitting next to him in assembly, and therefore basically stuck seeing him—and Cynthia—every day.

"And don't make those goofy faces during assembly," Cynthia scolds. "This is a very important day for me. And don't forget about Daddy's dinner on Saturday."

"What about my party?" Tommy protests."You can have the party on Friday night," Cynthia snaps.

There could be an actual person inside of Cynthia, but if there is, I've never seen it. I swing open my locker.

Cynthia suddenly looks up and spots me. Tommy gives me a blank stare, as if he has no idea who I am, but Cynthia is too well brought up for that.

"Hello, Carrie," she says, like she's thirty years old instead of seventeen.

Changing. It's hard to pull off in this little town.

"Welcome to hell school," a voice behind me says.

It's Walt. He's the boyfriend of one of my other best friends, Maggie. Walt and Maggie have been dating for two years, and the three of us do practically everything together. Which sounds kind of weird, but Walt is like one of the girls.

"Walt," Cynthia says. "You're just the man I want to see."

"If you want me to be on the prom committee, the answer is no."

Cynthia ignores Walt's little joke. "It's about Sebastian Kydd. Is he really coming back to Castlebury?"

Not again. My nerve endings light up like a Christmas tree.

"That's what Doreen says." Walt shrugs as if he couldn't care less. Doreen is Walt's mother and a guidance counselor at Castlebury High. She claims to know everything, and passes all her information on to Walt—the good, the bad, and the completely untrue.

"I heard he was kicked out of private school for dealing drugs," Cynthia says. "I need to know if we're going to have a problem on our hands."

"I have no idea," Walt says, giving her an enormous fake smile. Walt finds Cynthia and Tommy nearly as annoying as I do.

"What kind of drugs?" I ask casually as we walk away."Painkillers?""Like in Valley of the Dolls?" It's my favorite secret book, along with the DSM-III, which is this tiny manual about mental disorders.

"Where the hell do you get painkillers these days?"

"Oh, Carrie, I don't know," Walt says, no longer interested. "His mother?""Not likely."

I try to squeeze the memory of my one-and-only encounter with Sebastian Kydd out of my head but it sneaks in anyway.

I was twelve and starting to go through an awkward stage. I had skinny legs and no chest, two pimples, and frizzy hair. I was also wearing cat's-eye glasses and carrying a dog-eared copy of What About Me? by Mary Gordon Howard. I was obsessed with feminism. My mother was remodeling the Kydds' kitchen, and we'd stopped by their house to check on the project. Suddenly, Sebastian appeared in the door-way. And for no reason, and completely out of the blue, I sputtered,

"Mary Gordon Howard believes that most forms of sexual intercourse can be classified as rape."

For a moment, there was silence. Mrs. Kydd smiled. It was the end of the summer, and her tan was set off by her pink and green shorts in a swirly design. She wore white eye shadow and pink lipstick. My mother always said Mrs. Kydd was considered a great beauty.

"Hopefully you'll feel differently about it once you're married.""Oh, I don't plan to get married. It's a legalized form of prostitution."

"Oh my." Mrs. Kydd laughed, and Sebastian, who had paused on the patio on his way out, said, "I'm taking off."

"Again, Sebastian?" Mrs. Kydd exclaimed with a hint of annoyance. "But the Bradshaws just got here."

Sebastian shrugged. "Going over to Bobby's to play drums.

"I stared after him in silence, my mouth agape. Clearly Mary Gordon Howard had never met a Sebastian Kydd.

It was love at first sight...

In assembly, I take my seat next to Tommy Brewster, who is hitting the kid in front of him with a notebook. A girl in the aisle is asking if anyone has a tampon, while two girls behind me are excitedly whispering about Sebastian Kydd, who seems to become more and more notorious each time his name is mentioned.

"I heard he went to jail—"
"His family lost all their money—"
"No girl has managed to hold on to him for more than three weeks—"

I force Sebastian Kydd out of my thoughts by pretending Cynthia Viande is not a fellow student but a strange species of bird.

Habitat: any stage that will have her.
Plumage: tweed skirt, white shirt with cashmere sweater, sensible shoes, and a string of pearls that is probably real.
She keeps shifting her papers from one arm to the other and tugging down her skirt, so maybe she's a little nervous after all.

I know I would be. I wouldn't want to be, but I would. My hands would be shaking and my voice would come out in a squeak, and afterward, I'd hate myself for not taking control of the situation.

The principal, Mr. Jordan, goes up to the mike and says a bunch of boring stuff about being on time for classes and something about a new system of demerits, and then Ms. Smidgens informs us that the school newspaper, The Nutmeg, is looking for reporters and how there's some earthshaking story about cafeteria food in this week's issue.

And finally, Cynthia walks up to the mike.
"This is the most important year of our lives. We are poised at the edge of a very great precipice. In nine months, our lives will be irreparably altered," she says, like she thinks she's Winston Churchill or something.

I'm half expecting her to add that all we have to fear is fear itself, but instead, she continues: "So this year is all about senior moments. Moments we'll remember forever."

Suddenly Cynthia's expression changes to one of annoyance as everyone's head starts swiveling toward the center of the auditorium.

Donna LaDonna is coming down the aisle. She's dressed like a bride, in a white dress with a deep V, her ample cleavage accentuated by a tiny diamond cross hanging from a delicate platinum chain. Her skin is like alabaster; on one wrist, a constellation of silver bracelets peal like bells when she moves her arm.

The auditorium falls silent.

Cynthia Viande leans into the mike. "Hello, Donna. So glad you could make it."

"Thanks," Donna says, and sits down.
Everyone laughs. Donna nods at Cynthia and gives her a little wave, as if signaling her to continue.

Donna and Cynthia are friends in that weird way that girls are when they belong to the same clique but don't really like each other."

As I was saying," Cynthia begins again, trying to recapture the crowd's attention, "this year is all about senior moments. Moments we'll remember forever."

She points to an AV guy, and the song "The Way We Were" comes over the loudspeaker.

I groan and bury my face in my notebook. I start to giggle along with everyone else, but then I remember the letter and get depressed again.

But every time I feel bad, I try to remind myself about what this little kid said to me once. She was loaded with personality—so ugly she was cute. And you knew she knew it too.

"Carrie?" she asked. "What if I'm a princess on another planet? And no one on this planet knows it?"

That question still kind of blows me away. I mean, isn't it the truth?

Whoever we are here, we might be princesses somewhere else. Or writers. Or scientists. Or presidents. Or whatever the hell we want to be that everyone else says we can't be.


My thoughts:

• Carrie's lack of a relationship in high school is opposite to the series (where she dates X-Files actor David Duchovny -whom in the series is her high school sweetheart that ends up having been self-admitted to a mental institution where he 'finds it peaceful.' Cue the screaming patient being chased after by attendants.
• Carrie's awkwardness and insecurity is captured even in her teens
• Carrie's feminism seems a bit extreme but does detail her follow in her subsequent years as a relationship/sex columnist who questions men, relationships and women's everyday dealings with life in New York as a single woman
• Being single seems to be a theme in the life story of Carrie Bradshaw

I'm intrigued to read on and see if Candace does Carrie any justice. :)

Carrie and the City - Toronto!

Sarah Jessica Parker helped launch the Halston Heritage Collection at The Bay in Toronto today (March 16).
The 44-year-old actress and newly minted president and chief creative officer of the fashion label packed her bags for a trip from NYC to TO for a party at The Room, the new luxury section at the Yonge and Queen location.
SJP is also featured in the classic American label’s new ads — timed to come out just in time for the release of the Sex and the City movie sequel. She also sports some of the clothes in the movie itself.
Speaking of the upcoming SATC flick, Sarah Jessica says filming is “going beautifully.”
“I was really pleased with how the first film turned out,” Carrie Bradshaw’s alter ego said in a recent interview. “I just thought everybody was wonderful and everybody’s work and the important contribution they made was fantastic.”
Talking of the highly anticipated sequel, she added: “This one is going beautifully. Funnily enough, I think everybody, specifically among the cast, wants to be here that much more this time. I feel for some reason, all of us are much closer on the sequel.”
Sex and the City 2 hits theaters on May 28.

Source: FadedYouthBlog

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

For the past little while I've been putting the idea of my dream job on the backburner. I think I've been doing this because at this moment, it seems so far away. It seems that all that I've been working towards, this end goal - this destination - has led me to so many detours that literally, I've lost my way. I've entertained the thoughts of life post-graduation, where I will be and what I can do, and I settled for the fact that this dream job may just remain what it is - a figment of my imagination.

I pushed it away and let it become a skeleton in my closet. But for wherever I go, it's in my face.

I'm not one to give up and throw in the towel, but sometimes I think it's smarter to know when to bow out. Frank tells me otherwise, as do many others, that they can't see me letting it go. For what and for why? Menial issues - so they say? Money. Grades. Acceptances.

I wonder sometimes whether my bottom line is rejection.

Dreading the possibility of opening a letter to have it say," Thank you for your interest in.....but we're sorry... blah blah blah"

I told myself that I would apply - just once - and if all my preparedness (experience) is not suffice, that I would venture elsewhere.

So here I am, March 17th 2010 making a promise to myself to:

Time will Tell. Wish me Well.

Spring has Sprung

Where have you been all of my life? Well not actually 'all of my life' rather the past few months of winter - spring you've arrived!

We just changed our clocks an hour ahead, and come this past Monday, Spring arrived seemingly on-the-dot. As we all zombie-d ourselves to the start of our week, we couldn't deny the sun we were granted with. Now for the past 2 days. Tomorrow is said to be 15 degrees (about 59 degrees fahrenheit for you Americanos)

You can hear the birds chirping, the squirrels in my back yard sit and munch for much longer in my backyard - not to Rocky's liking mind you. I can't describe how good it was to drive to work with my sunroof open! I felt like I was driving on a cloud, hopefully to cloud 9.

For brighter days ahead, both literally and metaphorically, spring - I welcome you!!

Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Full Trailer

No Need for Words

My Vice: Expensive Sushi

On Monday, I started something that I shouldn't have. I bought myself prime-time ($$$) sushi from Makimono, for 'my one week of being 24 birth-week?' -- anyway!

Now I can't kick the habit, and drive from West to East craving this exact dinner to accompany me home.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm craving it again tonight, and the only thing stopping me is, Frank. He's over at my house while I'm at work, nursing our li'l Roc-star to health. He's had a throw up spell, according to my mother, since I've left for work. Frank ate some stuff at home, but I know he'd want something more to snack on, and sushi is out of the question. Grr. You win this time Frank. But it's not over. There's always tomorrow!

Don't Listen to Uncle Joey

Uncle Joey from Full House often said,"Cut it out (with hand signals and everything)". Sometimes I've wanted to take the -path of least resistance- when in fact, that choice would likely end up with me going up a creek with no paddle. One of my favourite posts is, 'Untangling Life's Knots'.

I really need to keep this in mind whenever I feel like cutting it out, giving up or cutting my losses.

Focus

I've heard this from my parentals.

So much so that I've begun to question myself. Is that not what I've been focus-ed on for the past 6 years? Is that not what I've been working towards? It seems like a cheap blow; every little thing that I did revolved around this big apple dream and everywhere I go I see something that reminds me of this 'dream'
I'm slowly going stir crazy thinking about it. How to jump from A to D and whether the Leap of Faith is worth a possible fall. One more year to focus - then the rest will all fall into place.

It has to.

One of the people in this world that knows how to get out from under, and has done so is Kandee. She's a make up artist. Check her blog and you will learn her amazing story and see her posts filled with inspiring words - that come from her experience(s) in life. Frank tells me that there's people in much worse situations, which again I agree... she was an example, but has successfully launched her dreams into reality mode.

Kudos

Little Sweet Nothings

There are times in life that I realize that some of the best things in life are free (kinda). Haha.

I tend to be amused by the littlest, stupidest things, as if I had my 6yo self running around in my head waiting for some modern day equivalent of 'entertainment'

Without my barbie corvette, or rock-picking days at the bluffs, I have some things that do hit the nail on the head.

For all the sweet little nothings that give this girl's sweet tooth a run for its money, here are the things in life that make me want a sugar rush of what life has to offer - or things that simply make me gleeful.

• when I got Poopy Moosey
• when someone holds open a door
• when I fulfill a craving (like sushi)
• when a red light turns green without me having to brake
• when I sip out the leftover whip cream at the end of a nice hot chocolate
• when Frank calls at the exact moment I'm thinking about him
• when I first woke up in Boracay, went out onto the beach and felt the moist sand between my toes
• when Rocky runs towards me after not seeing him for (any length) of time
• when I see my girlies -more often than usual- like last week 3x
• when I hug a person that I haven't seen in 'ages'
• when I put gas in my car and successfully put in an even .00 amount
• when an elevator comes right when I press the button
• when I get in line -for example to pay for something, then look back and see how long the line has become.. (and where I would be if I finished just a second later)
• when I get a strike in bowling
• when I cruise all the way home without having to brake on the highway
• when I tune in just-in-time for a show that I've been dying to see, but completely forgot was on
• when the person at the snackbar of a theatre does my "extra butter, layered" request just right
• when I witness people celebrating momentous events in their lives (engagements, weddings, births, baptisms etc.)
• when I can give a helping hand to someone who really needs it
• when I'm swimming leisurely and not having to roll over and float on my back to prevent from drowning.
• when I have exact change to pay for something and not having to break a bill
• when I can successfully finish a facial and mani/pedi in one night
• when I can go outside without a jacket and prance around lol
• when there is that light, soft snowfall - I love watching it outside my window
• when Rocky cuddles up next to me as I'm on my laptop
• when my nieces greet me when I get home
• when fam jams start off with the hugs and meet n greets lol
• when everything in life can't be any better but is.
  

Time Flies

For my second cookie, I have the following fortune:

Logging onto to Facebook via BB, I see that one of my forever-friends Dani, is celebrating her three years with her bf Stuart. I vividly remember the night Frank called me and told me,"You'll never guess who I talked to on the phone tonight..." Assuming it was some broad from his past, I was instantly disinterested. He insisted that I play a guessing game with him, and so I did. He gave me a clue, which was 'Stuart.' I instantly guessed Danielle.

He told me the story of how it all went down, and I was in utter disbelief that she was back in his life, after being labelled his long-lost-love (be it, we were 19-20 at this time, and this puppy love began way back when in grade 8).

Today, not just with this instance alone, I've come to see just how much time has slipped through my fingers. Thinking back the last few years, so much and so little has happened at the same time. A double-edged sword for me.

But as the fortune points out, memories are great keepsakes.

To all those that I like, love, and enamore myself with throughout the 365 day cycles of our lives, I thank you.

Thank you for the memories. For the good times. For the times that I laughed 'til it hurt. For the times that were simple and sweet. For the good eats. For the dancing. For the drinks. For the late nights. For the early mornings. For the day trips. For the night drives. For the coffee breaks. For the walks on the beach. For the shop-til-you drop fiascos. For the barbecues and summer nights. For each and every day that you made tomorrows worthwhile-waiting-for.

Globe Trotters

According to my blog stats, to date, here are the countries of visitors who have trotted onto my little space in cyber space!

Canada

United States

United Kingdom

Philippines

Albania

Ireland

Greece

Mexico

Bulgaria

France

Norway

Slovakia

Brazil

Peru

Indonesia

Australia

Jamaica

Russia

South Korea

Japan

Jakarta

Germany

Netherlands

Spain

Sweden

Serbia

China

Malaysia

Macedonia

Nepal

India

Poland

Argentina

Venezuela

Singapore

Czech Republic

Thailand

Tel Aviv

Israel

Belgium

Ireland

Italy

Egypt

Let There Be Light

I've decided to create yet another column topic, under the heading," Let There Be Light." One of my favourite idioms is, "Light at the End of the Tunnel."

It's what I've been looking towards whenever I feel like things aren't as peachy as I'd like, not going to Plan, or the complete opposite of what is 'supposed to be.'

This column will have a fortune cookie saying with a blog post as to why I chose it; all 'fortunes' are courtesy of Fortune Cookie Message's Archive.

Although it is 'bad luck' to choose your fortune cookie, to that I say, in life, you are what you make of it. For the days I choose to carry on,
this column topic is for me, (and for you - who sometimes need a little
pick-me-up to keep on going).

This fortune could not be more relevant to me and my situation. I just gotta look at myself as the tortoise, not the hare. Here's to that piece of paper worth so much paper.

Toxic Relationships

Ever have one of those relationships/friendships with people that are nothing but toxic? I've seen 'em, and they wreak havoc on those on the receiving end.



I can never understand how it happens, but only know that it does. Be the cause of love, loneliness, thrill, adventure, something new, something different, something exciting - in the end, the toxicity of the relationship is an attempt to fill a void.



What got me on this topic is that I was just recently contacted by a past toxic waste producer and it hit me. Why - after all these years, is he still saying, "hi."



I will never understand that either.... his end goal, obvious. My response - more than obvious. Some argue other wise.. but nonetheless, there he goes again on my block list. (I cleared my block list because I assumed that such people would give-it-up after X amount of time). I stand corrected.



Toxic people are those who:

1. want but don't give


2. call when they want something, but don't answer your calls


3. are Bad influences - with little regard for what is right, for you.


4. want something from nothing


5. play mind games


6. are your friend one minute, your arch nemesis the next


7. are never really there when you need them most


8. cannot be trusted


9. are likely to be involved in one of your regrets


10. to this day, you will never understand.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today, I have officially been 24 for ONE WEEK. To commemorate this, I am giving MYSELF a birthday present - sushi. I will be having SALMON DELIGHT from Makimono, which comes with Miso Soup and Garden Salad. YUM. I can taste it already as I type this!


A week as a twenty four year old with 24 wishes
Happy Birthday to me!

Spring in My Step

It was marvellously gorgeous outside today. In relation to this post, today's weather definitely put a spring in my step! I miss the sun, the ability to walk outside without a jacket and obviously, Spring weather.

This weekend was definitely needed. It was that extra little push to keep going, cause I have people around me that are nothing but positive.

I finally realized that regardless of my current situation, my birthday is still something to be celebrated..even if 364 days before my birthday make me forget that simple fact. I have my health, and happiness is only a phone call, a friend, or a drive away.

Here's to hoping that showers will one day bring plenty of flowers.

Face off

Growing up with a mother who used to work for Mary Kay, I got a knack for make up quite early. I watched her run in-house sessions, showing women how to properly apply make up, foundation, lip liner, and everything in between.

One of the things I had fun taking from her samples was the Mary Kay facial mask. I like things a li'l messy, and I've always seen the girls on tv with facial masks and cucumbers; so here was my chance to emulate.

The top layer of your skin is actually dead skin (quite gross when you think about it) which the body is working to get rid of. Nature can use a little help, and here's where the facial mask comes in.

It rids your face of impurities and cleans your pores for a refreshed appearance. The mask brings blood circulation to your face as it dries and hardens. After you cleanse your face, moisturizing is key - as your face is now primed to absorb moisture through your opened pores.

Having a stressful day* I thought of how I could have some me-time without eating my feelings....so I decided to do a much needed facial, a basic mani/pedi, and tomorrow, colour.

(I just came to realize that with half as much hair, hair colour is half the expense!! $$$)

Until tomorrow. ZzzZz goodnight.

Caution: Bad Drivers Ahead

Living in the City of Toronto, you're bound to see some messed up things while driving on our roads and 'highways' (freeways for you Americanos). Driving for a good 6 years now, I've seen my share of 'what-the-....' when driving. Rather than tell a chain link story of miscellaneous and random things, I'm gonna take the lazy river way out and list at-random, my pet peeves, and hilarious sights of drivers who somehow passed both the written and on-road tests and have their 'license to drive.'

One would think such a graduated licensing process would filter out those bad apples.

Here I rant:

1. After you've successfully switched lanes, you know that little 'ticking' sound you hear, along with that blinking green arrow to the <>??? THAT'S YOUR SIGNAL! WHICH IS STILL ON AFTER YOU'VE CHANGED LANES!
2. The reason why cars have a 'suspension' is to keep the car, and all of its parts off the road...SO TELL ME WHY YOU ARE DRIVING WITH YOUR MUFFLER DRAGGING BENEATH YOU!
3. Braking on highways is fine if: a car has merged infront of you or traffic is coming to a halt/slow, but please, DO NOT PRESS YOUR BRAKES AT 100+KM/H FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, AND STILL CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH NO CAR OR ANYTHING INFRONT OF YOU FOR 20 METRES!
4. FYI, on a red light, in the right turn lane, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN should it be clear/safe to do so!
5. Set the scene. You're at a red light, with one person infront of you. The light turns green, and you wait a couple of seconds to press the gas... BUT THEN you have to press the brakes because the person infront of you has completely forgotten the existence of both the accelerator AND the speed limit (which is 60, so why are they doing 40) GRRR!!!
6. When at an All Way Stop, the STOP sign means STOP; Not have-everyone-else-stop-as-I-blow-through-the-intersecting-streets.
7. As opposed to item #1, the following offence is the Failure to signal. It is not common courtesy to signal, it is the LAW. For the safety of yourself, your passengers and other drivers of the road - which you do not own - SIGNAL WHEN SWITCHING LANES SO THAT YOU DO NOT CAUSE PEOPLE TO BRAKE, unknowningly how careless a driver you may continue to be while NOW in their lane!
8. Blindspots are not the dried water spots on your windshield, rear window or all windows for a matter of fact, it is the area not visible via use of your mirrors; where other cars in the lanes beside you may be. Please CHECK YOUR BLINDSPOT when changing lanes. If you signal before changing lanes, that gives me a split second to prepare myself should you dart to side swipe me or cut me off entirely.
9. Winter driving idiots. Just because you own a 4X4, an SUV, or a luxury sedan, does not make you invincible when it comes to winter driving conditions. Please don't be a speeding idiot whipping past cautious drivers as we watch you fishtail, slide into a guard rail or roll into a ditch.
10. Another winter pet peeve: TAKE THE SNOW OFF YOUR ROOF. I don't care if you own a truck, an SUV or an elephant....driving with accumulated snow and ice atop your vehicle is careless and idiotic for one, because the entire shelf could fall forward onto your windshield and obstruct your vision just long enough before you get to the wipers, to cause an accident. Second, the material (which it often does) falls toward and off the rear of your vehicle, directly in the path of the vehicle behind you.

END RANT.

Blood pressure rising. TY for reading!

Anchors Away

If you read my last couple of posts, you'd guess that in my life the sky is falling and the ground beneath me is crumbling off the wayside. You'd assume that I'm going through some existential crisis (which in a way I am) and you would wonder why does she still blog, especially about such negative circumstance?

Reason is: him.

No matter how 'crappy' I think things are, or how low I go, or how devastated I am - crying into a pillow, he's there to take me by the shoulders and tells me,"Everything will be OK."

For this reason, I call him my anchor.
Although he resembles nothing of a honking piece of metal, he attains much of the attributes.

1. An anchor stabilizes a boat in rough waters. Anytime that I feel shaky; like the waters are gonna drag me under, he braves those waves with me and doesn't let me get dragged out to sea.
2. A person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; mainstay. He's the shoulder to cry on, the ear to listen, the pinch to wake me up from dazeful dreaming, the airbag upon impact, the walking stick on a steep slope, the hug when that's all you need, the person who's only a phonecall away, the sweet to my sour, the cherry on top, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and to fin, the finder of laughter and a smile amidst the sadness.
3. Military. a key position in defense lines. He always has my back - when it comes to anything. He'll defend me, even when I don't need a defense. He'll be the one to push that red button and launch the attack missiles. He's relentless. He holds grudges, even when I've let them go. He cares more for strikes made against me, than for him (although he takes attacks against me, personally). He's my commander-in-chief.

Whenever I'm feeling down and out for the count, I just fiddle around with
this ring on my finger. Just looking at it, knowing that there's someone there
always in your corner, who will support you through anything. That's stability.
That's him.

Hi There, Little Black Rain Cloud. Go away!

Again, I can't help but sit here and feel like there's a little black rain cloud following me around, on a bright sunny day. I'm a firm believer that thoughts-become-things...but today I really can't shake it. So here I am, another 4 hours left to kill at work, with nothing but a deafening silence of self-reflection. Why is it that I feel like I'm running a race that's already finished? Why do I feel like no matter how many great people I have surrounding me, it doesn't change my circumstance or condition?

They say hang in there. That's all I've been doing for the longest time... My fingers are starting to slip and even though I know I have a safety net of great people, it won't cushion my fall.

Dust yourself off and try again. I've done that more times than I can even count. I feel like a hamster in a churning wheel, where I will run endlessly...and when I stop, and look around, I'll be in the exact spot I was when I started.

Please go away little black rain cloud...I have an amazing weekend ahead of me; maybe I'll just ignore you for the two days, bring an umbrella, and welcome your return when Monday rolls around.

Until then.

Alice Eve - Charlotte's Nanny

Alice, 28, admits to MTV, "I spice things up a bit," adding, "I'm in it to win it. "

She's playing the hot-to-trot nanny of Charlotte and Harry, taking care of the lovely Lily and Rose. I wonder what trouble she's going to stir up....hope it's not what I imagine. Characters like this give us twenty-somethings a label that I would never wear, "homewreckers."

Nonetheless I'm sure she adds some flare to this sequel's plotline and I'm anticipating sitting in that movie chair, with loads of candy and popcorn on my lap, having a great time with my bestie, as we watch our girls on the silver screen, one last time.

Who wants to be a nanny nowadays with all the controversy they've gathered in the celebrity media circles?

I'm a believer of a singular matriarch household.

Psyche-e

According to definition, the word psychic is derived from the Greek word psychikos ("of the mind" or "mental") and refers in part to the human mind or psyche (ex. "psychic turmoil").

Psychology is the study of the soul - the mind.

Relating to my previous post, I've been contemplating about seeing a psychic for the longest time. Tired of hearing the cliche encouraging words of, "You'll be fine.." I'm a seeing-is-believing type of person (except when it comes to religion). I've been in limbo with myself and where my life is headed, so much so that I've come to have the desire to rely on a psychic medium to shed some light on the situation.

Desperate? Maybe. Am I psyching myself out? Possibly. A remedy for my blues? Definitely. Since no one else has definite knowledge of where things are headed for me, finding solace in a reading will give me a renewed sense of self. Which I so desperately need. When I feel like this, nothing can drag me out... I just sleep it off and let my mind create a blank slate for the new day - that is until reality intrudes and drags me from my perch on Cloud 9.

Frank tells me there are people who are going through worse (which is true) but I tell him that I'm the one that has to wake up and look at myself in the mirror everyday. I'm the one that has accountability for everything this day onward.

I used to be one of those people that could not leave the house without makeup (not because I'm vain) but because it was another way to show my confidence - in myself. Nowadays, I've been going to work, looking like a nightmare awoke me from my sleepless slumber.

Hoping that someone's God-given gifts can give me a route to take, because I am ever so lost. Today, I feel like I'm pulled over on the shoulder, hazards on, feeling isolated as everyone whizzes by me.


Stopped at a green light...red lights are all I see, and soon, a psychic right infront of me.

My Lips are Sealed

Ever have those days when you're looking for insight, and shouldn't have said anything at all? Well today is one of those days and I really shouldn't have said a thing. It was like walking through a minefield and all contacts blew up in my face.

Again facing the reality of the situation and seeing that there's more pressure building in this crock pot than I ever imagined. Utterly tired with it all, sometimes I just want to give up and throw in the towel.

Everyone has their down days, but why are mine lasting for years. Fake it 'til you make it, as they say. A smile is what those outside see when everything inside is in chaos. Tired of all the uncertainty. F for EFFort. It's all evident. All so uncertain. All so cumbersome...I'm growing more and more detached from myself and the real reason why I was headed down this path. Obstacles turn to detours and detours to dead end streets. Just when I think that everything is normal, I fall into the rabbit hole all over again.

The more I verbalize my condition, the worse I feel. Rocky knows when I'm in inner turmoil - he lays his head on my arm as I type this.

Waiting to exhale, with my lips sealed.

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Here I am, at work..hungry, and about to eat my pencil erasers. Sometimes I can go without eating here and wait 'til I get home; then there are other days where I want to eat my own arm!

So, to settle my stomach and think of all the wondrous foods that make me go Mmmmmm... her is a Food Guide by She:

• (Mr.Greek) Baked Salmon with rice, vegetables and greek salad. Appetizers: spinach dip and hummus with pita chips
• (Makimono Sushi) Miso Soup, Garden Salad, Shrimp tempura, Black pepper beef, Chicken fried rice, Salmon Teriyaki, Spicy Salmon Roll, California Roll, Avocado & Cucumber Roll, Salmon Sushi AND to top it off, green tea ice cream
• (The Keg Steakhouse) Filet Mignon Classic (which comes with salad, *twice baked potato with sour cream, vegetables) *also recommend their sweet potato fries or garlic mashed potatoes with gravy
• (Mandarin) Plain soft noodles, peppered green beans in sauce, baked salmon, chicken balls with sweet 'n sour sauce, chicken wings, fried rice, roasted chicken, honey garlic pork
• (Swiss Chalet) Half chicken dinner, mashed potato with gravy, caesar salad, perogies -appetizer- with sour cream
• (Montana's Steakhouse) four cheese spinach dip, spiced chicken quesadilla, sweet potato fries, strawberry mandarin salad with salmon and raspberry vinaigrette, herb-roasted rotisserie chicken

To Be Continued...............

Thoughts Become Things: Free the Children

Finishing my degree next year, I will enter the workforce, full-force. I've been pulled left and right by career options that were led by my heart, my mind and my everything. I've been looking for something to commit myself to (that one fateful day) and I think I've found the organization that has pulled my heart strings.

Free the Children is a Toronto-based organization,

"......founded by 12-year-old Craig Kielburger in 1995 when he gathered 11
school friends to begin fighting child labour. Today, Free The Children is the
world's largest network of children helping children through education, with
more than one million young people involved in our programs in 45 countries."

I can only hope.

Sugar & Spice: The Bachelor - On the Wings of Love

If you need to play catch-up with this, the 14th season of The Bachelor because you've been living under a rock, click HERE

Jake Pavelka has chosen Vienna Girardi as his bride-to-be. Much to the groaning of America (Canada included! WOOT WOOT 14 Olympic Gold Medals! -sorry I had to)...he has answered the question to which suits his fancy: sugar or spice.

Sugar: Tenley Molzahn
A former Team Ali cheerleader, I (post-her leaving Jake for Facebook) have become a Team Tenley rooter. As with the last couple of episodes, and looking back to their history, she was my runner up in my list of 'Whom Jake Should Pick.' (Not that I expected him to contact me pre-airdate production and ask my opinion) According to another Bachelor-Bachelorette, Tenley is so sweet she,"farts rainbows!" As if she popped out of my favourite Disney movie Enchanted and jumped onto The Bachelor stage. She even posseses ballet dancer finesse as she whirled around Jake on one of their dates. She wears a permanent smile and is the sunshine on a cloudy day. A definite sweetheart and by far, the sweetest contestant ever to have graced reality tv, she fulfills my sweet tooth, and I too, fell for her -Jake.

Spice: Vienna Girardi
In my opinion, more of a tazmanian devil than Rozlyn (and her 'inappropriate relationship with a staffer' fiasco) Vienna is the epitomy of those girls that you never could get along with in high school. No matter how juvenile it seems, she was able to arouse the tempers and unleash the claws of all the other bachelorettes, except Gia -who became her sidekick through the catfights. Blaming 'brutal honesty' as the source of all the hate-orade, Vienna is the equivalent of half the girls my age that I hate to say represent 2(4) year olds: oblivious, misguided, and simply, immature. Jake himself identified this -immaturity- as a reason for them to 'grow together' but I guess that date jumping off the bridge really cemented their bond. She held together the shaken pilot and he found solice in a steady hand. She is 'naturally sexy,' whatever that means.....*volcano mud-rolling date* and undeniably Jake has returned the passionate fire that she exhibited from the beginning. Her fiery exterior was misunderstood by the other girls, but led to the final rose for Vienna.

In a perfect world, according to the gospel of She:

• Jake would be with Ali* (I still love you Facebook, but you came in the middle of something real- he admitted that she was the FRONTRUNNER)
• Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gossling would love forever and always be re-enacting their kissing scene from The Notebook for the rest of their lives
• Justin would have saved Britney from herself and they would have had their own Mickey Mouse brood
• Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro would live out their marriage 'til death' did them part
• Jon and Kate (Gosselin) would raise their 8 all-through college, through 8 weddings, and who knows how many grandchildren!
• broken hearts would only refer to broken chocolates from Valentine's day.

The reason why we -women- get hooked on shows like this is because:

• all of us have been on that chase for a man's heart, while we wear ours on our sleeve - an honorary badge of hope that 'something could come from nothing'
• we hold our breaths at the end of each episode for our cheer-for girl, always finding that rejection is something universal. Even beauty queens, supermodels, and perfect prime princesses hear No Thanks... once in a while
• women can relate to chasing the unavailable man like waiting for the lavatory sign in the airplane to become vacant
• on shows like this, the seek-and-you-shall-find for love is compressed into weekly bite size portions that are devoid of just the right amount reality to equate our dreamiest of dreams
• we are forced to look at what we have (or don't) and know that if you say No, Thanks that there will be another 25+ women vying for what you have/had.
• we relate to that vulnerable part of ourselves that once let ourselves 'fall' for a 'real connection' that resulted in nothing but a single moment in time -the past.
  
• it can be easier to live vicariously through the exhibition of the sport through reality tv than get your own butt out there in the real world and slay your dragons
• the search for love is an individual journey, that we all must travel alone...to find someone worth pulling over, picking up and going for the long haul.

Things that this season's The Bachelor -on the wings of love- taught me:

1. love is like air....it is everywhere. Someting unseen, but undeniably present, be it for the moment or a glimpse of the future.
2. all is fair in love and war....even if war is between 25 bachelorettes, because selection at every rose ceremony means that if you get a rose, you have an "equal" chance of finding love with X
3. love makes even the most seemingly unconventional, conventional. So much so that it leads to the institution of marriage - a legally and soulfully binding commitment, per se.

• 
  

24 Candles

So...an hour left of my first day as a 24 year old. I lived yesterday (Feb 28) on Philippine time and had dinner with fam, my bf, my bff and her bf -Ron. I got three cakes: double fudge, mocha and caramilk...pics to follow.

Feeling loved is the best present anyone could have on their birthday.

To be continued.