The Garage sale

This is like our fourth post for this month! Wow! You can see just how much we are making the most of our time here this summer *lol* don’t get use to this though : ) soon it will be winter and we’ll never know, you may not hear from us again haha, at least for a while til the next summer *LOL!*. Unless you really really like freezing-cold weather, winter is no fun at all, except the first day of snow… it’s so white and breathtaking, but that’s about it. It’s sooo cold! and can’t hardly do much! Is all I have to say. So summer time here is just precious! : )

Anywayz, a friend of ours and her family are moving to New Jersey by the end of this month, her husband’s job got moved there, and have asked us if they can do a garage sale at our place. They needed to get rid of some of their stuff, mostly kids stuff, like clothes and toys, and they are still in very good condition plus few house stuff, so why not put it up for a garage sale, right? This was our second time to do it this year. The first was kind of a rush and so we were less prepared and organized, just because of all the other stuff that was going on that same week, but it was still a success nonetheless. So this time we tried to do it better… and I think we did better! : )

Here we are, Olga and I, putting out and setting stuff for the sale and posing for pictures, of course! hahaha and waiting for costumers to come :)

It was a little chilly that morning so we have our sweaters on : ) but it did get warmer as the day goes on... it was actually a beautiful day for a garage sale.

Then later that day her kids joined us, together with Olga’s parents. Her kids are just adorable (Amber, Billy and Alex), we always have fun having them over. We’re going to miss them! :(

Here are some pictures with customers. We were very discreet in taking their pictures so as not to scare them away hahaha!

…and a little video clip that we didn’t know was being shot by my dear warren and we’re like posing for what we thought was a shot for a picture hahaha!

And so it goes… our last garage sale. We will surely miss them especially for not seeing them at church every week :( but we’ll keep in touch! And looking at the bright side at least now we have someone to visit whenever we go to New Jersey :)

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!

Ooops, so sorry about the shout : ) I can’t think of anymore appropriate title for this post but that, and you’ll find out why after reading this post *lol*.

Who would have thought that I, Marilyn, would blog about or write about the American idol? Never in a million years, right?! Sure, I’ve watched this show since the beginning but to write about it? No way… or so I thought… until this season haha. So what makes this season so special that the likes of me would blog about it or even go crazy about it? To be honest, I don’t really have a solid explanation, but that I know I like all ten of them! This is the first season that I can actually name and remember all ten of them even a few months later *lol* and even interested in knowing how each and everyone of them is doing. In the past, once they got eliminated I would completely forget all about them except for the top two or three or whoever is my favorite that season. They are just so diverse and talented and unique and special in their own way that all ten of them together just clicked and they seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. You just can’t drop any of them out of the group, at least that’s what I feel, and my favorites did not even win the title “American Idol”! You just can’t help but wish all ten of them, great careers and good life ahead of them!

The audition part I watched on and off just because I have other shows that I was watching at that time which was aired at the same time as the American Idol, plus the audition part does not really interest me that much, so I would switch channels whenever one of them was on commercial but I would mostly missed the American Idol : ) until the top 24. That’s when I started to watch the show fully and picked my favorites… yes, there’re more than one of them haha. I like David Archuleta a lot right away when I heard him sing ‘Shop Around’ he’s just so infectious and impressive! Aside from the fact that he was amazing singing that song but also because there is this bright-sunshiny-innocent aura about him, he seem to be a very genuinely nice and happy kid. I also took noticed of Jason Castro, Danny Noriega, Michael Johns, and Brooke White on the first week of the top 24. Jason being his unique self with his dreadlock hair and very good and unique voice it’s just refreshing to see the likes of him on the show, I perceived him as one of those talents that don’t want anything to do with American idol and its cliché-ness (I know i’m making up words here hahaha) and to see him on the show is just great. Now Danny’s audition was one of the few I happen to see – from all that channel switching : ) – and I was totally impressed by him and rooted him since, I was sadden that he didn’t make it to the top 12 though. Michael was my pick among all the rockers in the top 24 :) ok, this is just probably me, but I feel like to be a rock star you need to give this full-of-yourself-self-assured-smugness-attitude vibe, and I see less of that in Michael among the group’s rockers and yet I still see him as one, a rocker that is – equipped with good personality, that’s why I like him. Brooke, I just see her as this ultra bright sunshiny person with a very good voice that you can’t help but like – a lot! But my top favorite was Ramiele Malubay, too bad I didn’t get to meet her in person :( that’s ok though. She was really really good in the first week and even until the week she got eliminated, I think. It’s just that each week the sparks and glow that you see on her the first week of the top 24, slowly died down each week for some reason. If I get my recollection right, I might have shed some tears when she was eliminated, I think. What can I say?! I’m a very affectionate person! LOL!

So then, my top favorite quickly shifted to David Archuleta. Whose isn’t? Every week he’ll just blew me away with his amazing voice and great personality especially in the finals, chills and goose bumps all over! He is simply amazing! But like I said, I like them all, only in different levels I would say. David Cook won me over when he sang “Billy Jeans”, Chikezie did not gave me a chance to really like him much because he went too soon but I think he’s a good person, Kristy I have to say is a very gorgeous lady more so in person and I see her as being a good sport from all that bashing from the judges, she kept her cool, and i think that’s great, it’s just that country is not my thing : ) And Syesha, don’t tell this to anybody, ok? Especially with the cookies and the word nerds… I secretly wished her to be in the top two with David Archuleta, ssshhh! : ) during the top 3 week, she’s got an amazing voice although somehow that over shadowed by.. I don’t know I’m still having a hard time putting in words what it was that is missing with her but nonetheless, her voice is just amazing. And Carly too has this amazing voice, in a rocker sort of way, which is really good, but it just felt like she’s a little bit shouty and angry at times. Lastly, I wanted to make a special mention to, only because she is warren’s favorite idol finalist this season, Amanda Obermyer, I’ve never seen warren voted for any of the idol finalist before until she came a long, it sadden him that she didn’t make it to the top 10 to be on tour though, and he still feel very disappointed about it :( and continuously wished until the day that she would miraculously appear in the American idol concert when we watched it here in Albany : ).

Because of all that, we ended up buying tickets to the American idol concert, which was last August 6, 2008 here at the Times Union Center in Albany, which happens to be walking distance away from where I worked, which brings me to my next American idol story : ). So, we bought the tickets, for Warren and me and for our good friend Roland who is also a fan of the show. Unfortunately though, because of my ignorance, I waited two weeks before buying the tickets (you can only buy tickets online) thinking that I would still get good seats, little did I know, you actually have to buy tickets the minute it opened or all the good seats will no longer be available, I was hoping for a floor front seats :( and so we ended by getting the worst concert seat ever or at least that’s what warren thinks : ) Don’t worry I’m still kicking myself about it. We were all the way to the top… and I mean to the top! Like two rows shy away from the ceiling! It was scary up there, really steep and you have to hold on to your life… if you move… you die! Well, ok I’m exaggerating here but it was really steep and scary. Anyway, enough ranting, what’s done is done and we moved on : )

I know for a fact that the idols does meet and greet before and after the show because I happen to stumble upon blogs and fan sites with stories about the meet and greet with the idols. And it seems like before the show is the best time to go because not many people usually go there and so you get to really meet the idols. Ok, I have to put this disclaimer first, before I discredit myself from the people that know me well hahaha! I have not done or have been this insanely involve before, it’s just that the circumstances and opportunity presented it self and you just can’t help but embrace it LOL!

Did I mentioned that my work place is just walking distance away from the times union center here in downtown Albany where the American idol concert is going to be? Yes, I think I did : ) And so, hesitantly (I hope my boss is not reading this hahaha) after much emails and encouragements from Warren and Roland… the question was to go or not to go… I finally went. And what did it for me is when my good and very supportive hubby said that “it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity” and my good friend roland said “you should go because you might regret and think later what might have happen” to that effect I forgot hahaha. I dragged myself out of our office building and went alone, thinking, I can do this! But I failed myself :( I chickened out… and went back to work… sad. I emailed warren and roland back to tell the sad news… a little disappointed but they encouraged me still… and so that’s when I emailed my other good friend Elizabeth “beth”, who is also working here in downtown Albany in the building across from where my work building, if she’s up for a walk? is my discreet question haha, she already know of my plan for the meet and greet though, and got it right a way, and said sure… which is even better because when she showed up at their building lobby, she brought with her our other good friend (I have lots of good friends here, I’m so blessed!) Rowena “wheng” who is also working in the same building with beth. And to make the story short… we met the idols!!! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Not all of them but still Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh! They’re all very very nice and accommodating especially David Archuleta, I have picture with him and with Brooke! We only got to meet David A., Brooke, Jason, David C, and Kristy. We didn’t have time to wait for the others to come out, they came out one or two at a time, we only took a short break from work and we don’t want our bosses to come looking for us and find us meeting the idols hahaha!

Sorry for the long post but i figured this will be my first and would be last time writing about the american idol and so i just let it all out hahaha... so please bare with me : ) Below are the pictures I took from the meet and greet and pictures and videos in the concert… not very good videos though but something to remember them by : )

my two accomplices : )

I can't believe i have pictures with them!

they're all beautiful in person... : )

this is us having the time of our life... well, me atleast LOL!

Up In The Air

Two years ago I joined the yellow team upon invitation from a friend which saw action in the 2nd Annual Filipino Basketball Tournament in Albany, New York. From then on, this was my 3rd year playing with the yellow team. As year progress by additional team are participating to this event. The tournament in its first year started with only 4 teams originally and grows to 8 teams to this date. It is oversees by an ad-hoc committee that are representatives from each team. Game rules and regulations are in amateur format are discussed and enacted upon by a vote. Player eligibility requirement must be of good moral character and having a Filipino root origin.

Basketball was one of my top favorite sports since childhood. I grew up in a school and community where this sport is being loved at most in the Philippines. It is common to see in school, colleges, universities, offices, public/private parks to have basketball courts even the streets is turn into basketball courts in the absence of recreation facilities. In the provinces alone you can notice there is a portion of farm fields that is turn into basketball courts even the floor is barely concrete or mostly uneven soil. In most schools this is the mainstream sport that is officially recognized as Physical Education class for the boys. If you grew up in the Philippines you will learn to love this game.

I am wholeheartedly proud of my teammates that given their support and as well respect -- this given me fresh look opportunities to play at heart. For this I am gratefully for my yellow teammates. Though I say I am not a top performer but this playing opportunity that my teammates given me was the most sporting events that is memorable to me. Considering that I have not been given this opportunity to play in schools sport festivals with most of the times sitting on bench or have not been selected at all in the team.

My most favorite spot to shoot the ball is in the three point lane perimeter. In this perimeter you will hardly see it is defended if not most, it is near most of the time. When it is not defended it gives me an opportunity to release the ball highly up in the air and hoping most of the time that it goes in the hoop. I would also try to penetrate the inside lane for a rebound but not most of the time. In each game I was able to pull a ball from a rebound though let say a lucky ball that comes to me, steal only once a while. What were most amazing and wonderful were my teammates and audience cheers every time I makes 3-point goal. I have not been able to see them roar during the game but in the after the game video recaps.









Our yellow team had improved to a record of 4-3 win-loss. In our first year we have not win any single game but still we keep on playing at our best. Second year we won twice and lost four games (2-4). We almost had the opportunity to play in the finals this year but we lost to orange team which had younger and stronger men in their roster. Eventually the same orange team becomes the champion. This year only a few of us are the originals some have formed their own while others have opted to rest and we added talented new players in our roster. Next year we hope to play again next year which I have considered a goodwill game. Win or loss it does not matter what matters most is you foster friendship in the game.

bertday!

So I had my hapi bertday last august 1! : ) I got emails, txt msgs, personal greetings and phone calls from love ones which touched my heart deeply *teary eyes* words cannot express how deeply grateful and happy we are (warren and myself) for having such wonderful families and friends – near and a far – always mindful of us through the good times and the bad. Thank you guys from the bottom of our hearts!!

Here is a recap but first let me say that last August 1st was a very eventful day, coincidental? I think not! but of course I’m being biased here hehe. I’d like to think that it’s because it’s my bertday : ) oh come on! I think I’m entitled to be silly atleast once a year! lol

Anywayz, my cousin (crispop) had their first baby on August 1, 2008, how cool was that! And it’s a girl… we are sooo happy for them! Both mommy and the baby are doing very well, by the way. Then there is this astronomical phenomenon a total solar eclipse on August 1, 2008! Although we didn’t get a good view from here but still... on my birthday?! Very exciting indeed! And as if that wasn’t enough, David Archuleta, my “American idol”, debuted his first ever single titled “CRUSH” on August 1, 2008!!! This is beyond awesome!!! (I’ll tell you all about my shamefully admitted craziness about DA – as warren would attest to it *lol* – in another post!). Whew! Tell me if that wasn’t eventful?

Now back to me hehehe it sure was a very happy birthday! I took the afternoon off from work and went out for lunch with my dearest hubby at cheesecake factory. Then we invited our friends over for dinner that night. Warren and myself wanted to show off our culinary skills of course which our friends politely complimented hahaha (little did they now we got a little help from tatay! ssshhhh!) Below are some kewl pictures and video too!

Here is everybody!

a snippet of what went on that day : )