2008------>2009

i'm bidding 2008 good-bye...

• this year i matured about how to deal with everyday life struggles
• i became more faithful to God
• i loved my husband more
• i became a better and more caring nurse
• i reconnected my relationships with my siblings and parents
• i gave more time to my needy friends

overall 2008 was a good year for me......

and now that 2009 is starting to peek-in....wishing all of us a lucky 2009!!!

touching story

So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', ansered a frail, elderly voice. Ic ould hear something being dragged across the floor. Aftera long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nuylon suitecase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase tot he cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'. 'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' 'It's not the shortes way', I answered quickly. 'Oh, I don't mind', she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left', she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long'. I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It wa a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing', I said

'You have to make a living', she answered.

'There are other passengers', I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy', she said.

'Thank you'.

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolved around great mements. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

lakers live

i could not think of a better birthday present for my husband but a lakers tickets.

so with his friends we watched lakers live at staples center last december 10, 2008. lakers was agains phoenix suns (but shaq o'neil was injured that night so we did not see him play!!)

side note:
** on our way to the game....few blocks away from our house, hubby remembered that we forgot the tickets...hay imagine, if we totally forgot...!!! so what can we do but drove back home to get our tickets!!

** as picture mania... i have my pocket camera plus my dslr with my regular and zoom lens!! just to find out that they don't let my zoom lens in because "it's too big" ?what? so i'm left with my regular lens which makes the players look like ants at the pictures!!

at the end...we were all happy because lakers won...!!! galing talaga ng lakers!!!

disappointed

today is "our birthday" this is the middle day between our actual bdays. since we were both off from work, we decided to have a "supposed" to be special dinner.

Location: Barn Burner texas barbeque in pasadena, ca

(we always pass by this restaurant everytime we need to take the 110 freeway. so i told hubby why not try their food here. ay...mistake...)

before heading to the restaurant we already searched their menu online. so we had the idea on what we want to get when we get there...

for starters...garlic fries...this one is really good if you are into garlic flavor

hubby got the baby back ribs and fingerlinks sausage platter with bake beans, mashed potatoes, and 2 dinner rolls

i got the brisket, barbeque chicken platter with macaroni and cheese, corn in a cob and 2 dinner rolls

when they were taking our order, i was so worried that i would not be able to finish my food and ask my hubby if he wants to just share his platter with me, but he refused since according to him he was starving that time. so we both ordered different stuff so just that we can taste the different barbeques they have

we they brought our food...we were surprised how small their servings are.....my hubby's exact words were "nge...eto na yun?"

then to top it off their food was not so good....i could not describe it any better than DRY. good thing we were hungry that time, kaya napag-tyagaan!!

my hubby and i was so disappointed that we decided not to get any desserts anymore...

the big rooster that will welcome you

pose with "mr. texas"

this restaurant will go down in our "will not eat there again" list

sad...

never enough

michael kors

and ofcourse...coach bag

newest member to my collection...thanks to the prayers of faye...my drama to get my hubby to buy me a new purse worked and not only one but two!!! ang saya!!!

because

because we just got this.....

he needed to have this as well....

tods driving shoes

hamilton khaki watch (just because it was matching the color of our car!!)

*** meron pa daw kulang...driving gloves!! too bad they don't have stock at ralph lauren****

this are my christmas gift to him na....cross out na ang pinaka-mahirap regalohan sa list ko!!!

my new wish

(here i am again with the loving the new thing!!)

last year i was begging my husband for a dslr and he gave in to buy me one for christmas. so i did my research and at the end i fell in love with canon rebel xti. but the problem now is during my birthday, we went to the camera shop to buy a wireless remote for my canon and a tripod and during the short stay in the store, i was able to try taking pictures with Nikon D90 and oh my goddness.... I WANT IT!!

(photos copied from nikon)

according to nikon's website :

D90 is "Fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality and a cinematic 24fps D-Movie Mode, the Nikon D90 exceeds the demands of passionate photographers. "

shocking talaga...i really really really want this camera...but this will set me back atleast $1,500.00. so with the go signal with my husband (so just to make me happy daw again this christmas) he will buy it as long as i get my xti sold. aanhin ko naman daw ang dalawang camera and since i will be switching to nikon and all my canon things are not compatible with nikon, i need to sell everything

at the age of 27

spent the whole day with my husband while reading and hearing sweet greetings from everyone i care for. such greetings completed my day!

what did i get:

car payments for 5 years

wireless remote for my canon xti

tripod

750gb external hard drive

what's on his hands....

hubby was holding this when he walked in our door this morning from work!

he got me dozen roses, balloon, teddy bear and pastrami melt bagel for breakfast!!

i was so happy since i was not expecting something from him since he was coming from a duty in the hospital. he even made an excuse of "sorry babes, sarado pa yung red ribbon bakery eh...mamaya nalang kita bibilhan ng cake!!"

thanks babe!!