It's been a looong time

since my last blog. I'm married now! It's been almost 3 months. I've been pretty busy so when I have time to relax, I've just been too tired to write. Jon is still unemployed although now he's been averaging about 1 interview a week which is great! Fingers crossed! I am unemployed as well. Just before the wedding, I got the news that the store I work at was closing. Our last day was the day before Thanksgiving. It was definitely an experience. Customers were acting like it was Christmas and we had the last toy on Earth! There were many that were very rude and inconsiderate of the fact that we were losing our jobs. But there were a few that really made my day and sympathized with us. Thank you kind people. You don't know how much your kind words helped us get through the day and helped keep us thinking positively.

Other than that, what else... We're still living at my in-laws. I had hoped we'd be moving out by the end of the year but now that dream is on hold. Such is life. I've managed to keep pretty positive through it all but now it's getting a little tiring. I just have to keep the faith that GOd has a plan and I just need to trust in it.

When it rains...

Well I found out on Wednesday that our bartender has to bail out for our wedding do to court stuff. At least we know now and not a day before the wedding but it still sucks. Now we're scrambling to find another bartender and who knows what it'll cost. THEN the next day I go into work and find out that Samsonite has filed Chapter 11 and is closing half its stores, ours included.

Man. It sucks but at the same time, I just got to move forward and put my resume out there and not really dwell on it. We have many blessings that will help us right now. I'm glad I was adamant about making sure none of the wedding was put on credit cards other than our rings so we'll have no other wedding payments to make after the big day. We're still at my in-laws so we still have a roof over our heads. Although I was hoping we could move out by the end of this year but next year is okay too. I'm a little scared about the new car payment but as Father Jerry said, don't worry so much over money, you're always going to need more. Just focus on the good and the rest will follow.

I feel like I should be freaking out but I'm not. Am I crazy? Am I sane? I can't tell right now. My boss was expecting me to freak out. I just cracked jokes instead. Maybe when our doors close for the last time I'll feel it. Right now I just focus on the good that we got and push forward. It's the only way to go!

The Wives Club

It's September 1st. Our wedding is right around the corner! The closer it gets, the more I feel like I'm joining this "Wives" Club. An exclusive, elusive club that I finally get to be a part of. I can put in my 2 cents of why a husband's dirty clothes never make it into the hamper, talk about date nights, in-laws, and divorces. I was able to put in my opinion before but there seems to be some kind of acceptance that takes place within my San Jose group of friends when you tie the knot. Like a right of passage. Is it just my group of friends or does this happen everywhere? As I get older, my circle of friends changes.

My crew, my girls that I've known all my life, we're slowly catching up. We were brought up to be career orientated I think so we've been taking longer on jumping onto the marriage bandwagon. Within my San Jose group of friends, I'll be one of the last stragglers to finally get married. They're already married or have been married and have kids. It's kind of surreal when I hang out with them. Sometimes when we're sitting around the fire pit, enjoying our wine, in the midst of making sure their kids are getting ready for bed, I feel like I step out of my body and survey the scene. It's like I'm watching a movie. When did I grow up? When did this happen?

It's only a matter of time till I also jump in on their discussions over schools and babysitters and bedtimes. It's crazy! It's like entering this whole other world. I don't know how else to describe it. It's like that book "The First Wives Club" but before the divorces. We joke around about being the Desperate Housewives but for San Jose. I do wonder sometimes, how far away from the truth is that really? Not that far from the stories I hear. Go figure!

Well here's to the women of the Wives Club! Soon I'll be filling out my own membership card!

Helplessness

I found out last night that one of my best friends tried to kill herself on Monday. What the hell? Why? I don't want to lose her! I wish I could take all her pain for her so that she could be happy again. Is there something I could've said before? Or done? Were there signs years ago that I missed? Is there something I can do now? I feel helpless. I can't physically make her take her meds or watch her 24-7 to make sure she never tries it again. What do I do? I don't know what I would do if I lost her. She's been by my side since I was little. She's my other half.

I pray that now she'll wake up and get the help she needs. I just want her to be happy again. I want us to grow old together, laughing about the old days and how things used to be. It scares me to think I almost lost her and I didn't even know.

What is going on?

It's been a while...

since my last post. :-) I admit it's a combination of busyness and laziness. Haha! Mainly I've been working away and working on what details I can of the wedding. I think I'm stressing out because I feel like I should be doing more. You know, I plan as much as I could in advance so that I don't stress and yet, I still end up stressing out. Go figure! Ha ha! Well I guess it's good I did anyways so that it's minimized my "Bridezilla" moments. So far everyone is still talking to me so I take that as a good sign! :-)

Now onto a tangent...About 7-8 months ago, Jon's car went caput. Well, it still drove but just barely. We've just had it parked out front waiting on what to do with it. Do we fix it? Do we donate it? Then 2 days ago, my boss happened to ask if I heard about the Cash For Clunkers Program. Really? The main trick was that your average MPG had to be 18 or worse and you would use the credit towards a brand new, more efficient car. Originally I brought in my Acura but found out it was too fuel efficient. So I came home a little deflated about not getting a new car but I figured, well it's not like I really needed one. Jon is the one needing one. When the time is right, we will figure it out.

Well Jon at this point was intrigued. SO he did more research and found out HIS car was eligible! SO back to the dealerships we go. We debated so much on whether to do it or not. But in the end, we got $4500 for his junky car where we might've been lucky to get close to $1000 for donating it. Jon has me driving around the new car and he's taken over my Acura. LoL! So now we are proud owners of our first "family" car... a Honda Fit Sport! My future mother in law is already dreaming of the day when we start piling strollers and all that baby goodness into it. Haha!

Now onto another tangent, or rather back to the wedding. LoL! The closer I get to the wedding, the more I feel like I have ADD. Perhaps it was waiting, dormant, waiting to be triggered by the right circumstances! :-) Anyhoo, I can't believe that as I write this, the clock turns to midnight and it's officially August! One month and 19 days and I'll be a married woman! The last few months I've become more emotional. I picture little aspects of the day and I tear up. I read little sentiments in a magazine while I dream up the perfect quote to etch onto our toasting flutes, and I feel the need to grab a tissue.

When did I get so girly?!? This was NOT part of the deal! :-p But I take it all in stride and hope that it's just a phase. After all, I don't want to ruin my new MAC mascara! LoL! I'm not so much scared but just excited and full of wonder of what our joint life will be like? It's an entirely new chapter to my life to be sharing it with someone so intimately. To be with someone that I love and to share everything with him. To be with someone through all the surprises the future may have in store. To let someone in and not have any secrets, not holding back. THis is me, all of me.

And you know what?

I can't wait!

My wedding is killing my social life...

It's sad but true. This wedding planning process has become a second job. I don't know how people do it. I just can't keep my energy up! I love what I'm doing but at the same time, I feel like I'm doing two full time jobs at once! How do you do it? Good news is that all our hard work will pay off in 2 short months! Bad news is I think I'm going to pass out as soon as the reception is over. Ha ha! I've heard this is pretty common tho. Why do we subject ourselves to so much stress?

Because it's our once in a lifetime moment. :-) Every time I think about walking down that aisle and seeing Jon waiting for me, I get goosebumps. Sigh. I never used to be this sentimental... :-)

Movies imitate Real Life

There's a saying, "You just can't make this shit up!"

Sometimes we watch movies and say, "That would never happen in real life." Well, one thing I learned from my short stint in L.A. (or Hell-A as we call it), is that as unbelievable as some things are, some of it is based on some sort of truth. Usually it gets exaggerated so that it's bigger than life on the big screen, but somewhere at some time, something must have happened to the writer.

Case in point...

So I'm on my way to work. Some random guy cuts me off. Okay, whatever. There's always that asshole out there. I brush it off. THEN as I'm about to take my exit, I see this black SUV in reverse coming at me at a high speed! What the?!? He swerves towards my left to get onto the dirt divider. As he does, a little blue car decides at the last minute that he needs to take my exit. The two cars barely miss each other and I freak out because I have midday traffic around me with nowhere to go. I drive a little Acura Integra. If I get hit, my car is toast! Luckily I'm able to pump my brakes to slow down enough to give some room for the blue car to get in front of me.

This kind of stuff I see in movies during car chases! You just can't make this stuff up!

Father's Day

This Father's Day, I was lucky enough to be able to get the day off. Thanks boss! So I made the 45 minute drive up to my hometown to see my dad. I owe him so much! Both him and my mom have helped me out more than I think anyone would have. I could never repay them. They helped me get my life back on track and now I'm looking at going back to school, getting married, and having a family of my own. How do you repay someone for that? No matter how many times I say thank you, it never feels enough.

I have my dad's sense of humor and sarcasm. So you all have him to blame. Ha ha! He gave me my nose. Otherwise I'd have a much flatter "Filipino" nose. :-) He gave me the freedom of choice from a young age which taught me the consequences of my actions and decisions. It also helped me to be more open minded about others. His only rule when it came to guys was to never date a Marine. Ha ha! Strangely enough, it was good advice. At least for me it was. He listened to me in high school during those important teenage years when I had to deal with real-life problems that I never thought I'd have to deal with. He offered my friends help without being intrusive. Although we, as a family, are not overly affectionate, he made sure I knew I was loved.

Yeah we butt heads. We butt heads all the time. My mom says it's because we're so much alike. Ha ha! I think there's some truth to that. But as much as we butt heads, we still love each other. I wouldn't have any other dad. We butt heads because we are our own persons and have our own views. But when we get along, we really get along! Ha ha! When I was little, my mom always called me his shadow because I followed him everywhere. "Where's your shadow? Don't forget your shadow." :-) Sorry Mom, but I hated the grocery store. :-)

SO...how do you thank the man that is half responsible for your coming into the world and has helped you out more times than you can count, even when you probably didn't deserve it?

I decided to make his favorite cookies for Father's Day. My aunt Kevy had given me the recipe at my bridal shower. Now, me and cooking do not get along. I have a long history of botched food. And that's being polite. LoL! Ask anyone that knows me and they'll laugh if you tell them I'm going to cook! I have friends that insist that Jon supervise me when I make Rice Krispies Treats!

BUT...I HAD been doing alright making breakfasts and looking at the recipe, it looked easy enough. I didn't even have to bake them! Perfect! Right?



It's called Holiday Divinity. It's supposed to be light and fluffy, and look like the tippy top of a merangue pie. So here I go!

I started with chopping up the marachino cherries into tiny bits. I love marachino cherries! Did you know that when you chop up 1/3 cup's worth of these yummy cherries your fingers get stained pink? I didn't. I know now!

I also didn't know that corn syrup practically just runs off a huge pile of sugar! So neato!

I have to admit, I actually like seperating the egg white from the egg yolk. This was only my second time doing it. My first time, the yolk didn't break. This time around, the second yolk broke as I dumped it into the other bowl. I was actually disappointed. Ha ha! Just my competitive side coming out I guess.

Stirring away...It was so gooey and syrupy! Cool! Gave me great ideas for pranks too! Must save for later...

Beating egg whites...Little did I know this was to sabotage me later.

Skip forward to mixing it all together...

So I've never seen what these cookies are supposed to look like. Apparently this wasn't it. It's supposed to hold it's shape? Well it's gooey so it's kinda holding it's shape. My dad walks in and asks, "What's that? That's not what your aunt makes."

Sigh. One day I hope I get this cooking thing right. But hey, it's the thought that counts. Right? Right?

Happy Father's Day pop! Now you have yet another Roni-catastrophe to add to your large collection of stories. Love you!

Roni revamps her blog!

Yeah, I found that I can't just blog about the wedding because then I never blog anymore. Ha ha! I checked out my cousin's blog and saw she introduced her familia. Maybe I should do the same? It might be nice to know at least a little bit about who we are too.

So hi, I'm Veronica and I'm a bride to be. "Hello Veronica." Just like a group meeting! Ha ha! My fiance is Jon. We're both 30. Well actually, Jon just turned 31. Hee hee. He's six months older than me. I hit 31 in October. Jon proposed to me at a Battle of the Bay game (baseball: Giants vs. A's) in San Francisco on Friday, June 13, 2008. It was even caught by a random fan and posted on Youtube! We have our own video on there too. Thanks to my girl, Melissa for being the surprise videographer! It was perfect even though the Giants lost. Friday the 13th was always a good day for me and this just proved it! Ha ha!

We met just after Thanksgiving in 2007 and after much back and forth (we were both very busy people! LoL!), we became officially a couple that December. Yes, for those who did the math, we got engaged just over six months after meeting for the first time! I admit, it's crazy but it feels so right. I always heard how you'll just know but didn't think it actually happened that way. But when I met him, I just knew I had to get to know him. Shortly after, it was literally like a bolt of lightening. I knew he was for me. I know it sounds cheesy but it's true!

Jon is basically a computer guy and I'm currently in retail with a vast background in randomness. Ha ha. I started in retail, moved to Los Angeles to try my hand in movie production, moved back and went to my default job...retail. I had plans to move back to Los Angeles but then I met Jon. The rest, as they say, is history. I still love Los Angeles and would love to move back one day but right now, here is where I'm meant to be. I now have interest in becoming an ultrasound technician and am looking into that. Going back to school is a very scary concept for me but for the last few years, I've had this strong urge to go back to school. I've always followed my heart so I think I need to persue this.

I feel like turning 30 is a whole new chapter for me. My priorities have changed and are coming full circle. I'm becoming more family orientated. I'm planning ahead not only for myself but for our future family. All decisions are now our decisions and is a much slower process because of it! Ha ha! But it's wonderful to look at Jon and know that we have this beautiful future ahead of us. It's also interesting to see how our families will meld together. My parents love Jon and I hope Jon's parents like me!

I think what trips me out the most is whenever Jon and I go up to my parents' house, it reminds me so much of going over to Grandma and Grandpa O's (my dad's parents) house with my mom and my dad and how they would interact. It reminds me of when I'd watch my dad and my grandpa hang out and just chat about whatever was on their mind at the time or what was on tv. For me, it's always bittersweet. I love to hide in the kitchen and listen to Jon and my dad talk. It's comforting because of the memories it brings up but at the same time, it makes me miss my grandparents very much. I miss them every day and wish that they could be there to see us wed. I know they will be there in spirit and in our hearts but I still miss them.

It's also crazy to think that one day my parents will be grandparents. That one day Jon and I will be bringing our lil munchkins back and forth between Lolo and Lola O's house and Grandma and Grandpa S's house. We are the next generation soon to step aside to the next. It's mind boggling sometimes to think about it. I still remember when I was in elementary school dreaming about turning 16 and then having a house by time I was 25. Life didn't work out that way of course. But it's funny to remember feeling like 30 years old was so far away. That getting married was so far away. Now it's coming up and sometimes it feels so surreal!

My life has been and is one fun amd crazy roller coaster ride. I can't wait to see where we go from here!