Done with designing...

...so it seems all I've been wanting to do with this blog is change the design. There's a lot I've been wanting to write about for this blog, but I've been writing posts for our corporate blog at work so that's kept me pretty busy. Now, I'm having writer's block for the other blog so I'm back here, where I can just write whatever without having to worry about being "corporate" or not. Plus, I think I've finally found a design that suits me.

Fantasy Football Update: I'm sucking. I've officially dropped to 8th place (4th place in the other league, but that one doesn't have money involved). I do want to give a shout out to Steve Johnson of the Buffalo Bills.

I have no idea who this guy is, but he scored me 34 freakin' fantasy points this past weekend. I still lost my game, BUT I'm glad I picked this guy up because Hakeem Nicks got injured during his game against the Eagles and will be out for a couple weeks.

I also cheated on Tom Brady by playing Mark Sanchez one week. Both QBs are punishing me. Brady does fantastic the week I play Sanchez, then Sanchez does awesome the following week when I play Brady. It's like they both know. It'd be crazy if they are actually reading this and coordinating when the other one plays well. It's highly unlikely since Tom Brady could give two shits about what the Jets do, but it's just a thought. Well, since there are no more Bye Weeks, it's Tom Brady all the way (sorry Mark!) until the season is finished. 

Work Update: Good news, I was promoted last month. My new title is REALLY fancy: Business Development Executive. Unfortunately, I do NOT make an executive salary BUT it'll be really pretty on a resume (hahah). Bad news, one of my favorite coworkers of all time, Pam,  resigned from the company and move back to her home town of New Iberia in Louisiana. Luckily, she got a Facebook account so we've been keeping in touch that way. With those two changes, work has been VERY different from what it was just two months ago. New boss, new project office to work with, new territory - all of which I'm trying to get used to without Pam to provide the comic relief or a lunchtime bitching session. I'll write more about all of that in separate blogs, but that's a quick summary of what's been going on at work.

Home Update: My mom and brother moved back into the condo in Diamond Bar. For a while my grandpa and his wife were staying with us too, but they moved in with other relatives in Garden Grove. So, in a matter of weeks I've went from living by myself, to living with four other people, to now living with two other people. It's been quite a challenge for all of us to get used to each other and the living habits we've developed over the past year and a half. I do think about moving our EVERY day, but I figure I have to stay put for now and try to save a down payment for something. It'd be nice to move into a place I own instead of one that I'm renting.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I hope to post more stuff up soon. Thanks for reading!!

News Flash: T.J. gets Michelle on water rides...multiple times!

I took a day off the other week to spend some time with T.J. (my brother). Since I didn’t get him an actual birthday present and he isn’t working yet, I thought it would be fun for us to head to Knott’s Berry Farm for the day. I invited my mom and Albert to join us, but they were both swamped at work so, it was just the two of us and it worked out great in the end. T.J. and I have loved riding roller coasters together since he was finally tall enough to ride them. Knott’s was the perfect place for us to spend the day because they have pretty decent coasters, it’s not a long drive, and the tickets are pretty cheap ($30 a pop). I was really looking forward to getting on some coasters and yelling until my voice was gone. I was especially looking forward to riding Supreme Scream.

We got to the park a couple minutes after it had opened and the first ride we got on is Silver Bullet – it’s probably one of the premier coasters at Knott’s. I was a little apprehensive about taking T.J. on such a “daring” coaster for the first ride, but he handled it like a champ and I think it set a good energy for him to keep riding throughout the day.  After a couple more rides we decided to grab lunch. As we sat and ate our lunch, I pulled out the map of the park and showed him what our last ride was going to be…Supreme Scream. I was so excited about it and thought he would be too, but I think I did too good of a job describing the drop/free fall that he stopped me and said, “No, I’m too tired.” That should have been my first sign, but I didn’t think anything of it and said we’ll go on more rides before Supreme Scream. Well, we went on every coaster in the park (except for Accelerator because it was closed)…twice. We found ourselves in front of the entrance to Supreme Scream and I figured now was a better time than any to ride it. I told T.J. to follow me as I practically ran to get in line (yes, I was running, that was how much I wanted to ride this thing. I reached back to grab T.J.’s hand so we can be in line together and that’s when I noticed he was about 15 steps away from me. He wouldn’t budge and just kept shaking his head. Turns out, my brother doesn’t like rides with really high free falls, which is one of my favorites (of course). After spending 15 minutes trying to convince him to get on the ride with me, he won. I figured it’s his day, so I should do whatever he wants to do. 

Do you want to know what T.J.’s favorite ride is? Water rides…icky, wet, bacteria-ridden water rides. Do you know that you can contract Legionnaires’ Disease from inhaling particles of the bacteria that originate from infected WATER sources?? ICK. Yeah, I realize this is my mysophobia getting the best of me, but that’s really all I think of when it comes to water rides. And, I’m sure Knott’s does a great job of making sure the water is clean, but still. Regardless of my little quirk with water rides, I am happy to say I rode the Log Ride 3 times and Perilous Plunge twice, all thanks to my brother…who doesn’t seem to care about the potential bacteria on those rides (I even tried to explain it to him, but I think he stopped listening to me). T.J. was happy, so I was happy…soaked in water ride water (makes me shudder thinking about it).

The day ended with him passing out on the ride back to Corona. I may have been covered in sweat, dirty water, and who knows what else, but it was worth it to spend some quality time with T.J. (aka “Butthead”).

On a side note, I highly recommend ditching work to go to an amusement park. Spending the day outside while everyone else is in an office…eating funnel cake at 3pm instead of heading to the office kitchen to search for a little pick-me-up….screaming your head off on roller coasters instead of catering to customers all day long…it felt more liberating that I thought it would be. Plus, the longest we had to wait in line for a ride was 10 minutes. I don’t know if it’s because of the recession or because Halloween Haunt was opening the following week, but it was perfect timing and we definitely got our money’s worth.

Vegas Vacation Part 2 of 2

This past weekend in Vegas reminded me of the family vacations we used to take before I turned 21. Those were vacations where I had enough freedom to roam on my own and my mom was so concerned about me being bored that she would give me money to go out...hahah! We drove up on Thursday night and headed back home on Saturday afternoon. It felt like a really short trip, but I am thankful for the time we got to spend with my family. I feel like I don't do that enough. They're a rowdy bunch that likes to have a good time and they remind me of why I miss being a kid.

There was a lot to celebrate over the weekend: my brother (T.J.) turned 22, it was my uncle Vic's birthday earlier in the week, and my cousin (D.J.) proposed to his girlfriend of 8 years (Christina)! It was also the second trip in a row that Albert and I experienced a different kind of Vegas (a.k.a. no strip club and no nightclub). First major difference: we stayed with my family in their timeshare at The Grandview Resort. It's a great place, but the major downside was it was WAY OFF THE STRIP. We had to wait till the sun cooled off a bit to go anywhere and, even then, I got lazy to drive around because it was still triple digit heat. Albert and I were also able to save some money on food because my family would cook breakfast AND lunch...can't beat "home-cooked" Filipino food! We also went bowling (of all things!) until 2am. It may sound boring to you, but Albert and I are people-watchers and there were A LOT of locals there so it was fun to just watch them. I always wondered what Vegas locals do. Apparently, some of them bowl. LOL. 

We had a chance to check out Downtown Las Vegas, well, just the Golden Nugget because Downtown looks too shady to just stroll along at night. My mom and my aunt treated the family to a buffet dinner and comedy show at The Golden Nugget on Friday night for T.J.'s birthday. Buffets are kind of a waste on me and Albert because we can't really stuff ourselves anymore - we're all about frequency of meals rather than volume - but we tried our best. The food was pretty good and my family definitely took advantage of the endless crab legs. My favorite part: dessert, specifically the macaroons and pecan pie bites. You can bet I packed some up in my purse for later :) The comedy show featured Gordie Brown, who made me laugh a couple times but a lot of the humor went over my head since it was based on stuff before I was born. Luckily, I had a drink in hand, so it was a good time for me to sit and chill. Something new I learned came from D.J. and Christina. They were telling us about how Golden Nugget's Pool was featured on the Travel Channel because there is a water slide that goes through a shark tank. I have to admit, I'm curious about the pool because there's nothing like it on The Strip. However, the chances of us staying in Downtown in the future are slim. Check out the link though...it's a really nicely decorated pool (you can tell they put some effort into the rennovation), it's just too bad it's in Downtown.

Finally, I got to introduce Albert to Bachi Burger! He loved it and I loved it, so it's officially on our list of foodie destinations in Las Vegas. If you're into fusion food and are looking for a tasty burger, you got to check out Bachi Burger...mmm, so delicious!

July was all about the travel: Simi Valley for April & Victor's Wedding (hahaha, it's practically NorCal for me), Cruise to Ensenada, Vegas, and Vegas. I think the rest of the year will be about weddings - we have 3 to go to in the next two months and then one more in November. At least they're all in SoCal, so we can fit in other things in between the weddings. I've been wanting to ride some roller coasters, so hopefully a trip to Magic Mountain or Disneyland, or Knott's or all 3, is in store.

March Madness: Part 1

"You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather." - Outkast

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about all these changes that were going to happen and how I was hoping to handle them. Well, the changes happened, but not the way I thought they would. This is long, so I bolded parts that would give you a good summary of the post :)

Mom changed her mind and ended up NOT moving in. This is started the domino effect of changes on a different path than I anticipated. When I thought she was moving in, I planned on having an extra $1200+ per month. When she told me her reasons for staying in Corona, I couldn't be mad, but this meant I would to give up the trip to Thailand for April and Victor's wedding. It sucked having to tell April I couldn't go, but there was no way I could pay for the airfare and March's rent in the same week. Not to mention, I had just turned in my credit application to buy Mad Max (that's what I named my car) from Mercedes-Benz so a big withdrawal from my account wouldn't help my situation. April was unbelievably understanding about me changing my mind. Her graciousness made me feel like more of an ass for not going, but she assured me that there would be more trips we could venture on together later down the line.

The following week, I found out my credit application was declined. I wasn't really surprised given my credit history and the current economic climate, but time was running out and the dealership gave me until March 19th to try and get this car. I told my dad what was happening and he agreed to co-sign with me, so we submitted a new application with both of our names on it. My dad had to hustle, but Mercedes eventually agreed to finance us. Unfortunately, my dad didn't like the deal they were offering and started to shop around. He told me to prepare for the worst case scenario, which in my head meant using the bus to get around indefinitely.

As my dad shopped around for the best deal on a car, Albert referred me to his tax guy, Raul. I was a little hesitant about going to Raul since I knew it would cost money for him to do my taxes. I did my own taxes last year and ended up paying, so it didn't make sense for me to pay someone to tell me I owed money to the government. Albert convinced me to go because maybe Raul could figure out a way for me to pay less or maybe nothing at all. After meeting with Raul, he said I would actually be getting a tax refund this year...which is INSANE! I'm used to owing money, so it was a pleasant surprise for me to get some money back. It's not a lot, but I figured it would be enough to cover the first payment on Max + new tires - I was still hoping I could buy that car. On a personal note, I don't know why I'm so freakin' stubborn. I'm lucky I have a patient boyfriend. Anyways, the refund was the first piece of good news I got in the past couple weeks so it was nice to breathe easy, even for just one afternoon.

The following week (which was last week) was a mad, mad scramble to figure things out with my car. My dad had found some deals, but I would have to turn Max in, which I didn't really want to do since I would have to pay the excess mileage penalty. Regardless, I went with him to the other dealerships to try and negotiate a reasonable down payment with a reasonable monthly payment, AND get the same dealership to buy my leased car as trade-in. I begged for a Prius, of course. But my dad refused to help me buy a "death trap" (his words, not mine). 

I test drove a Honda Insight. All the reviews of it are pretty accurate, it's a poor man's Prius and the engine IS as loud as the critics describe. But I would have taken it anyway. I was looking forward to finally having a hybrid and not having to buy premium fuel. BOTH of my parents didn't like the idea of me driving a non-luxury vehicle. I didn't mind as much, although I would have been more enthusiastic about it if it were the Prius. That ended up not mattering - after test driving the Insight and hearing Honda's offer (which was crap because the Insight would have cost MORE than the Mercedes), I was set on taking the less whack deal to buy Mad Max. 

I told my dad that we should just settle on buying Max, but he didn't feel like settling. Plus, I think the people at Mercedes-Benz pissed him off when they didn't want to finance us initially. He had proposed going to BMW because he worked with them before and like their service. He had already spoke with someone there and was almost sure we could get a good deal on a 1 series. I was really hesitant about the whole thing because 1) I thought the 1 series was pretty weird looking when I saw pics online, 2) did it make sense for me to get a new car? much less a new luxury car? I followed my dad to BMW and test drove the 128i. When I first set eyes on it, I couldn't believe it was the same car I saw online. I still have some qualms about how the back end looks, but it isn't anything I couldn't get over. So issue #1 was resolved. Issue #2 was a trickier.

I sat at the dealership forever. My dad had to leave for work after 2 hours, so I was there trying to negotiate this by myself. I was hungry, I was tired, and I wanted to go home because it was mine and Albert's 3-year anniversary. After 6 hours and several calls to/from my dad for updates on the negotiations it sounded like I was actually going to get this car. Unfortunately, since he wasn't there to finalize everything, I had to go back in there in the morning to settle everything. That night I did the calculations to see if this deal made any sense. In the end, buying the new car actually cost less than buying Mad Max - issue #2 resolved. 

Last Thursday, I met my dad at BMW and we signed the papers to buy the 128i. By that afternoon, we were at Mercedes signing the lease-return papers for Mad Max. I actually cried a little when they drove Max away and my dad was there to give me tissues telling me I'll actually be able to keep the new car this time and can make new memories with it. I still miss Max, but I know I drove him pretty hard. I hope his next owner is able to take better care of him than I did. As for the new car, I still can't believe it's mine. I'm actually afraid to drive it around because I want to take better care of it than I did with Max.

I know I should be driving a hoopty or something that's more within my credit score's realm. The only reason this car even became an option for me was because of my dad. He pulled off some crazy magic trick to get me a BMW with my lame ass credit score and I'm forever thankful. And, coincidentally, the only reason I have enough money to pay my share of the down payment AND the first month's payment is because of Albert and his tax guy. I really should just listen to him from the beginning...I end up doing what he says anyway, so it would save us both a lot of hassle. 

It's just crazy how that all worked out. March has been one crazy month and I haven't even told you the rest of it yet either. Since this post is already pretty long, stay tuned for Part 2.

La Dulce Vita

God does work in mysterious ways. I like to think of myself as a realist, but in all honesty I'm probably more of a pessimist than a realist- at least when it comes to my life. I try to be everyone's cheerleader except my own. There are some days where I think I'm never going to get it together and there is no light at the end of this tunnel. When the going gets tough, I say a little prayer and have faith that Someone is listening. 

Just when I start to think no one heard my prayers, something or someone comes along to brighten my day and it makes such a big difference in my outlook. I literally feel like the weight of the world was lifted off of me, even for just a moment.

Last night was one of those moments. I finally had the night off at Macy's and was looking forward to going straight home from my first job and cleaning up the house a bit when my cousin told me about a family get-together that was kinda happening last minute. I knew I owed my cousin cupcakes, so I figure now was a better time than any to pay up. When I got to her house there was a feast ready and waiting for all of us: chicken adobo, pancit, AND Auntie Precy's now-famous lumpia - some of my favorites! More cousins and friends started to drop in and before we realized it we were drunk/pretty buzzed, playing video games, eating, and enjoying each other's company. 

It has been a long time since I felt that light and care-free. It may have been also due to the 4 cups of Weed Tea that I drank, but still...right now I'm feeling that Life is pretty sweet.

Playing Catch Up

I know, it's been a while. December seems to have blown right past me and I was barely able to keep up. Unfortunately, this blog was one of the first things to fall by the wayside. However, it's a new year, which means I have a clean slate and fully intend to keep up with one blog a week (at least). Now, that I'm at work and there's not much to do (...correction, there's not much I WANT to do), it's a perfect time for us to get caught up.

Christmas 2009: Christmas Eve was spent with my mom and her family at her house in Corona. Albert and I decided to go wine tasting before the party. Good idea or bad idea? A little of both. I was drunk and terribly hungover in a matter of hours at a family party. It was great being drunk, not so much being hungover while opening presents. I felt like throwing up on everything. Christmas Day was spent with my dad's side at my Auntie Flor's house in Buena Park- watched the Laker game, then the Charger game. The Cousins' gift exchange was awesome becuase Mare gave me stuff I really wanted: The Hangover DVD and $20 to Barnes and Noble. There were a couple other gift exhchanges with Albert's family and his high school friends. Albert's family had a White Elephant exchange with some pretty interesting presents. Albert ended up with a LIVE hamster and I ended up with a foot and neck massager. As for Albert's high school friends' exchange, I think I did a fabulous job of giving a first impression of being an alcoholic - that was probably a bad idea, but no way to take it back now. Below are pics courtesy of Albert's camera:

Christmas Presents: I got some pretty cool Christmas presents this year and want to brag (LOL!). Hans painted my living room wall- something I've been meaning to do since May. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out and took before & after pictures. Unfortunately, I can't find the USB cable and dock to upload the pics, so I have to show you in a separate post. Albert's family got me a KitchenAid Chef's Chopper, which is PERFECT for making Lasagna Roll-Ups because it'll chop the onions for me! Again, Mare got me just what I wanted for the gift exchange. And, although this wasn't his official Christmas present to me, Albert got me a Zebra print Snuggie. He spent all day going to several stores and finally found one at Spencer's! Even though temperatures are starting to warm up, I use that snuggie every day :) 

Albert and I didn't really give each other Christmas presents this year, we decided to save up for our trip to Thailand instead. In the off chance we don't make it to Thailand, then we're celebrating Christmas in July...but we are determined to get to there so it's great motivation for being smarter and saving our money. 

Working Two Jobs: As most of you know, I picked up a second job working part-time at Macy's to help with the bills and have some extra money to play with. The first month was pretty easy to handle, maybe because I was so excited to actually have some extra cash. December was a bit harder to get through. I was working shifts that ended at 12:30am, which meant getting to bed around 1:00am and having to wake up 4 hours later to make it to my full-time job. Working two jobs has been a real challenge and a blessing in disguise. The tough part has been getting enough rest, staying healthy, and losing my weekends. I've been sick every week in December and still have a nasty cough to deal with. Plus, it sucks having to go into work on a Saturday or Sunday while everyone else sleeps in or makes plans to meet up and go places. I just remind myself this two-job deal is temporary and I have to correct my money mismanagement somehow...so I basically made my bed and have to lay in it. On the upside, I do have extra cash and actually don't mind working in retail. I can go out now and then and spend money that I actually have instead of being overdrawn all the time. Most of my coworkers at Macy's have been really cool and welcoming and I've been doing well with my sales goals. In fact, I've been asked to stay on past the holidays. I said yes (for now) because the extra money will help save for the Thailand trip, but being healthy is also pretty important to me and that's been hard to do with last month's schedule. Since the hours have gone back to normal (no more midnight shifts!), I'll have more time to rest between jobs and more days off between shifts at Macy's. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to choose between money and my health, but we're obviously NOT in a perfect world. 

Goals for 2010: Well, I have lots of goals for this year, but they're all related to one goal. If this one goal is completed, then that means all the other goals have been completed or are on their way to being completed. I'll keep you updated on the progress of goals every now and then, but the top priority is this:

*Be financially stable enough to stop working 2 jobs*

 
...and now we're caught up. Well, to be more accurate, you're caught up with me (for the most part). Hope your holidays were relaxing and you got what you wanted for Christmas. I am really blessed to have the boyfriend, family, and friends that I have because they've filled my life with so much love and support. Thanks to them, I have much to look forward to this year! Best wishes to everyone in the new year!