Settling in

It's been a little over a month since my move and my place is still a bit of a mess. To this day, I am still purchasing furnitures, creating room in my given space and graciously thanking the Powers be.

I've been going out and discovering the city even more and having a great time. I'll definitely keep y'all posted of my finds.

Last night, Tanya and I met up for dinner and a drink...fine 2 drinks :) There's a pseudo divey bar in my neighborhood that I've been wanting to check out and we finally did last night. I said "pseudo" because no divey bars would serve a $12 glass of wine. Only in Hayes Valley!! I'm still trying to get to know my hood and everytime I turn a corner, I'm discovering more places to eat, shop and hang out with friends.

So this divey bar is really chill. Last night must have been salsa night because that's the only type of music they played. There were tons of plush couches to sit on and they also have a pool table and a foosball. Tanya and I planted ourselves on the White couch while drinking our Red wine. Yes, we took the risk of keeping our drinks in our respective glasses and left the couch just the way we found it - unstained :)

Another cool thing about this bar is that they allow dogs inside. How cool is that! I bet this place is jammin' on a Friday night as the "go-to" place to pick up on other single dog lovers/owners. You don't even have to come up with any cheesy lines, you already have the ultimate conversation starter with you. An arm candy, your most loyal pal, your wing dog :D

Last night, this one chick was there with her massive dog. When I say massive, it means that I can literally ride this thing. It must have weighed at least 85lbs. I found myself wishing that I had a dog as big as that. I would name him Tugboat.

Me: Tugboat, I'm so drunk, please walk me home...

Tugboat: Slowly nudges my arm so that I can put it around his giant neck as he drags me home which is literally right around the corner...

I would equip Tugboat with one of those fanny packs made for dogs and it would hold my ID, money, lipgloss, cell phone and house keys. I mean, have you ever seen anyone attempt to steal something out of a dogs Paw-rse? hee hee. I didn't think so! Every dude and girls alike would think twice before sticking their hands inside the Paw-rse of an 85lbs beast.

So, last night was a slow night for Tugboat (I don't know the dog's name). He was the only dog there. His owner was chatting it up with dudes at the bar while Tugboat was left to his own devices, walking around, saying hello and being friendly. Once in while he would nudge his owners leg just to remind her that he's still there with no one to smell butts with. After doing this for a good 10 mins, he finally settled down and sat on the floor next to us. I wanted to pet him SO bad but Tanya is allergic to animal hair.

I'm still trying to get settled in. I'm finally getting used to the commute and enjoying it. Not having to drive is really nice. I know 3 bus routes now and I started hitting the gym as well. It's coming along slowly but surely, just the way I like it.

Sad note:

My mom's boyfriend's mom passed away yesterday :( She was sort of like a grandma to me. It is a sad day bloggies but she is in a much better place. I will always remember her as this sprightly old lady with a smiling face.

Lighter note:

Today is my nephew's 18th Birthday. 18!!! Wasn't I just changing your diapers a week ago? Didn't I just recovered from getting chicken pox from you? How the heck did this happen? Did I time warped from 1991 all the way to 2009?

The point is to live, laugh, dance, sing, LOVE. Enjoy every minute you have with those around you. Life goes by so fast. Children grow at a lightning speed, Grandpas and Grandmas are retiring to their eternal rest and I'm getting older by the minute but my heart will always remain young. I promise.

Celebrate Life!

P.S. I love you

P.P.S. The radio station 96.5 KOIT is ALREADY playing Christmas music!

P.P.P.S. This is fun! How many P's can I fit in a single blog entry...ha ha ha! or should I say Ho! Ho! Ho!

In Spirit,
Jakey


The Gentle Giant's birthday celebration at Pier 23 last Saturday. Brian is 6'4, Wow! I always joke about how I'm always talking to his belly button while Azmeera and Tanya talks to his nipples...lol!

All in a year's time...

A year ago, I met these two ladies on a quiet Wednesday evening. A mutual friend of ours, who we are forever indebted to, introduced us.

Thanks Geno!

Since then, we have shared a year full of funtivities, heartaches, hangovers and moments of complete bliss. It only gets better with each day that passes. Just like a romantic relationship - friendship also requires a lot of attention and nurturing for it to grow. We continue to create new memories hence strengthening our frienship.

Last Friday, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary by doing what we do best - PARTAY ;-)

The evening started at my humble abode. We popped a bottle of the bubbly - only fitting for a fine celebration. Then we painted the town red or I should say Pink as in "City in Pink" a spin off of "Pretty in Pink" which was the themed party at an art gallery/club at 111 Minna.

We walked into the club and there were make up artists and hair stylists all lined up waiting for their chances to 80'fy us.

Tanya and Azmeera both got the 80's big hair with pig tails randomly placed on their head. Think of the girl from "Napoleon Dynamite" It was hilarious!!!

My stylist was not so keen on the pony tails so he gave me the 80's Rockin Crimped hair instead.

OMG! Bring on the Aquanet!!! I seriously had to do a conditioning mask on my hair the following day just to get the junk out! I seriously think that I contributed to burning another hole in the ozone layer.

There was also a professional photographer that evening who took photographs of the 80's train wrecks after their make over.

Poop on him though for not posting the pics yet. He said that he would post it on Facebook and the girls have been searching high and low but still no photo.

Giant heaps of reindeer poop on him!!!


The first time we all met...

A year later... Pics from Friday night at Harlot




In Joy,

Jakey

Boo!

I was still in college when I last dressed up and partied for Halloween. This year, I was in the mood to break the monotony. I decided to celebrate the schoolgirl in me - a naughty one, that is ;)

Even before the movie came out, the beau had already decided that he was going to dress up as Max from "Where The Wild Things Are". After seeing the movie and absolutely falling in love with it, I was even more determined for him to dress up as Max.

He bought the onesie online and I made his hood. Not bad eh? It took 2 nights for me to hand sew that thing. I was happy with the turn out and he looked entertainingly funny!

First Stop: The Ambassador

A friend of a friend was invited to a private party being held at The Ambassador. I've never been there before and after having been, I will not go back. The place was packed, dance floor was tiny, music sucked and the bar was impossible to get to.

Needless to say, we stayed a total of 45 minutes.

It's Carol!!! This dude is super amazing. I saw him standing in line to get in the club as we were leaving. I love how creative people can get with their costumes and how much time they spent making it. It makes me look like a total slacker with my store bought outfit. Oh well, I more than made up for it with the beau's costume.

Max and Carol - the beau's scepter is half of my curtain rod and the crown is my Christmas tree topper :D

Next: Bambuddha Lounge

Remember the Disney movie UP? This dude dressed up a Russell. He looked dead on like the character. To this day, I am still conflicted as to who wins the award for the best costume.

Carol or Russell? What do you think bloggies?

There were no cabs to be had that evening. So we made the trek home, pied-à-terre (on foot). Tired from the walk, we took a break and sat down on the steps of Grace Cathedral (J'aime!)

In Joy,

Jakey

Wild Thing

I saw "Where The Wild Things Are" over the weekend and absolutely fell in love with the movie. I laughed, I cried, I did the hokey-pokey and I turned myself around.

For those who have yet to see this movie stop reading now until you see it. This entry is a major plot spoiler.





Really? You're still reading.....





No seriously, I'm going to give you a blow by blow account of the movie.......





Don't say I didn't warn you...






Here I go....







I'm goooooiiiiinnnnngggg.....







Anytime now..........








Gone....



I had no pre-conceived notion of the movie and I never read the books as a kid. I was still living in the Philippines and I was only allowed to read the Encyclopedia and school books. My dad was never around to read to me and on the rare occassion that he was home, he would have me read to him instead. My mom on the other hand was occupied with domestic chores and in keeping an orderly home for my sisters and I.

The movie was about a mischievous kid and his emotional journey of childhood angst from losing a father, dealing with his mom and her boyfriend and a sister who completely ignored him. It was a very emotional movie and I found myself sobbing halfway through the end the movie. Anyone who grew up in a semi-dysfunctional to highly-dysfunctional family can totally relate to this movie :)

The "Wild Things" in my interpretation were his emotions whether its anger, sadness, or doubt. Each monster in the movie represented an emotion. The story is centered on Max's growth, survival, change and fury. As the movie progressed, I couldn't help but think about my childhood experiences and how much I wanted to make sense of everything because nothing did. I relied heavily upon my mom's guidance or my sisters leads and when both were unavailable to provide comfort, I am often left to fend for myself.

Throughout the movie, Max had his one on one encounter with the Wild Things. As he conquered each emotion/monster, he started to feel confident about himself until such a time that he finally found the peace and acceptance in his heart that the wild things were now reigned in and that he was ready to take his next journey - growth.

The main character amongst the Wild Things was Carol. He was the mirror image of Max. One of the most touching part of the movie for me was when Max made a heart shaped drawing on the ground with the initial C out of popsicle sticks. Its as if Max realized that in order to change and grow, he would have to accept everything about him. Embrace the emotions, all the "wild things" and only through acceptance can there be love and growth.

Isn't that so true even as an adult? There are still parts of me that I am still trying to make peace with. At times I struggle with it and there are times when I just raise the flag and accept that there are some things about myself that I can never change and that's okay.

Drained from the move and all the organizing and cleaning, I took it easy on Sunday and hung out with the girls. My place is still a giant mess but at least my bed, bathroom and kitchen are now in order.

We hung out at Azmeera's, smoked some hooka, drank some bubblies, people watched on her roof, ate pizza and called it wonderful.

Here's a couple of hilarious videos that Tanya and Azmeera took of me while smoking the hookah and having the smoke come out of my nose only. LOL!

Round 1

Round 2

Reigning it all in

Jakey

New Kid on the Block

Seven months ago I planted a seed of idea. I sent out an intention to the Universe...the Source...God, if you will, that I will once again pursue the idea of moving to the city. My friends and family have all known about my wanting to move to SF for a long time. But every single time I've attempted, something always happened whether it's a change of job, relationship, heart, or just life happening in general.

Seven months later, on the seventh day of the month, and apartment #7, I got what I wanted. I found my perfect little studio, in my perfect little neighborhood in Hayes Valley. Not only is it steps away from the Symphony, Opera and Ballet, it's even on the same street! How's that for manifesting! I trust that everything happens for a reason and that timing is everything. My time has come for me to once again pack my stuff and transplant.

On my birthday this year, I remember walking around the Island of Boracay thinking about what I wanted for lunch. I remember telling my friends the exact food that I wanted to eat, how I would like it prepared and served. A few minutes later, we walked into a restaurant and they had what I wanted, right down to the banana leaf platter that I was describing just moments ago. My friend Zita was so impressed by how fast things manifested for me. You see, she's a strong believer of that book "The Secret". It's basically a book about creating an intention and letting your mind and the Universe work together to manifest what it is you really want. It can be as simple as a perfect meal, a parking spot or something bigger like landing a new job or meeting a Brad Pitt look alike at your local adult watering hole. The point of the book is to focus on what it is you really want, imagine the end result and then send out this invisible energy out to the Universe and in return, it will be granted. This school of thought falls under the branch of Metaphysics.

So can you just imagine my delight when I found my new place? It is everything I have asked for. Walking distance to the symphony, close to my favorite wine bar, and at a price that is a steal! The best part is my unbelievable walk-in closet. It's at least 10ft long...Aaaaahhhh!!!! Plenty of room for all my shoes, clothes and purses :) Another added bonus is a small deck in the back that is perfect for bbq'ing. Not that I'll be doing a lot of that right now but it's nice to have all the same.

I signed my lease on Friday and got my "welcome to the neighborhood" ticket. It was street cleaning day from 12:00-2:00pm. It sucks, but it will force me to really get to know the stupid schedules of the spots around my neighborhood. I moved all weekend long, up and down the stairs, huffing and puffing. It always amazes me how much crap I accumulate in such little amount of time. I mean, I was only with my mom for a little over 2 years, yet it felt like I've moved an entire house! Thank goodness for my beloved friends and family who was there with me every step of the way. I could never have done it by myself even if I tried really hard. It was just impossible.

Pictures to come as soon as I get some kind of order in my place. The current state of my floor is a sea of bags, wine bottles, cups, corks, and unopened boxes of furnitures waiting to be assembled.

Jakey

Party Bus

Yeay! Another one of my long time girlfriend turned 30 over the weekend. We did the whole party bus and had a blast!

The bus was totally pimped. It had wood laminate flooring, plushed leather seats and a dancing pole! I did a little number for the girls and had so much fun. I even got tipped. Not bad for a Begginer :)

This is the first time I've pole danced for a bunch of girls. I have to admit that it was fun dancing for the girls. There was a whole lot of bootie grabbing and pinching and towards the end they were all dancing with me. I also got to teach some of the girsl some tricks. I think I really want my own dancing pole now and throw a girls only party. Super Fun!

Dearest Santa Baby,

I want my own Hot Pink Dancing Pole for Christmas ;-)

Love,
Your #1 fan

See complete pictures here:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?sid=0IbsXDlw0cMn2w&startIndex=0&fid=23d2b2fb66fe4d6b26cd1d30d33b21f1



iPole,
Jakey

Hazmat of the Aftermath

Warning: The author wishes to apologize in advance for any offensive, gross, or tmi material on this entry. She is under the influence of legally prescribed drugs, sleep deprivation and living in sheer horror of pain for the past several days. Proceed at your own risk...

Wisdom I do not have...

Two weeks ago, I had quite possibly the worst procedure I have ever gone through my life so far. Wisdom teeth extraction! Ugh, even the terminology sounds ugly!

Let's break down the word extraction...

Ex: nobody like's this prefix. What a bad connotation.

* Ex-boyfriend
* Ex-girlfriend
* Ex friend
* Ex boss

Traction: the adhesive friction of a body on some surface.

These 2 words combined. No bueno!

I anticipated pain and psyched myself up to it. I've had several operations before so I had an idea of the level of pain and recovery time to expect. However, I was not prepared for this one. I'm seriously not being a baby about it. I mean exactly a year ago, I had my foot surgery and I was dancing just 3 short weeks later!

I got to the surgical clinic and walked into the usual pasty white, ultra sterilized room and sat down on what I later coined as the torture chair. The doctor walked in shortly to start the procedure. She grabbed my right arm to insert the needle for the anesthetic IV. I told her that my left arm has more pronounced veins but she proceeded to ignore me and continued with the right. Of course she missed the vein...surprise! And proceeded to do a butterfly on my hand instead. SUCKS! I hate the butterfly way. It hurts double and it never fails to give me a hematoma. Great, it's been 5 minutes and I already have to broken blood vessels!

30 seconds after the IV insertion I remember uttering "I'm going to sleep now".

The procedure took all of an hour and a half. Afterwards I was sent home with a post surgery pamphlet, a bag of gauze and a reminder card for my follow up appointment.

First of all, I don't get why they didn't give me all of these post crap information so that I could have read it ahead of time and better prepared myself.

NOOOO... Instead, they gave it to me post surgery while I'm doped up beyond belief, completely disoriented and can't even stand on my own. The pamphlet later served its purpose as a cupping device as I threw up on it while trying to read post-op caring instructions. All I remember was something about not drinking, smoking or eating for the next couple of weeks.

Okay, I made up the last part but it might as well have disclosed that. The first 4 days was unbelievably painful. I couldn't open my mouth at all. The only thing I can do was to drink or eat through a straw. Which meant that I was constantly hungry and in pain. By the 5th day, I was able to move on to chopsticks and introduced noodle to my liquid diet. I now consider myself a noodle connoisseur. Why noodles? Because it’s the only thing that I can eat that does not require any chewing at all. Just sip, gulp and swallow. I now have an affinity for Soba…yum!

The word noodle derives from the German Nudel (noodle) and may be related to the Latin word nodus (knot). In2005, the oldest noodles yet discovered were found at Qinghai. The 4,000-year-old noodles appear to have been made from millet.

The swelling started the day after the procedure and I was sporting the Quasimodo look for a good 3 days - only the left side of my face was swollen. The pain carried on for a few more days while I bitched and moaned about it to anyone unfortunate enough to be around me. The worst part was that I had to go in to work while still in pain. I couldn't take the normal medicinal dosage otherwise I would have been curled up in a fetal position under my desk, snoring away. So I had to cut the pills in half enough to just slightly numb the pain but not enough to put me to sleep. Each night, I dreamed of 9 hours of sleep in only 3 hours.

I’ve been taking it easy, sleeping longer than I need to, and enjoying the reprieve from having a legitimate excuse to not hit gym.


Hugs not drugs,

Jakey