It's the Little Things :)

She awoke to the alarm and got ready for work.
He got up a few minutes later and prepared food.
She made coffee for two.
He washed the dishes.
She took out the dog.
He walked her to the train station.
Together they sat on a bench...
And he waited with her.
A few shared moments in laughter,
The arrival of a train,
One hug, one kiss goodbye.
She sits down.
He walks back.
They turn back around for one more wave.
*Heart smiles* .

♥

My 2009 Christmas

Well, i really wasn't expecting much since i knew i'd be working both nights of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day =T .. But i made the best of it. ♥

It started on Friday night, December 18. My friends from work gathered together at Verlaine Lounge in SoHo for a Holiday party. We've been waiting for this all month! A chance to get together outside of work and let loose! I brought my boyfriend, and he finally met them all.. my sisters.. and they all approve! hahaa. Never-ending wine, cocktails, and food. I love these people, and i love that we can share good times together at a more relaxed social setting other than the stressful hospital workplace!

* * *

Sunday night, December 20. It was a night i've been planning and re-planning in my head for a month. I wanted to get together with my closest girlfriends from NJ/NY for a Holiday dinner and call the event "Shirl's Girls Holiday 2009". If i could, i'd bring the ones from Cali, Savannah, and Vegas as well. *sigh* . I think the world of these girls. They've each saved my life (and my heart) on more than one occasion in their own individual ways. So to get them all together to share a night in celebration of Christmas would be the greatest gift. And so that's how it went. Despite the terrible snowstorm we had the night before, there was still a handful of us who were able to go. I reserved a table at ilili Restaurant in the Chelsea area. The place was gorgeous, albeit quite empty considering the snowy conditions, but it was intimate nonetheless. We exchanged gifts and then toasted to our sisterhood. The food was delicious and plentiful: Mediterranean/Lebanese cuisine mixed in with red and white wines. I'll find myself there again very soon.

* * *

Tuesday, December 22 finally arrived, and so did our new 50-inch Samsung flatscreen!! Merry Christmas indeed! =P .. My brother and i bought it together on Black Friday (online of course, never at the actual store on Black Friday! Come to think of it, he still owes me his share of the payment!). Well she's beautiful and treats us very kindly! My brother is excited.. he's planning New Year's Eve in HD with friends at our house this year! With his new Super Mario Bros. game and Mario Resorts for the Wii, DJ Hero, and with Bailey's & cupcake chasers (our tradition lol), it will make for a family fun-filled night!

* * *

Wednesday, December 23 was the eve before Christmas Eve when i had to work, and i spent it with my boyfriend. Our first lil' Christmas together=) . We had dinner at this delightful Italian restaurant where thin-crust pizza is their specialty. Tell me about a place that serves good thin-crust pizza, and i'm there! we had so much on our plates! We had it with red wine and wrapped up whatever we couldn't finish, which was ALOT!! On the way back home, he took me around the neighborhood to look at the pretty lighting decorations on all the houses. This one's our favorite:

We got home and exchanged gifts. I love my gift! and it's purple!! i played with it all night last night lol. I gave him a bunch of stuff too, from socks to a top-of-the-line Jawbone bluetooth earpiece.. and there's one more thing i plan to give him the next time i see him (i hope his friend hasn't spilled the beans about it yet because he's the one i consulted about it with! ooohh he better have kept his mouth shut lol). Anyway, after gift exchange, i got us some Tim Tams and he made hot chocolate (♥), and i taught him the Tim Tam Slam--which, by the way, is the most awesome thing ever!! Then we planned a movie night with his friends. We all have been dying to see "Avatar", so that night was the perfect time. We saw it in 3D and was simply BLOWN AWAY!! The effects are out of this world, and the story was actually good too!! I cant wait to buy the dvd to watch on my flatscreen hehee. Everyone should see this movie. James Cameron did it again. So that was our first Christmas to go in the Memorable Moments file =).

* * *

24 (Christmas Eve) and 25 (Christmas Day) - WORKED!! But it really wasn't just work. It was spending time with great people, exchanging gifts, and eating an abundance of food we all brought from home. Both nights were unusually busy however! It was surprising.
But in the meantime i was able to keep in touch with my brother and mom who celebrated at our family friends' house. It's funny-- i was the one who ran around the past several weeks getting everyone's presents AND i wrapped them all, and i wasn't even there!!! Amazing! It's like that every year =P .. I'm the designated Santa AND the elf ... *sigh* lol. I came home Christmas morning to a pile of gifts in the living room with my name on them, opened them up, then went to bed to prepare for another night of work!

* * *

The weekend after Christmas i was off, and i planned to continue celebrating. So Saturday the 26th i rested all morning and afternoon, then i visited my boyfriend at work: the Nets vs. Rockets game! hehee. It was a close game but as usual, the Nets lost. And as usual, the bf did an awesome job! ♥ ♥ i get so proud whenever i see him out there!*tear! hehee. but my night ended early because the next morning i'd finally be celebrating with my best friend....

* * *

Sunday the 27th. I woke up at 6:30 am! Arrived at Kim's house at 7:30 am! We were on our way Radio City Music Hall to watch "Christmas Spectacular" starring the Rockettes!! But first we made a detour to Dunkin Donuts to get some much-needed coffee. hahaa. Then we were amped! The show was great! I couldn't believe the backdrop.. it was so realistic. It was really 3D but this was more like 3D times 100! I'm glad we finally went; we've been talking about it all month. Then we saw the Rockefeller tree, window-shopped along 5th ave, and i visited my ♥Penelope the Pup♥ at FAO Schwartz.

Then we found ourselves the Upper East Side for lunch at Parlor Steakhouse. We frequent that place all the time, not only because the food is spectacular, but Kim used to work there and we love her manager and coworkers. They treated us like royalty! We stayed for 4 hours eating and drinking! She even bumped into a regular guest there who gave us each a certificate for a free mani-pedi at the salon across the street! i wanted to stay longer to see what else we can get (lol) but i caught food coma.. I slept all the way home.. Thank goodness Kim was driving! hahaa

* * *

... that was my Christmas =) . A month ago, i was depressed thinking i'd just be working through it all, but my holiday turned out quite nicely. I hope yours was just as blessed!

Miles of Books, and I'd Take on the Whole Journey

One morning I got out of work, and strangely enough, I didn't feel tired. Nevermind the fact that I had just worked a 12-hour night shift in the busiest unit of the hospital, and it was a particularly busy night with codes and direct O.R. admissions happening simultaneously. That was all behind me as i walked outside and took in the morning sun and cool wintry breeze. I looked forward to where i was going next. I was on my way to Strand Bookstore in Union Square! The excitement gave me a second wind of consciousness, and away went the fatigue that had accumulated the night before.

I went into Strand with just one item in mind: a Moleskine 2010 weekly planner. This is the really nice planner i was referring to in my last entry that my friend Candee also has. The legendary notebook of Hemingway, Picasso, and Chatwin. I finally had the time to go get one for myself! I've always had planners of various types in a perpetually haphazard attempt to organize my life, because it somehow manages to get out of my control, but i never found one good enough to do the job. Hence the wonderful mess that i have now, growing spontaneously also known as My Life. So imagine my excitement and determination to get this awesome datebook to end all datebooks, with the radical idea that my life could possibly and finally have some organization to it! I walked in that bookstore... eyes widened in sudden intrigue... and i knew... i knew i wasn't going to just get that one item and leave just like that. The bookstore aptly quips itself as, "Strand: 18 Miles of Books", and i was ready to take on the whole journey.

I wasn't exactly sure where i'd find the Moleskine planners, and i didn't bother to ask for help. I was happy winding, weaving and hovering over books, finding my own way. I lost myself in complete content, and with that, i lost the sense of time. I was off that day and had no time-constrained plans, so i was a kid in canyland. Or better yet, i was like Belle in "Disney's Beauty in the Beast", practically living off books! Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda, and founder of the Wu-Tang Clan The RZA-- some of my favorite writers.

I opened up a small pink book, "Love Poems" by Pablo Neruda, and found "The Queen" under my fingers.


I'd like to share this poem's timelessness:

"I have named you queen.
There are taller ones than you, taller.
There are purer ones than you, purer.
There are lovelier than you, lovelier.

But you are the queen.

When you go through the streets
no one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
at the carpet of red gold
that you tread as you pass,
the nonexistent carpet.

And when you appear
all the rivers sound
in my body, bells
shake the sky,
and a hymn fills the world.

Only you and I,
only you and I, my love,
listen to it."

*Heart melts!*

I didn't buy that book though. I was intrigued by The RZA's latest book, "The Tao of WU". I'm a student of Life, and i love learning new insights to broaden & deepen my own perspective on it, and the RZA has much to teach. His lessons are inspiring, including his references to Kung-Fu flicks and comic book heroes symbolizing Faith. I suggest everyone give him a chance. I read a few pages there in the bookstore, and I already felt at peace. So i bought it to bring home and read with my bf =)

"Studying lessons and reading great religious books is an excellent form of prayer. But whichever you choose, don't pray to have something pop up under your Christmas tree. Don't pray for a thing. Pray to put yourself in harmony with God. Do that and your prayers will be answered." --the RZA

I proceeded on to the next tables to indulge some more, slowly collecting enough literature to add up to at least $50 (so i could get a free Strand tote bag!)... Then finally i came upon the Moleskine planners. I was so happy. I got it in black. ♥

~ Peace ~

A Lionness Tamed . Possibly ;P

Has it already been 2 months since my last post? Time sure flies. I still can't believe we're in the thick of November! I found some time to update in between work and school and my extracurriculars :) .

There's this cute little leather-bound address/date book that my dear friend Candee has in which she writes short notes about each of her days in the space provided. I've always wanted something like that, but there was nothing like it in the big commercial stores like Barnes & Noble, Staples, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. what have you.. So i always considered jotting my thoughts down online. If you know me well enough, i'm pretty much a 10-year blogging veteran, and you've followed my random thoughts since Xanga, since Myspace, since Multiply, and now Blogspot-- which, btw, is linked to FaceBook, so my posts show up on there too. So basically, if i wanted to know what i was doing on, say July 28 2002 (my 20th birthday), i would probably be able to find out by searching through those mediums.. most likely the aforementioned date would be Xanga. and now that i think of it, i really dont remember what i did that day, so i'm kind of relieved the memories are archived online while they're still available! hahaa

So back to Candee's cute lil date book/daily personal notes. Turns out it's at a small bookstore in Union Square, by my hospital! Of course! Only in Manhattan ;) . I'm definitely going there asap. Until i do, I'll be here!

* * *

I just finished a nice stretch of 5 days off. And i went nowhere. Surprise, i know! Normally, 5 days off for me would mean a vacation to a warm and sunny place. It would mean flying! I would happily find 4 or 5-day stretches in my work schedule every month, and i'd immediately book a flight just to get away. It was fun being a jet-setter and planning these escapes within short notice, throwing caution to the wind, just me and my carry-on suitcase. It was crazy, but fun. My mom and brother thought i was crazy! They swore I'd imagined there was a fire in the house that i always had to get away lol. This time around, the sky found one less traveller. Well, i did actually reserve these 5 days for Aruba or Cancun with my girls. Haha i can always plan! But in the end, the idea of sharing quality time with the biff & friends and saving money (basically my voice of reason), won me over. I guess this lionness is tamed. ? . For now! hahaa anyway I didnt have any concrete plans since i'd be home, except i knew i wanted to watch Pacquiao on Saturday. Everything else was pretty much spontaneous. And it was a great 5 day weekend!

It started Thursday. After a busy 12-hour shift the night before, i spent a nice portion of Thursday sleeping. Hunmin was hosting an open gym for adults that night, and Candee was going with me! After a plate of delicious Columbian food and a few rounds of sangria, we were ready to tumble! Hahaa. It was more fun than we thought. I practiced my cartwheels and handstands while she did her flips and worked the uneven bars. Then we jumped around on the trampoline runway thingie for a bit. So much fun! Then i plopped down breathless on the mat and watched the boys wrestle.. *awooOo!

Friday the 13th was gloomy and blah, and so was my mood. I kind of just wanted to relax indoors, so i dyed my hair red.. but it's not red because my hair is so dark and natural that it did a very poor job of picking up the dye! ugh i'm gonna have to do it again with a stronger dye and leave it in way longer.. Then, last minute i decided to go out. At 11 pm. A friend was having his birthday party at a big multi-level club in the city.. uugghhh big clubs.. just the thought of them makes me feel old lol. I got in for free though.. there would be no other way! lol or else you'd find me someplace else hahaa. blaahh! But i actually had some fun, especially when Wil.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas got on the DJ wheels. He caught me off guard as one of the most amazing dj's i've partied with, almost up there with DJ AM <3. He made might night. So did Hunmin of course ;)

Saturday was a night i was anticipating for weeeks! It was the big Pacquiao vs. whoever fight. I'm joking.. i meant Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight. I was determined to watch it and was ready to visit some friends' houses or hit up a bar to watch. But my dear hunnie decided to order it at his house and have a party! yay! Major excitement! Alongside 10 or 11 people, rows of beer and wine, junkfood, and beer pong, it was a Pacquiao house that night-- save for one person rooting for Cotto just to root for the underdog lol. When Pacquiao won, the living room went in an uproar. And i was the only Filipino, so that was very much appreciated! Thank You!!!

On Sunday, because of such an exciting Saturday night, i slept in late and didnt do much of what i wanted to do that day... i was pretty bummed and had a sad face for a while. Hunmin's friends came over and i watched him fix both of their cars while i sat on the porch steps and played with the dog. Then when i got tired of doing that, i went inside, turned on the tv and was so happy to see "Bring It On" playing! Only one of my most favorite movies of all time!! haha. Yay again. They saw it with me too bwahaha. Then we had a sort of double date.. to Pathmark! lol jp. Well we had to go to Pathmark to get ingredients to make our homecooked dinner! Ribeye steak, mashed potatoes from scratch, garlic bread, grilled mushrooms, stirfried veggies... and the boys grilled the steak in the backyard! Ooh and let's not forget my red wine! mmmm yummy dinner made me so stuffed. Then more friends came over for a big, loud, competitive game of Cranium!! aahhh love that game! We won ;) ..It was a good Sunday after all.

Monday, my 5th and last day =( . I had lunch with the dear biff, then i left to pick up my best friend Kim at the airport. She was one of the girls i was supposed to go to Aruba or Cancun with =T . So when that plan fell through, she went to California to visit family instead. Lucky girl! We filled each other in the whole ride to her house, and once we got there, she vomitted in her driveway. aaahh am i that bad of a driver?? Well considering we were stuck in an hour's worth of traffic by the Lincoln Tunnel, i was feeling a bit nauseated too. I helped her bring her suitcases in while Kim's younger brother hauled his suitcases out of the house and on the way to the airport to visit the Philippines! With Kim coming back from vacation, and her brother leaving for vacation, i'm itching for one of my own now! But my long weekend was still just as good and better .. When i got home, I spent some time with my mom and brother. It's rare that my mom and I have the same nights off and that we're both home. It's even more rare that the three of us are home! So it was nice.

You know what else is nice?? Sleeping in my comfy fluffy bed right now =) .

Good night!! <3

Taking a *short* Break from Flying

Wonder Woman loves to fly, but it's become quite tiring living out of a suitcase! Almost every month since January, I've gone away somewhere within the country. Let's go through a quick recap:

January- Savannah, GA and Key West, FL
April- San Diego, CA
May- Los Angeles, CA
June- Los Angeles, CA
July- Dallas, TX
August- Los Angeles, CA
September- Las Vegas, NV

February was a weekend roadtrip to the wineries in Long Island, and in March i spent a good deal on a former boyfriend's birthday lol so that left me with little resources for a vacation. Nevertheless, all those expenses were worthwhile, some more than others (Vegas!!). On another note, you can tell how much i love my job.. i love it so much that it makes me want to get away all the time! ;P But for October, i think it's safe to say i'll be sticking around here, mainly because i'm looking forward to HALLOWEEN, and what better place to spend it then in NJ/NYC!? It's my 2nd favorite holiday ever, next to Christmas. I tend go a bit overboard with costumes (i usually get them tailored hehee) and celebrating (which lasts the weekend).

By the time November comes along, i know i'll be itching to get away again. My girls are already in talks over Cancun or Aruba for several days that month... and i'm personally planning a trip to San Fransisco in December for a long overdue visit to see my family and to *ahem*look for a job*ahem*sshhh!*. .. Then January 2010 will probably find me international-- on a snowboarding trip in Canada, and a Bahama cruise in February! The travel planning never ends! I do love it though ;) and so does my carry-on suitcase. ♥

It was Beautiful

i wrote this in 2005..
guess there are some things about me that just don't change.

i'm like a bird, i'll only fly away.
i dont know where my soul is.
i dont know where my home is.

Embodying The Conqueror

I randomly get spammed with Daily Tarot Card emails, which usually get disregarded. Today was an exception as I couldn't help but notice how closely it related to my personal situation with work:

"The World card suggests that my alter ego is The Conqueror, whose superpower lies in graduation to the next level. Today I am free. I have accomplished my mission and feel on top of the world. I will enjoy the experience to its fullest. I have come full circle on my path to success. My job is done, my dream fulfilled, and I have gained their respect. Accept and embrace the journey taken. It has served great purpose in my growing wiser and stronger, and has provided a sense of relief in that now it's complete."

...This morning i finished the last night of my SICU orientation, and finally got my SICU wings! It was a long 4-month road, and now the youngest ICU nurse at BIMC is flying on her own! *Hmmm, what's next on my "To-Conquer" list?? hehee ;)

-S-

4 JULY 2009!

America's birthday weekend is over. With my plate full of classwork and studying, I didn't plan on really celebrating. Plus i would've hated to be around the Hudson River with all the messy crowds =P . But around noon on the 4th, i had a change of heart and called up my girls Kim & Ingrid. It was just in the nick of time because Kim was just leaving for Staten Island to meet Ingrid at the Sarmiento's house for a bbq! So i quickly got ready and left with her. I'm so glad i went out beceause i had so much fun and met so many cool new people! There's a bunch of pictures from it floating around Facebook if you're friends with me or anyone who was there lol.

For a nice little recap of the night, i'm taking a quote from Genevieve, who was hostess of the whole thing, along with her siblings Steph and Ted:

The morning started with breakfast for 10. Everyone rising like sluggish corpses searching for fresh coffee and food was a sight to see. With everyone's help the afternoon was spent transforming the abode into its well acclaimed party house now known as "Firepit Lounge". 3pm grill started and doors opened. Family and friends pour in. Bocce ball game in full swing. Conversations and laughter so loud u can hear around the block. Sunset quickly arrives and the music starts. PERFECT. Night fall the fireworks show begins. The dance floor is PACKED with 50 of our friends and family at minimum. A group of us decide to sit on the lawn and have our own little family moment. Fireworks in full swing and i realize almost everyone stopped dancing to enjoy the view. The shows done but the party continues. People continue to flow in. Flip cup is in full effect on 2 of the tables. Dancing continues til 4am. Closing time. Music comes to a slow pace. People say their goodbyes.

The next day they had another bbq with drinks again, but i decided to stay in and finish up my case study. BLaH! Well, one night of crazy memories is enough for me hehee.

Hope yours was fun too!

I Built a Bridge!

Halloooo!! here i am! sorry for the huge gap from my last post to now! But this is my bridge that i just built! walk with me :)

So much has been going on. For one, i've been on my toes in the SICU. I'm still under training there! can u believe it? this is my 4th month, and it's been a vigorous orientation. Even though i'm in the last leg of my training (i'm on my own in a couple weeks), I feel like there's still SO much more i need to learn! I started off training on days.. and just a few weeks ago i switched to nights. I'm back in Vampire status! Nights is just as crazy as days. There's just different routines at night. The staff on both shifts have been more than helpful and welcoming to me. I'm so thankful for that! There's more young blood on days though hehee, which makes it super fun. At nights, it's the older veteran Filipino nurses, but it's also good because i can learn to be tough and autonomous. i feel like i'm working with 5 of my moms every night! hehee I'm the youngest ICU nurse there. It's all been so cool! I love it! i love it! i love it! And on my days off, i read up on critical care for fun.. yes, i said for fun hehee leave me alone!

And as if i didn't have enough to study, in May I enrolled in a class at UMDNJ towards my Master's degree. Just one class for now. Clinical Pharmacology, but *argh* it takes up a big chunk of my time! every other week is a case study, and the other weeks is an exam! If i didnt have Carol taking the class with me, i think i'd go bald and insane! but i need this. i want to keep myself busy and productive. and now all these drugs make more sense to me hahaa i feel the powerr!

Another thing that takes up a major amount of my time, and happily so, is Howieeee!! =) yaayy i love him! We both work so so so so so much (him especially), but we make time. It's been alot of fun exploring new restaurants for brunch, lunch, dinner.. ordering in "Yummy House" delivery.. and abusing our Netflix hahaa. i also was his cheerleader whenever he had a basketball or football game. he's a jock. a jock doc! Well, he finished his residency last month and now he's in LA for his fellowship. So he's there, and i'm here.. which is how i finally have time to blog! lol jp. but really, it's been an awesome adventure. I've already been there twice, helping him find an apartment and moving in. he has a sweet apartment! LA is a pretty cool place to visit (not somewhere I'd want to live though hehee i ♥ NY-- and SF!). I know he will make history in LA, leave a legacy for others to follow, and just be GREAT.

Meanwhile, all work and no play makes Shirl a dull dull girl, so i've been avoiding dull-ality at all costs! Even though i've been on orientation, i managed to make time to fly out to San Diego, LA twice, and this Wednesday, i'm flying to Dallas to meet up with Howie and, conveniently, see my dad who lives there! it will be my first time in Dallas, YEE-HAW! lol i cant wait to say that when i land, i've always wanted to do that!

Ok so that's my bridge. Thanks for taking the walk with me :) You will hear more from me more often, because i think i finally got a hold of this time management thing.

See ya!

So You Think You Can Dance?

I haven't been watching this season, but i came across a routine on YouTube that moved me to post it on here. This is Chelsea Highwater (hot) and Mark Kanemura (double hot) dancing hip hop to "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. Triple hot!!

I Am the Decisive Element

Had an extraordinarily great yoga session today at St. Mark's in the East Village. That was much needed, given the stress and uneasiness i've been feeling recently.. including planning and re-planning Howie's surprise birthday (which, according to him, was "a smashing success" ♥), mentally preparing myself for the SICU, uncontrollably eating way out of my usual!, and some personal issues with Love. Regardless of whether or not those emotions were necessary, i did feel them! and they were valid at the time!! Anyhow, i just needed to simply relax. So with every deep breath, i exhaled one thing that used to bother me; and with every concentrated pose, i focused on producing positive outcomes, pushing myself to ACT instead of wasting time worrying and then subconsciously forming evil thoughts in my head that cloud all the rest of my rationality.

I'm a worry-wart, i know.
That's something i have to work on...

By the end of the hour-long exercise, my mind was so clear i could see through my closed eyes! As we were lying there, the instructor read this quote that impacted me so much i felt like it was directed towards ME. I totally became a part of that quote, and i'd like to share it with you now:

I AM THE DECISIVE ELEMENT
by Goethe

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides
whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated,
and a person is humanized or de-humanized.
If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.
If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become
what they are capable of becoming.

* * *

I love how Life answers my questions in the most amazing, unforeseen ways. I feel much better now.

Namaste. =)

Happy Birthday to My Amazing Boyfriend!

After weeks of stressful planning, and with the help of his awesome friends, I was able to pull off a wonderful surprise for Howie's birthday! Aside from a minor setback which caused additional stress that Howie created (lol he made me tell him which restaurant i was taking him to, then he changed it! it ended up being better than the original idea though. hehe), things went pretty smoothly, and more! It was a delightful success!

He was on-call during his birthday weekend, which is most unfortunate but not quite surprising considering his profession, but I decided Friday (yesterday) would be the best day. We celebrated in TriBeca. I treated him to an amazing French dinner at Chanterelle topped off with a specially made birthday dessert from the chef. That dinner itself would've sufficed to make for a remarkably special--and highly romantic--celebration! But we didn't stop there. After dinner, we walked over to M by Megu for drinks, where he was pleasantly SURPRISED by some of his closest friends! One of those friends is director of the place so she helped me set it up. Gotta love open bar with a professional mixologist! He kept those delicious cocktails coming. There was green tea cake! I'm so glad they were able to make it. That was an incredible way for me to meet and get to know the people whom Howie holds near & dear. I learned that he's been blessed with really good friends =). You dont understand the pains i went through finding these people whom i hardly know, getting their emails and hunting them down on FaceBook (lol), messaging them, then making a detailed Evite to send out 2 days before showtime, and repeatedly making sure of each one's confirmations!! hahaha. *pphhheewww!!!

Thank goodness his birthday only comes once a year!

Aside from planning for that night, i spent the other half of my time getting his gift. At first i was racking my brain on what to get, because i simply didn't know! But all i had to do was take a few moments to think about him, and the ideas came rolling. Instead of 1 thing, i got him 5. hehee. Aren't i sweet? ;)

oh yea, and today (his actual birthday) he was surprised once more by his cousin and her bf with another yummy birthday cake! I just realized that altogether, he had 3 birthday cakes with candles to blow out. Wow , his birthday turned out to be better than planned. ♥

gosh i'm tired! goodnight =)

I'm On a Good Music Roll!

I've been browsing Pandora and Imeem for the past 2 hours, and found a bunch of songs that tugged at my heart! Gotta take notice when that happens, which is rare and always comes unexpectedly. =)

p.s.- Songs 7 to 10 are only snippets, so click on the link below to pop up the playlist in a separate window & hear them all in full length!
So Happy

Slumdog Song Remixed by The Pussycat Dolls

A.R. Rahman, the genius behind the finale song "Jai Ho" for Slumdog Millionnaire, proves just how genius he can be. He collaborated with The Pussycat Dolls to make an awesome remix AND a sexy music video! ENJOY it below. Btw- exactly what nationality is Nicole Scherzinger? I thought she was part Filipina or some type of Asian.. Hawaiian.. but here she looks Indian. Whatevs, she's always been hot. ;)

S.I.C.U. woohoo!

(Surgical Intensive Care Unit)

oh dear. is this going to be a monthly blog? i sure hope not! i used to be able to blog every other day. Well, so much has happened.

About a month ago, i received a phone call from my awesome nurse manager that a full-time, night-shift SICU position just opened. Mind you, i got this news via voicemail, since she called during the day while i was asleep. Thank goodness my hunger woke me up a little past noontime to get the message! Anyway, in her message, she had spoken with the nurse manager in SICU about me and suggested i apply for transfer there, saying it will be a good transition for me. I jumped out of bed and squealed! I had to listen to the message again. Immediately i called her back and told her of my strong interest in transferring... then i caught myself, hoping she didn't interpret my excitement as wanting to leave her unit, 4 Linsky! (I do love my coworkers on 4 Linsky). I let her know that i would certainly apply to transfer, and she warned me to do it as soon as possible, as the postings are only up for a week. What she didn't know was that i was just 1 block away from the hospital! lol i was at Howie's. In a matter of one hour, i went to the nursing office, filled out the form, went to the SICU, spoke with the nurse manager, handed her a copy of my application (she was surprised to see me just minutes after she spoke with my manager. hahaha), then, after several failed & frustrated attempts at faxing it to HR, i actually cabbed it to the HR office in Midtown to personally hand in the paper myself!! *phew! .. then i called back my manager and told her I DID IT! in a matter of a one hour lol.

i crossed my fingers that week...

i made sure i kept busy in order to refrain myself from paranoia and anxiety. Thank goodness that was the weekend of Valentine's and President's Day, when Howie took me on a Long Island expedition hehee (see previous blog) ♥. I even picked up an overtime shift. thank goodness, really! or else i would've gone mad.

Then, that next week, i got another phone call from my manager, of course during the day, and of course while i was sleeping! So i got the GREAT NEWS via voicemail again that my transfer application was approved! I suddenly felt relief, followed by lots of "omg OMG omg omg omg OMG!!!!!" hahaha. i'm going to the SICU! i'm gonna run with the big boys! *pause*...wow.. i don't know anything! oh man, i'm scared.

I guess i must've done something right at work for my manager to go ahead and recommend me to the sicu. I'm amazed she remembered my plan to work there one day--the last and only time i mentioned that was way back during my job interview with her! which is why i think she's so awesome. So my official start date is in two weeks. Orientation will start on DAYS, M-F. My sleeping schedule will totally be out of whack. At least i'll have my weekends off. And the best part is i will finally have the same schedule as Howie, yay! Until then, we're like passing ships. He gets out of work in the evening, and we see each other for literally 30 minutes (out of the whole day!) before i leave for work at 7pm! and i work every other weekend, and even still, on some weekends that i'm off, he'd be ON CALL!! *arrgghh, i really hated it when he's on-call during my weekends off. It got a bit depressing. So our synched scheds is the upside of being on days temporarily.

Although it makes me sad knowing i'll miss my 4L coworkers, i'm looking forward to my big move. Looking at the big picture, this is something i really want and need in order to reach my goals. Besides, in my heart i'll always be an Abilifly sister! heheh that's between me and 4L ;)

My Valentine's/Presidents Day Weekend

HI!

It's been a while since i blogged because i'm having so much fun with McHottie! Even though he works so many hours every day, and i work nights, we make time ♥. Well, he puts in more effort cuz it's harder for him. I'm still pretty flexible with my schedule.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear such good feedback regarding our Key West video! We fell in love in Key West, so it was a wonderful vacation. Over Valentine's/President's Day weekend, we went on another getaway to Long Island. We just wanted out of the city, primarily away from the noise. Living in Manhattan is fun... if you're awake! hehee. It's a different story when you're trying to sleep, even worse particularly for me since i have to sleep during the day! By the way, it's so funny that he lives just 3 buildings down from my old apartment, on the same block on the same side of the street! Funny i never came across him before.

Sooo i worked on Valentine's Day =P . I never took that holiday seriously, so i didn't mind. But during the day, he took me to Five Points cafe for brunch. It's surprisingly nice inside! We got there early enough to snag a table in the back under the ceiling windows. Smoked salmon on top of eggs florentine hit the spot. Churros dipped in mexican hot chocolate are to die for! and if you're a weirdo like my boyfriend and like bloody maries, they're actually really good there.

Sunday and President's Day were spent in Long Island. First stop on the trip was Flushing Queens where he took me to this dim sum place for lunch. It was crowded and we waited about 20 minutes to be seated, but it was worth it!! The food kept on coming! Soup dumplings *delish! Then we went to Hauppuage and checked into the large Hyatt Regency, in the middle of peace & quiet =). Normally a night is $200, but we got it for $52! amazing! We went swimming for a bit, then got ready for dinner. I made reservations for Honu, a Hawaiian restaurant in Huntington. That place is gorgeous! We sat by the fireplace and got waited on by the nicest, most knowledgable server.

The next day we went to the eastern part of LI and visited 2 wineries: Paumonauk Vineyards in Riverhead, and Wolffer Estates in the Hamptons. I brought home a bottle of Vin Rose, a sweet fruity blush. I wanted to also get the Claletto Amarone style Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, which is by far the best red i've ever tasted, but it was too much $$. Anything Amarone fits my taste.

We got back fairly early in the evening, but i was so tired from our adventures, i fell asleep right away while he stayed productive and reviewed research papers and prepared for conferences. He's got limitless energy for someone who drove the whole trip! That doesn't say much for me, hehee =P i love to sleep! Eventually however, i woke up and we finished the second half of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist". That movie is too cute! We really liked it, especially for the reason that it's totally set in Downtown, so we were calling out the places during the movie hehe.

That's pretty much it! I hope yours was great too!

I posted pictures on my FaceBook. Enjoy =)

I Made a Key West Video!

i love doing these things! it takes me forever, but the end product is always worth it. We made so many wonderful memories from this vacation that i want to share them! ENJOY!!

Songs:
1. "The Zephyr Song" -Red Hot Chili Peppers (cover)
2. "Brown-Eyed Girl" -Van Morrison
3. "Starlight" -Muse

Stay tuned til the end for the BLOOPERS & CANDIDS hehee ;)
♥

Even Wonder Woman Needs a Hero

I'll always remember what someone told me when it comes to finding the right person. She told me:

"Find a man who's two steps ahead of you."

She meant someone who'll make you want to better yourself; who will motivate, encourage, and support you along the way.. Someone who stands to be an example of the type of person you admire and want to be. I used to think it would be hard to find such a person because i'm always striving for the best and going for novel challenges i can learn from. Who's going to be ahead of that?? I wanted to meet someone who was passionate about everything in his life and strives for the best in everything, because that's how i am. After a while, i came to accept that the only men who would fit my criteria is an aerospace engineer, a neurophysicist, and Leonardo DiCaprio. What were my chances?

Against all odds, i think i found him. Well, he found me. =)

Superman swept Wonder Woman off her feet.

Our Song

Enjoy!

On Current Repeat

i know this song has been out for a while, but i dunno why it took me this long to notice it.

My fave line:

i swore i'd never fall again,
but this dont even feel like fallin."

Detoxing.. Just for 2 Days hehe

I had too much alcohol this past weekend!

Last night was the charity event for NY Cares with Lola's Rags fashion show at Fontana's. It was my 2nd Lola's Rags show. This one had a better turnout than the last. Until i get the professional photos from the designer, here's one from my camera:


Lola's Rags is inspired by 1920s fashion, focusing on lingerie. I loved all the looks. It was really crowded there. We had a runway set up, but by showtime, so many people had packed themselves in, that the runway shrunk to a small circle lol. But the main point of the event was to raise funds for NY Cares projects, mainly aiding the homeless of NYC. And since there were so many guests, i'm happy to say it was a success =)

Afterwards, i met Dr. McHottie at his friend's bday dinner at Typhoon on St. Mark's, then we partied at Rewind.. Asian'd out! But still fun. McHottie introduced me to sooo many of his friends! i feel bad to admit i cant recall all their names. I had never-ending Stoli blue & sprites hehee, which is partly to blame for that! I drank more than i told myself i'd drink, but what else is new? =P

I woke up early the next morning to run some errands, then met my coworkers for breakfast at The Pancake House in Fort Lee. YUMMY CREPES! Afterwards, we all had an hour-long roadtrip to central Jersey to visit our former coworker, Roma. She has a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment right across from the beach! We brought food and wine, drank and laughed. There were ALOT of us, so it was loud and rowdy! The work stories we shared were hilarious, and if u were there, u probably would've been offended and grossed out! I love getting together with them because, as nurses, we can all relate with each other. Plus the gossip is priceless! hahaha. i feel really lucky to have ended up with such a great group of people to work with. We totally rock! I will post pics when i get them.. We took so many.

man, i'm still full. I'm trying to detox starting now until Wednesday when i leave for Key West (haha not a long enough time, i know). But now my brother wants to open up his bottle of Cabernet, and i cant say no to red wine! I guess i'll have one more drink ;p

3 more days til Key West! woohoo!! McHottie is setting up scuba diving lessons for me so we can go diving by the reefs! aah i'm too excited for this vacation!

enjoy the video!

Another Charity Event & Fashion Show

For the Love of Fun, Fashion, and Philanthropy...

THE BIG TEASE II: A WINTER WONDERLAND

Hosted by: NY Pin-Up Photography Group, NY Cares, and Lola's Rags

Date: Saturday, 1/24/09

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Location: Fontana's

Address: 105 Eldridge St. (b/w Grand & Broome) NY, NY 10002

Contact Info: shirleen@vzw.blackberry.net

Description:
Another charity fundraising/fashion event! If you came to our last party in November, you know this will be lots of fun and for another great cause!

In November, we raised funds for Orphan's International World Wide (OIWW), a non-profit organization that gives financial aid to children left orphaned from natural disasters. This time, our goal is to help NY Cares, an organization aiming to mobilize volunteers to take action against serious social issues facing our city. With current econimic conditions worsened by the wintry weather, we're targeting help for the homeless of NYC.

A donation of $15 at the door is all we ask. 100% of proceeds will go towards NY Cares.

* * *
Featuring:
A fashion show with 1920's-styled lingerie, designed by Lola's Rags
- A burlesque performance, featuring La Maia
- Carnival acts
- Live Music and DJ
- Raffles and door prizes
- Gift bags
- more

* * *
See u there! ♥

>NY CARES

"Flying" Can Be an Unfavorable Superpower

bubbz.

You're beautiful. That's for sure.
You'll never ever fade.
But it's not for sure that i won't ever change.
And though my love is true and rare,
I'm like a bird: i'll only fly away.
I don't know where my soul is. I don't know where my home is.

Your faith, and your faith in me, brings me to tears.
And it pains me so much to tell that u don't know me that well,
Though u know my love is rare and true..

It's not that i wanna say goodbye,
It's just that everytime we try at this thing call Love,
Each and every single day,
I know that i'll eventually have to give u away.
I'm just scared that we may fall through.

And baby all i need for u to know is
I'm like a bird: i'll only fly away.
I don't know where my soul is. I don't know where my home is.

He looks into her eyes and, through a smile, tells her,

"You're perfect."

She held him closer, and spoke in his ear,

"There's no such thing as perfect."

Without a pause, he responded, "Perfect for me."

<3

Sealed and Solid.

20JANUARY2009 - Inauguration Day.

The whole world watched as we welcomed our leader. He didn't fail to captivate us with every word and action. I was amazed at how he spoke with passion... and he didn't read from any paper or teleprompter. Everything he spoke came from his head and i believe from his heart too. With millions--likely even billions--of people before him, filled with hope and waning dreams, how could he not stand for doing the right thing? Let's remember that he's not alone. We all have our parts to do.

THOUGH THE WORLD IS BIG AND WONDERFUL, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR NARROW-MINDED IGNORANT PEOPLE.

CHANGE is inevitable, but PROGRESS is in our hands. Let's do this together!

On a lighter side, i went on Obamicon.me and made myself a logo similar to Obama's "Change" ad, in the form of my day job: Wonder Woman! hehe. With her truth lasso, she fights for the Truth and WORKS FOR LOVE. =)

Chasing the Sun: Key West!

I just came back from a nice vacation in Savannah, GA where the weather was 60s and sunny, and, not wanting to be in this freezing winter of NJ/NYC right now, i just booked another vacation in Key West, FL! I'm chasing the sun by heading back South again. I just checked the forecast, and it's 70s-80s and sunny!! i'm so excited!! Leaving at the end of this month hehe.

Aside from lazying on the beach, we're planning to do lots of water activities, which i think are way more fun than winter activities =P. Scuba diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, SWIMMING... and we're definitely renting a moped to explore the island. *weeee =)

Here's the view from our resort hotel!

Here's the famous Key West sunset. So romantic.

i deserve this.. i know the dr definitely does. gosh he works so hard =)