So anyway. I had to make mention of this here, before I went insane. Oh, I also stopped by Target. I had to pick-up a gift for a friend's b-day. I ended up pickin' up something for me, too. I got this book by David Sedaris, Naked. It's one of The New York Times' bestsellers. I really don't know what it's about, but here are some reviews:

"Hilariously entertaining... The essays in NAKED re-create the cathartic, the spiritual experience of laughing so hard that it hurts." - Francine Prose, New York Observer

"David Sedaris brings X-ray vision to this strip search of the human psyche, sparing no one--including himself...His work is characterized by a brazen candor, a heart of gold, and the sort of blithely sophisticated, loopy humor that might have resulted if Dorothy Parker and James Thurber had had a love child." - Entertainment Weekly

Ho-HuMm!@! Reviews are forthcoming. In the meantime, get yourself some guacamole Doritos. It'll make you feel good...

It's a gorgeous morning. So much different from the mornings that have passed. But we all know how short-lived this will be. With Hurricane Ida on the way (or whatever her name is... Ida? Irene? India? Isabel? Iko? HAHAAH...), things are gonna get a little bit TRIFE outside. So take caution, people. I think that people in the metro area are actually doing the "stock-up-and-save" at the grocery stores. I don't know. My parents have never been hard-up on that stuff. I guess, for starters, their freezer/fridge/pantry are always stocked with something. So regardless of what it is that we have to prepare, we will most likely never go hungry. In the case of a power outage, my parents will straight-up light that fireplace and cook over the fire. I KID YOU NOT. So I'm scared of the situation, but not worried. AHAHAH. I'm scared for what my parents will do to "survive." It'll be utterly embarrassing, but hey... survive the best you can, right?! But whatever, I have a feeling that Ilonna might either slow down, or decide to traverse eastward and get lost into the Atlantic. Wishful thinking, you say?! I've got my fingers crossed.

Just heard on the radio... Paris Hilton was out and about once again in Las Vegas over the weekend. Paris, being the camera/media hog that she is, was seen dancing around tables and stuff at an undisclosed bar WITH NO PANTIES. Paris Hilton went commando, ladies and gentlemen. And she wonders why people call her "skanky?!" Umm, Paris, put your panties on, please... The rich and famous, my oh my. Another friend of mine told me about how an older actor went up to her and her friend one day and asked if they'd be interested in having a threesome with him. Fortunately they declined the offer... DISGUSTING. Man, Hollywood may seem like glitz and glam, but deep inside it's all about desperation and psychological issues mounting to an even greater psychological warfare. I totally made that up, but it sounded cool, right?! *teehee* It's Tuesday... The week's only just begun...to liiiiivvveeeeee!!!

Well, at least we can dwell on the trappings of cool weekends just to keep us alive and kickin' throughout the week...until another weekend steps in to take you away from reality, even for just a swift moment. This past weekend was, for me, just plain GREAT. It was probably one of the most low-maintenance weekends, yet one of the most inspiring. It wasn't so much awe-inspiring, but a more "wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee" kind of inspiration. And it's so funny because I had an e-converstation with a good friend of mine last Friday afternoon. We were talking about how, in our group of friends, we both sometimes feel that we drag each other down with all this negativity...just stupid stuff that we sorta tend to drown ourselves in. And it's no one's fault, really. We all take part. The thing is, negative energy is just the type of thing that sets off some equally negative behavior...even among friends. After thinking MATURELY and RATIONALLY about it, I came to a conclusion that - at least for me - I had to stop. It doesn't make me a better person to talk down about someone, even if the things I (we) talk about are true. And in the process, it doesn't make the other person any better by talking and griping about them. It's all about looking at yourself and noting all the imperfections that make you YOU. We all have our imperfections, and we all have our quirks. But is it better for us to live upholding these imperfections as a part of us that we just have to accept?! Or is it actually better for us to at least TRY to rise above those things; to do what we know is right in order to better ourselves? I mean, who are we kidding?! Real life has nothing to do with what Hollywood or television wants us to believe. Real life is all about living in the NOW, and in doing so we're entitled to make choices: choices that either make us better day-by-day, or choices that set us back completely.

I attended a retreat this weekend which seemed to totally speak to me about this very concern. Like I told my friend last Friday, I want to be able to have friendships that don't have to resort to talking about other people, and especially ranting about others' misfortunes, misgivings, and misunderstandings. Instead, I want to have friendships where we actually learn from one another, and help each other out to become better than we were the day before. And I'm not talking about materially or physically, but mentally and spiritually. Let's face it, materialism is NOTHING and it doesn't have any bearing on what types of people we are inside. Materialism is all a facade, and while it feels good to be garbed in, or do, fine things every so often, it doesn't make us. Even the richest person, who wines and dines at the world's best, would be no one of significance if he/she doesn't remember where he/she comes from, who he/she is, or what he/she stands for. This weekend retreat made me realize that, and it reminded me that it's better for us to look at each and everyone's popsitive qualities, rather than to dwell on someone's negative ones.

It was very interesting because this weekend I was able to re-relate to two people who were becoming more and more difficult for me to bear; difficult to love, even. And the thing is, these two people were - at one point - very dear to me...friends that I really cared about despite their misgivings and short-comings. In the course of the past few years I've totally lost myself in those relationships...always giving in to feelings of remorse for certain stupidly-candid things that they've done either to me or to our common friends. These people have made some stupid decisions in life, and they may have done some equally tasteless things. But in the grand scheme of things, those are just some things that they might have to go through individually in order to learn SOMEthing of value in their lives. And while I may not have chosen the same route as they have, it doesn't make me any better. I, too, have my crosses and my own struggles so I shouldn't be so judgemental. I come from humble beginnings, too, and that truth will remain with me forever.

So this weekend, after hearing all the talks and sharings, I was definitely moved in many ways. One of the people that I was truly dis-engaged with actually took time to "talk" to me to just sort of explain themself to me. I appreciated this, and even appreciated the person more when they totally lifted me up... Despite how mean or cold I may have become towards to this person, they still had the heart to lift me up. And that, to me, was very Godly. It was very humbling for me, and it allowed me to gain a new-found respect for this person. No matter how the person may annoy me, I think I've come to accept him/her just for who they are. I'm no better in God's eyes.

And another friend, one who I felt very close to before, had become very distant to me. Actually, I think it was a two-way street. In the process of our "issues," I think I relied too much on making him/her live up to my own personal standards. But you know what? Life isn't about making the people you care about live up to YOUR standards. Life is about simply living, and no matter what standards you hold dear, you should NOT have to impose those standards upon others. I had some great conversations with this friend all throughout the weekend, and even after the retreat was done. And you know what?! All those quirks aside, nothing about this person seemed to bother me at that point. While he/she, too, may still do things a tad bit "out-of-the-ordinary" for my tastes, it's certainly not something worth cringing over. And it certainly isn't worth placing myself above them just to feel better. In God's eyes, there are no classes, and there certainly are no boundaries.

So working out relationships with family, with friends, with loved ones... that was the theme that we tackled this weekend, and it was awesome. I was happy to even participate in this retreat with people whom I probably would never have even taken the time to talk to before. And you know what?! I've met wonderful people outside my comfort zones. It was truly an awesome weekend.

It reminds me of the movie, The Debut. In a scene where Rose was sorta of reprimanding her brother, Ben. Ben was a white-washed Pinoy, always running away from things that he had made himself believe he was NOT. But truth be told, you are what you are inside, and no matter what you do, what you wear, who you hang with, or what you plan to make of yourself... you will never change the destiny that God had given you at your birth. She told her brother, "Look around you, little brother... You're just as brown as the rest of us..." In many ways, I think we need that reality smack-in-the-face once in a while. And it could come in many ways. We gotta stop and look around us, and definitely stop running from things to displace ourselves from everyone else. While we all may be individuals on the outside, on the inside we are one in the same. And that's a reality check worth today's Monday-morning blues. (OH, and THANKS to Jericho for totally SCARING me and Jun sh*tless Saturday night! Man, me and Jun had to sleep with the lights on!! LOL!)

So it's back to reality today. But hopefully, it's a good reality that will make each NEW day look better and brighter. For now, let's worry about Hurricane Isabelle. Lord, have mercy... The rains are COMING!!!!@! LOL!