April Ordonez in San Diego

Coughing, snotting, blagh

I'm quite the germaphobe. I have antibacterial wipes, antibacterial gel, I'm constantly washing my hands with antibacterial soap and hot water...

I'm also quite the healthy eater, constantly at Whole Foods or Henry's, buying organic food, shampoo, lotion, detergent and dish soap.

I also take a vitamin supplement each day, along with a bottle of Ensure and DanActive.

I also run a lot. And do those machines at the gym.

But I still get colds. Blast them to hell. Just because I gave my sick boyfriend a tiny, tiny peck on the lips. Oh, I also accidentally drank from his water bottle (after I ripped off my label to recognize which was virus-free. Dangit.).

I asked my chiropractor if he had any recommendations to get rid of colds. Besides vitamin C (which I'm on 1,000 mg/day right now), he mentioned Nutribiotic, which I began dropping into my juice.

I feel better, despite running a fever last night. I've been using my nasal rinse, too, and that helps with my post-nasal drip issue.

Lots of rest, napping and my chicken broth, ginger and scallion soup help a lot, too.

Lesson learned? Don't be a ding dong and drink from the wrong water bottle when the wrong water belongs to a person with a cold. Your attempts at healthiness will suddenly seem futile (even though they're not). I just hate being sick. Boo.

Hello, stranger!

It's been a while since I've blogged, but here I am!
I've been busy with lots of things, like the Iron Girl competition in Del Mar, which I did with my mom, and training for the America's Finest City Half Marathon and 5K (doing the 5K, of course!).

Funny how your goals change as you grow older.

My priorities are still the same, and I'm living by the words of Gandhi, being the change I wish to see in the world.

Sometimes it's hard because  I get tired, physically, mentally, but there are still so many things I want to do in the world.

Here's Batman and me. Drawn on the wall of the La Jolla Athenaeum by Jim Lee.

Not that it has anything to do with me being the change I wish to see in the world, but it's just me, enjoying art in my hometown. Maybe I wish to see more art appreciation? I think there will be lots in San Diego this weekend...

::sigh:: Thank goodness it's Friday!! I'm going to keep listening to The Association and The Guess Who and I'm going to enjoy this time between now and the actual weekend...

xoxo

Random, unusual, visual inspiration

Boyfriend's shirt.  Portable heater.  Water bottle.  Henri Bendel candle.  Buddha.

 

Mira Mesa, Where the Party at!!!

I went to my 10 year high school reunion this past weekend.  I had a great time and saw a whole bunch of former classmates whom I spent so much time with back in the mid-to-late 90's, but I was left wondering, is a decrease in reunion attendance a result of social networking sites such as MySpace?  What do you think?  Is obsolescence just around the corner for high school reunions?

I had my chakras balanced today!

I had a 10-minute introductory session to healing touch last year at Sharp HealthCare's Women's Health Symposium.  I felt so much clarity and relaxation running through my body after that quickie that I had to do the full hour at Grossmont Hospital.
Here's a brief intro to chakras.
Time to balance my TV chakra - Grey's Anatomy and The Office!!!  Yay!

Sunday night laundry!

What my boyfriend and I are currently doing:

I know.  We're nuts.  But did YOU know how to properly fold a fitted sheet without it looking like a huge rolled-up sock?

Cat on a hot tin roof...

I thought I saw Nick Lachey tonight at Eden's beautiful rooftop lounge at The Ivy, but he didn't look buff enough...

Checklist for this past week

• Drinking single malt scotch whiskey
• Drinking single malt scotch whiskey while smoking a cigar
• Eating a grilled buffalo burger.  Rugged. Grrr.
• Watching Couture defeat Gonzaga

Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.
I think I was a dude last week.

Yay, congrats!

Congrats to the cast of Spring Awakening for winning 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Best Score!

Go watch it, now.  It was really good, the boys are cute, and the music ROCCKKKKS.  AND you get to see one of the cute boys' booty.  TWICE!

=)

6/11/06

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the last day that I hung out with my Nanay. 

It was weird, because shortly after midnight, as I drove home and turned into the street that I live on and switched the station to 102.1, I heard "Red Red Wine" by UB40, which is THE song that makes me think of Nanay.  I tried not to cry...

I was already thinking about her, so to hear that song right when she was on my mind just made me question whether or not that was a coincidence. 

It also happened that, on our first visit to her grave after her death, my mom, sister, and I went to buy some flowers at the cheap flower stand under the 805 at the Palm Avenue exit.  My mom freaked out because as she paid for the flowers, the florist's cellphone starts ringing and the ringtone was "Red Red Wine."

And when my cousins and I all went to Disneyland, as we ate dinner in Downtown Disney, one of the songs that played at the restaurant was the same song.

What is that?!  Why does that happen? 
I mean, there's part of me that says, It's just a coincidence, but then why do we hear it at seemingly appropriate moments?

I see pictures of my grandma and it's like she was just here.  I hear her voice...I even smelled someone wearing her perfume yesterday...  I just can't believe she's gone.  I'm never going to hug her again.  I'm never going to hold her hand again.  I'm never going to kiss her cheek again.  Her cooking, her singing, her voice, her scent...  It's hard to think that it's forever and that everything's only a memory now.

She took care of my sister and me.  She lived at our house for a while.  She was honestly a second mother to us.
She was the center and the rock of our family - we would always go to her place for the holidays.
I remember both my Nanay and Tatay visiting us in Virginia Beach back in the 80's.
I remember her telling me that the guy who worked at Lenscrafters was "pogi."
I remember my grandparents taking me to Seaport Village, buying me ice cream and a ride on the carousel. 
Nanay really liked perfumes and clothes...she loved to socialize...she loved to cook... she loved going to church...she loved her family.  I remember her smile, her laugh, the way her hands felt, the polish on her fingernails, her dusters, her jewelry, the way her little body felt when I hugged her...I still remember all of this and I miss it.  I miss her presence.

In the end, our whole family took care of her.  It was really hard to see her physically and mentally change during the last years of her life.

My mom, sister, and I took Nanay out after church last year on June 11.  We drove around San Diego: Coronado, La Jolla Cove...we bought some Wendy's and ate in my mom's truck.  We opened up the windows so my grandma could have some fresh air.

My sister and I hung out with her right before she had to go back into the nursing home.  We were parked right in front of the home while my mom signed some paperwork inside.  Nanay said, "I had fun today."  And we told her that we loved her.  4 days later, she was gone.

I like to think that her spirit is somewhere out there, happy and free and watching over us.

I really, really miss you, Nanay!  I can't believe it's been a year since we last spoke...