IMPORTEKNIKAICR's Xanga

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:05:33 GMT

dang. 2 years since i've last posted. alot has changed. anyone still here?

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Thu, 25 May 2006 05:45:58 GMT

Alright ladies and gentlemen, here's the official vacation video. Are you in it? Thank you to everyone who came out, took the time to chill and caught up with me on lost times! What an awesome time! My friends rock! This is dedicated to all of you! Enjoy!

P.S. All of the pics and video are up on my myspace page also! Leave me some love!

Friday, April 21, 2006

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 23:33:03 GMT

[START: 7:30P.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "Have A Party" - Mobb Deep, 50 Cent & Nate Dogg]

Here's 3 words for anyone in Jersey reading this.

1. Me!
2. Jersey!
3. May!

Be there or be square. Get at me ladies and gentlemen to join in on the festivities. LMAO!

Here's a few more...

1. Let's
2. Get
3. Crazy
4. Jersey
5. Style!

Who's down to play? I have a new cell phone number for those who still has my old Jersey one. Need it? Get at on Xanga, MySpace, Friendster, AIM, YIM or E-Mail.

By the way, I took my NET (Nursing Entrance Test) on Thursday. 50% is passing. That's pretty scary. I don't know about you but I'd be pretty apprehensive about any nurse who scored a 50% taking care of me! LMAO! Well, nonetheless, I scored an 84%! Rest assured you will be safe in my hands. ;P My percentile ranking? 94th percentile. I know, I know, coulda done better. LMAO. JK! So with this, come May, we're all celebrating. Ya heard?

Monday, April 10, 2006

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 05:17:44 GMT

[START: 1:17A.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "Do You Wanna Roll" - RL Feat. Snoop Dogg, Lil' Kim]

So let's review, shall we? It's been almost 3 months since I've last done anything on the Xanga. Shame on me, I know. Pictures? Absolutely! I got plenty of those. ;P This is 56k death folks! Anyone outside of broadband, please close now!

Just a quick list of events (in somewhat chronological order) since I've last written on Xanga.

- I returned the Nikon S4. The functionality and versatility is great. By that I meant, its swivel feature. Image quality was decent, but other than that, it sucked. Low light processing is horrible. Not to mention, unless you're a robot, expect alot of blurry pictures due to the lack of an image stabilizer. What did I get instead? I upgraded and purchased the new...

Sony Cybershot DSC N1. What's the verdict? Flawless in my opinion, for a point and shoot that is, outside of the fact that it does not have a viewfinder for those extremely sunny days. Great battery life. 300+ shots on a single charge. Image quality is great. 3" TOUCHSCREEN image display rocks! Mpeg4 video capability. What sucked? The $450-$500 price range. That's expected for an 8.1 megapixel camera though. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

- Sony 2GB high speed memory stick pro duos rocks! Sony has it on their website at $199.99 each. I paid $119.95 for the first and $56.00 for the 2nd. So basically, I got 2 for less than the price of 1 from Sony. That's what I'm talkin' about!

- Chilled with Alex, Rudy and Eugene during his visit of Daytona Beach. Good seeing you again bro. Sorry, I lost the pics. Dinner and drinks at Friday's.

- Went to Disneyworld with my sister and the kids for my niece Sarah's 9th birthday. It was fun, on a completely different level. LMAO! I mean, come on! It's Disneyworld. The happiest celebration on earth. Having bought a season pass, it's definitely going to be put to good use this year.

can't trust kids behind your back. lmao!

- Found out kuya and ate Nelly are expecting their first baby! Hooray! Due some time late October/early November.

- February 16-19th. Went to San Diego, California. I had a blast. I met Ravin for the first time after 9 years. Leaving sucked.

021606-021906: when i saw you...

on my way...

good morning!

the mountains near san diego.

when i saw you...

nini!

the squad...

555! :)

theresa and nini!

jeremiah and ruby.

ruby and nini.

boo-boo and me.

raiding chili's!

theresa's on crack. lmao!

chili's!

my baby.

theresa the pro.

nini again.

pool shark nini.

efren reyes watch out. sike. haha.

someone trying to distract. i think i missed that one too. haha.

the beautiful san diego skyline from ferry landing.

coronado bridge.

the way you looked. this place. the first taste of your lips. unforgettable.

holding the universe in my arms.

my angel sleeping.

glasses do things to me. lmao!

ooo! my first time at yoshinoya!

shopping at the wal-meezy. the happiest place on earth. haha.

theresa workin' the machine at sequan.

the madness begins for greg's birthday. happy birthday!

my love and greg.

the ladies.

skyy to the dome.

the buzz begins. check the cheeks.

the big deuce-deuce.

l.a. niggas are crazy! haha.

one of oliver's many talents. haha.

i think sleeping might be the other.

i realized ONE thing on this day. 021806.

good-lookin' out theresa. hater. haha.

my baby. my chauffer. haha. jk.

mah nigga stitch rocking the north face.

san diego international airport. 10:20P.M. sunday, february 19, 2006. leaving my heart behind. :/

until next month my love. soon enough. 143.021806.555!

- So what do I do here in Florida when I'm bored? I drive around, trespass and take lots of pics! The carbon fiber hood and carbon fiber trunk are finally on.

- March 14, 2006. My sister's birthday. We all wound up celebrating hers and mine the following weekend. Lotsa eating of course.

- March 15, 2006. My 27th birthday. Yeah, I know. I'm old. S'all good. I remain a kid inside when I need to be. It was well spent with the ones that matter the most, my family. Unfortunately, although I would have preferred it to have been spent with 2 others as well, Florida has deemed that to be not feesible. Those would be my friends and my baby. "Neni, although I can't be there with you on this day, never will one day's memory missed equate to a lifetime's yet to be discovered. "The best are for those patient enough to wait for them." I love you. 555!

- March 17, 2006. Happy 1st month Anniversary! I love you! 555!

- March 18, 2006. My baby's 26th birthday. :( Again. I wish I coulda been there to celebrate both of our birthdays and our anniversary. Sall good, I'll be there next week.

- March 23-27th. Went to San Diego again. Just can't stay away for too long, ya heard? The pictures speak for themselves...

above the clouds.

lmao!

yeah we tanked off of jack.

rawr.

take one...

take two...

take three...

take four...

my neni and stitch.

my mission is to make you smile.

gorgeous.

adjusting her balls. lmao!

gummy bears. yummy.

my baby riding a bike at dave & buster's.

the buzz begins. haha.

3/4 of the fantastic. i miss yall.

she's ready. drink in hand and all. haha.

guns and theresa don't mix. never ever fawk with theresa.

your smile is contageous.

pimp? sorta. haha.

theresa's piece. nini.

we look so dayam great together.

the san diego squad. aka "the fantastic four."

smile boo-boo!

lmao! anybody looking for a tree to rent? and this beautiful tree can be yours for only...

tankin' out again at zarlito's.

my love and i at joe's crab shack.

naomi. chris and lori's beautiful daughter.

belmont beach.

pool sharks.

i look like i know what i'm doin' huh? haha.

so beautiful. only one thing missing.

now that's better. simply amazing. a picture of perfection.

we make this city look good.

now we're tankin' out at denny's.

we're a dayam coca-cola advertisement. image props courtesy of theresa. haha.

theresa pondering life's mysteries and saving the universe all at the same time. lmao!

nini lookin' like she writing a dayam thesis.

my love. workin' them crayons.

trust. angels do sleep. i love you.

who's that little one right thurr?

"i love my GIRLfriend."

san diego international airport. monday, march 27, 2006. when i left my heart behind. again. :/

until next time my love. we will see each other again. soon enough.

i love you with all that i am. with all that i have. my heart. my mind. my body. and my soul. you are my everything. and my everything is you. 143.021806.555!

- Oh yeah, I finally took some pictures of the house interior. Thought y'all might want to check them out. Now when are y'all going to come here and visit a nigga? With the exception of Eugene. :P Here's the personal tour. Pics of upstairs and bedrooms coming soon. Enjoy!

I'm planning on visiting Jersey before the summer. Hopefully, within the next 2 months. Just a heads up for all those interested in chilling. Get at me ladies and gentlemen! Okay, that concludes my post 3 month update. Hopefully, the 200+ pics didn't mess with everyone's computer too much. LMAO!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:54:09 GMT

[START: 2:24A.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "Endlessly" By B4-4]

So this has been a -- week. What's the word? How can I explain it? In one word, it's been an "inexplicably beautiful" week. An absolute emotional rollercoaster. 9 years ago. To this day I long for your touch. And to this day it's still "Endlessly. 555."

"But if you look my way, I'll make sure you'll never hurt again."

"Sometimes, the thing you need, is the one thing you can't see."

"If you put your faith in me, How beautiful you and I would be."

"But if you look my way, I'll make sure you'll never hurt again."

A friend told me that there may in fact be a reason you've found each other again after 9 years. I say everything inevitably happens for a greater purpose. All I can do now is take it one day at a time. Baby steps.

You've told me that I've made an impact in your life unlike any other person. And now here you are. Back in my life. Again.
You've told me you don't want to lose me again, but it was then, at that very moment, that you've truly found me. Again.
You've told me things I've waited so long for to hear from you. It was then that I began falling for you. Again.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 03:06:49 GMT

[START 9:56P.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "You Know What's Up" By Donnell Jones]

ARGH! I'm back in Florida. New Jersey rocks. I miss it already. Oh well, that's life. What are you gonna do. I've made a promise to myself to be back every 6 months or so, or every break. Whichever arrives first I suppose. Hopefully this time around, y'all will come to Florida. One thing's for sure, Pinas here I come in July. Dayam, I can't believe it's been almost 20 years. I came to the United States in 1987 and haven't been back since. I feel so deprived. LMAO! I missed out on alot indeed. I've never experienced growing up in P.I. Oh well, I'll be sure to experience it all first-hand when I come through. I have to make up for all the missed time.

So my stay in New Jersey was shorter than expected. I was originally suppose to be there Monday, January 2nd, 2006, but was delayed until Wednesday afternoon. Either way, I'm just glad that I was able to make it out there. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible. Special thanks my Kuya/Ate Nelly for the ticket, to JP and his family for being so hospitable, Jerico and everyone else who made it out to come chill. It's great seeing you all again.

It's unfortunate that my stay was so short. I wish I was able to do everything and see everyone I was expecting to see. To those I wasn't able to see, hopefully next time. Nonetheless, I had a great time. Here's the instant replay...

Wednesday, January 4, 2006.

Ahh. The view out of First Class.

Wide and comfortable leather seats. Wide armrests. Crazy leg room. Great food and drinks (Sorry no pics of the food). Excellent in-flight service. Individual monitors. First Class rocks. I felt all big-baller like getting up when they called boarding for First Class passengers. LMAO! :)

The fun started early right on the plane. Screwdriver please. :X

JP, Jerico, KD, and Ron came through.
First thing we did? Drinks at Stables of course. LMAO! Everyone looking blasted.

Stable's Grease Burger!

Pitchers up!

Jerico's angry. LMAO!

KD's sauce of the day.

JP napping before Shooters.

Pool (A.K.A. "Run away from the dancers") at Shooters. So this is the 3rd time I drank today. LMAO! Bartender. Yummy!

Ryan being Ryan. Manwhore! LMAO!

Thursday, January 5, 2006.

Nothing like good sushi. I miss Jersey for this place. Jersey isn't complete without a trip out to Minado!

My first round...

Jerico's plate.

Dude, you're so not going to finish all that. LMAO!

Met up with Abby. Stable's again? LMAO!

'Nuff said. LMAO!

What's that? :P

Friday, January 6, 2006.

Caught up on some good shuteye. Slept 'til about 11.

Yes. Stable's it is again before Atlantic City.

Saturday, January 7, 2006.

Circa 10A.M. the next morning. Yeah we're freaking beat. I tripled my money! :)

KD assed out in the backseat.

Jerico?

We were supposed to go clubbing today, but wound up not going. We were so beat from Atlantic City. We all needed the rest of the day to recuperate.

Jerico, KD and I wound up hitting up one of New Jersey's many wonders at 1 A.M. Ahh yes, the diner. Union Diner. You will be missed. :/

Sunday, January 8, 2006.

How else to conclude the rest of my visit in New Jersey? Why with lunch at Minado of course!
Round one...

JP's...

Dude, you got something in your teeth. :P

Needless to say, my trip to New Jersey involved alot of eating and drinking. LMAO!

Next time? Philly, Dave and Buster's, NY clubbing/bar-hopping, Chinatown and Gray's Papaya.

Or...

Orlando, Daytona Beach, Miami/South Beach, Tampa, Disneyworld and all the other theme parks. Y'all decide. :)

Friday, December 30, 2005

Fri, 30 Dec 2005 07:49:02 GMT

[START: 9:28P.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "God Causes All Things To Grow" By Steve Green]

I'm sick and tired. I woke up at noon today. I, actually I should say, we, finally arrived last night around 8:30 EST. LMAO! I had to make sure to throw in the "EST" in there. From the jet lag, to driving through 3 time zones, it got pretty hard figuring out just exactly what time it is.

Total distance/miles driven = 2350+.
Hours on the road = 36+.
Monster Energy drinks = 1 case.
The smile and look of suprise on your parent's faces when the family's finally together = PRICELESS!

Well, it's the 29th of December. I haven't even wrapped my presents nor unwrapped mine yet. Shoot, I wasn't even home with the rest of my family on Christmas day. Allow me to explain why.

I left for Las Vegas on the 22nd. My parents had absolutely no idea of what was yet to come. As far as my parents were concerned, they were under the impression that my brother and Ate Nelly weren't planning on moving to their new home here in Florida (a block away) until after March 2006. They also had no idea that this had been planned for 2 months now. They were under the impression that I was to go to Las Vegas only to spend Christmas with my brother and Ate Nelly, then straight to New Jersey for vacation and would not be back home until January 8, 2006! Needless to say I can't remember the last New Year we were all together. It's been that long. Nevertheless, the plan was to surprise the parents on moving early when they're already there. LMAO! I wasn't even supposed to let my sister to know of the plans. I told her anyway so we could plan to open all the presents when we get there. I was to arrive in Las Vegas on the 22nd, spend the 23rd doing some site-seeing, help load everything on the 24th and begin our journey for Florida either on the 25th or 26th. My family's gonna be shocked. It'll be great! :)

Well, here's what went down with some pictures.

Thursday, December 22, 2005.
- Left Orlando at 8:35P.M. EST. Arrived in Las Vegas 11:00P.M. CMT (2A.M. EST - Yeah I was beat!)
- Caught a cold during the flight.
- Ate at this really great Chinese Restaurant, open until 5A.M.! Diamond Chinese Restaurant I think is the name? Reminded me of Chinatown!
- Stayed at Kuya JR/Ate Rose's beautiful house (friends of my brother/Ate Nelly).

Friday, December 23, 2005.
- Woke up early to pick up the rental truck from Penske. 26ft. badboy with flatbed trailer. Thank God I wasn't driving that. :P
- Came back home after picking up the truck with Kuya. Mom called and asked how everything was and what I was up to. I almost slipped. :X I said we had just gotten back from picking up the "moving truck." LMAO! I completely forgot. It was too early in the morning. I was tired and half awake. :P So she's like "Moving truck for what?" I got quiet and thought up of an excuse quick. I said "We needed to rent one to move Kuya's big screen TV and a few other things into their place." LMAO! WHEW! Good thing I played it off well. My brother went along with the story. She fell for it. My brother and Ate Nelly were dieing.
- We ate at The Cheesecake Factory with some of Kuya/Ate Nelly's friends from church for lunch. I had the Thai Cashew Chicken over rice. Not bad! Tiramisu Cheesecake. YUMM!
- Went shopping.
- Ate dinner at Kuya/Ate Nelly's friend's for a house warming party. Nothing like great Filipino food!
- Saw S.O.S (Society of Seven) with Lani Misalucha at Bally's. Awesome show! Freaking funny. Lani has an awesome voice. Not bad looking either. :P

- None of us really gamble so site-seeing at the strip it is. Good opportunity to test out my new Nikon Coolpix S4.

Saturday, December 24, 2005.
- Woke up early and got to packing and loading.
- Finished around 4P.M.
- Ate at Makino's for dinner. Awesome food. It's basically Minado for all of you eastcoast people. I've been dieing for good sushi. I haven't had good sushi since I left Jersey. They had this chocolate Fondue fountain machine. What?!?! That thing rocks!

NOTE: Needless to say, I did alot of eating while in Las Vegas. Weird thing is, I lost 3lbs. Go figure. It must've been the mean cough and cold I've had the past couple of days.

Sunday, December 25, 2005.
- A belated Merry Christmas to all!
- Kinda weird waking up on Christmas day without having everyone around. Sall good. I know it'll all be worth the wait.
- I woke up late. I wasn't feeling well from the cough and cold.
- Texted everyone a Merry Christmas. Used up all my phone's memory from received texts. LMAO!
- Ate at Kuya/Ate Nelly's friend's house again.
- Finished final preparations before the long trip ahead of us.
[Kuya/Ate Nelly and friends being silly.]

[Victoria. This baby is so adorable!]

- Went to sleep early to wake up early for the trip.

Monday, December 26, 2005.
- Woke up 2:30A.M. and were on our way around 4A.M.

[Looking scruffy with a mouthful of sunflower seeds. :P]

[My best friend during the trip.]

[Coffee and sunflower seeds. The breakfast of champions. LMAO!]

[Looking tired, bored, scruffy and did I mention tired?]

[Absolutely the most boring state to drive through! ARGH! It sucked! There's NOTHING but NOTHING!]

...FAST FORWARD 36+ LONG HOURS...

Wednesday, December 28, 2005.
- We arrived at 8:30P.M. We're all freaking beat! We tried to be incognito about the entire thing. We spent a few minutes in front of Kuya/Ate Nelly's house planning out how to surprise the parents. LMAO! We decided to just have my Kuya call to say hello and pretend as if we had just arrived at some hotel we were going to stay at while visiting Reno! LMAO! My mom so fell for it! As Kuya was talking to her on the cell, we ring the doorbell. Dad being "overly safe" walks up and peeks through the glass door with a shocked/smiling look on his face. LMAO! Ate Nelly motions him with a hush as to not to blow the surprise. Dad calls mom over to open the door and jokes with her saying it's a "multo." That's a ghost for all the non-tagalog speaking peoples. LMAO! She's like "What?" We see her walking towards the door with the cellphone to her ear with my brother talking. At this point we're all snickering and trying to hold our laughter. She peeks through the door and her reaction is absolutely PRICELESS! My parents couldn't believe it. Even as I write this, they're still in shock. My family hasn't laughed and been in such blissful elation TOGETHER amongst each other's company in such a long time! If you can do something to make your loved ones happy, I can't emphasize enough to simply DO IT! Believe me when I say, the appreciation in their eyes is worthwhile and reward enough!
[SURPRISE!]

Ahh! The things people do for the ones they love. Every bit of it. It may be for but a few seconds of momentary elation and joy. To satiate oneself in the overwhelming reaction on your loved one's faces. Seeing the years of memories yet to come in the eyes of those you love. They are all well worth the days of hard work, the time of patience, careful planning and steadfast effort. All for family. One thing is indeed certain and remains true. BLOOD is ALWAYS THICKER than WATER. I wasn't with all my family on Christmas day, but in retrospect, for such a small sacrifice, the reward exceeded my expectations for return a thousand fold. We weren't together for Christmas day, but one thing will be certain. We'll all be together into the New Year with many more to come. What an awesome Christmas present indeed. It may very well be the BEST Christmas present yet! I could earnestly care less about the presents. This was present enough! No present could replace this. My family's all together again. And this time for good. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope all of yours were as joyful and blessed as mine! Thank you God for my family and for the countless blessings they bring! You alone are the one who causes all things to grow...

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 03:47:17 GMT

[START: 11:09P.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "Doo Rags" by Nas] NOTE: Some words of wisdom and inspiration in Nas's lyrics.

"Turning nothing into something, is God work. And you get nothing without struggle and hard work!"

"I'm wanting yall to know one thing, the hardest thing is to forgive, but God does, even if you murdered or robbed, yeah it's wrong but God loves. Take one step towards Him, He takes two towards you. Even when all else fail, God supports you! ... Do your body right, it'll love you back, you only get one life and yo because of that, I'm still blazing, going out for the cause, still rocking stocking caps not for the waves, obeying no laws."

I will be home in less than 20 days! I seriously and with all honesty cannot wait! I miss New Jersey. I miss my friends. I miss everything!

Not doing anything for 6 months outside of work and school can do that to one's character, outlook and demeanor. I literally feel as though I've lived nothing but a life of monotony and responsibility for the past 6 months. I feel like I've been kept in a cage, by noone's will but my own of course. I realized that it is but a matter of accepting and relating with the situation at hand, reacting and grasping responsibilities, mustering determination and overcoming at any expense. The demands of maturity indeed.

On a brighter perspective and on many occasions, in restrospect, one will notice the rewards reaped and harvested will build an increased value, which at that point then becomes more worthwhile and meaningful when attained than previously assessed. With just the concept of sacrifice as a whole, one tends to achieve the things one normally would not have been able to otherwise. With sacrifice, I've noticed that saving/accumulating on a monetary standpoint is undoubtedly much easier. With sacrifice, one is then surprisingly able to actually attain the pleasures one's heart desires. Besides a materialistic standpoint, this correlates to many other aspects as well, may it be financially, physically, mentally and/or spiritually. And in a direct fashion, emphatically correlates with goals and endeavours as well. With sacrifice, I've learned that I am capable of achieving stability on a financial aspect, I am capable of attaining materialistic desires and despite previous misconceptions and doubts, I've learned and realized that if actively and consistently combined with determination, I have always been capable of achieving a better physical stature and fitness all along. With sacrifice, I've saved up enough to sustain myself for the months to come while attending my next semester's classes and seemingly most important at the moment, being able to come home for a week. With that, my 6 days of vacation in New Jersey will be nothing short of an opportunity to release inhibitions, stress and perhaps apprehensions. An unwinding in a sense from the reality that is life. Ahh, yes. Rest and relaxation. I will be there to bask and saturate myself in the enjoyment of that which is life, with some of those closest to me, my friends.

One thing I've learned while working out alone, one can actually focus and ponder upon multiple concepts simultaneously, yet still be able to make sense of not only the larger image's entirety, but within it, the miniscule complexities as well. It can be enlightening, refreshing and may in fact provide the clarity one seeks but cannot obtain elsewhere. I for one, can attest that I am able to focus more attention on the past, the present task(s) at hand and even on the future, all evaluated with one harmonic accord. Surprising as it may seem, working out regardless of its dynamic characteristics, possesses its own relaxing qualities. I suppose it would take one to know one. It is better experienced rather than spoken or debated upon. But take my word for it, it is not only relaxing but addicting as well. Many times you find yourself seeking that "glorious pain." And is in many ways, naturally euphoric, not only during the process but moreso after the task is accomplished and goals have been satisfied. Most importanly, I've learned that working out has its lessons and morals for life itself. It certainly seems as though all that one needs to be successful may be realized from the pains, disciplines, determination and sacrifices involved with working out.

Here are some of the lessons and the questions they entail. I've asked myself these many times.

Lesson 1: Nothing worthwhile can be attained without sacrifice or hard work.
- How bad do you desire what you desire?
- Is it really what you desire or need?
- If so, are you willing to work for what you desire not only in concept but in conscientious action as well?

Lesson 2: One may encounter hardship or pain along the way, but it is how we react to the situation that determines whether we are to survive or achieve success.
- Are you willing to endure anything which crosses your path in order to achieve your goal?
- Is what you "think" or "say" you will do, really what you're "going" to do when the time arrives?

Lesson 3: Pain, in similar ways to negativity and doubt in one's potential and abilities, is but a figment of the imagination and a concept designed by the weaknesses in our subconscious mind. It isn't there if you don't believe nor dwell in it. No pain. No pain.
- Do you believe you will succeed? Or do you believe you will try to succeed?
I've learned from my mother that "doing" and "trying" have completely different concepts involved entirely. Don't "try", "do!"

Lesson 4: Love the things you hate the most in order to succeed. Do the things you hate to do. A wise man's saying states, "A successful person loves to do the things everyone else hates to do."
In this case, I hate, I mean LOVE push-ups.
- Do you love to hate? Or do you hate to love?
In essence, they are but the same concept. Love the things you hate to love, instead!

Lesson 5: Regardless of what transpires, through the pain, despite your efforts, through the successes and failures, the trials and tribulations, one's confidence and love for one's self will guide, lead and strengthen you through any obstacle. With and in that, believe.
"Chin up. Always." - Arnon Clemente

Are you ready and capable of accepting any outcome? Your answer should be "NO." You may be shocked to hear "NO" as the proper answer. Allow me to explain. Why "NO" you ask? Do NOT accept any other possible outcome other than success itself, in its purest form. In that I mean, success is only so when reached honestly without cheating those around you and most importantly without cheating one's self. If you will not accept anything short of success, then there are no further questions and no questions asked! If otherwise, one's life becomes a perpetual search for questions rather than answers.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Sun, 11 Dec 2005 05:30:39 GMT

[START: 12:47A.M.]

[NOW PLAYING: "Ooh Wee" by Mobb Deep Feat. Mark Ronson, Ghostface Killa and Nate Dogg]

Yes people, I am still alive! :P

WARNING: This Xanga update is 56K death!!!

Sheesh. So much has transpired since my last Xanga entry. Who could imagine that so much could actually occur in such a short period of time. In but a matter of 6 months. So much has changed. An emotional rollercoaster to say the least. In these few short months, so many new blessings have been bestowed upon me, so many new experiences and most importantly, a new life.

Here is a list of events in semi-chronological order since my last Xanga entry.

- I completed all my last pre/core-requisites at Union County College. I was exempted from my Microbiology lecture final and what a blessing that was, I might add. I passed Anatomy & Physiology 2 with only a C+. I'm not too thrilled with my final grade average on AP2 but I can't complain taking into consideration the load I had this semester. Perhaps if the load was otherwise, it would have been a different story. A B+ in English Composition 2. Not bad considering the amount of writing involved. LMAO! And I have a semester's worth of actual hard copies to prove it.

- Chloe's front fascia is now officially JDM. YAY! Now all she needs is a nice paint job. Oh yeah and Rotora brakes, Recaro SRD seats, Takata belts, a carbon fiber hood, carbon fiber trunk, carbon fiber front chin spoiler. And the list never ends. :X LMAO!

- Chloe gets new shoes. Dayam. She gets more stuff than I do. What is that about? Freaking spoiled. LOL! Special thanks to Nana and Jerico for all the help! You two rock!
(17" Volk Racing Gram Lights 57Pro/Yokohama Parada Spec 2)

- I went to 6 Flags Great Adventure with the peoples. Now for those who know me well, many of you know that rollercoasters and I don't mix well. I've always had this inexplicable apprehension with them. I rode my first rollercoater, a wooden one at that, at Hershey Park a year and a half ago with my family. So needless to say, as I gazed up at the magnitude, grandeur and awesome stature that is Kingda Ka, all other rides seemed "child's play" in comparison. Nonetheless, the summer of 2005, is when Arnon Clemente finally "manned" up, rode as many as he possibly could and for the first time in his life, actually enjoyed them without hesitation! Unfortunately, yet with a reluctant sigh of relief, Kingda Ka was closed. LMAO!

- Kristy came out to New Jersey for a week and a half. There is simply way too much to say. I'll leave it at that. For those who were around, you all know what's up. And I thank each and every one of you for making it all happen.

- We all Went to 6 Flags Great Adventure AGAIN. And this time we were finally able to ride Kingda Ka! Luck was on our side, being that it only cost us $5 per head for a speed pass and virtually eliminated the long wait. This monster of a rollercoaster hydraulically launches you from 0 to 128mph in 3.8 seconds, stands at a massive 456 feet (that's almost 46 stories), Kinda Ka is the fastest and tallest rollercoaster in the world. To place it all into perspectove of just how tall that is, the Empire State Building stands at 86 stories from it's highest observatory floor. How can I describe Kingda Ka? Absolutely nothing like it! Unless you've been in either a 6 second drag car, a supersonic fighter jet, a NASA space shuttle, have skydived or bunji-jumped, there is absolutely nothing in comparison to its speed, height, vertical ascent and descent. A MUST RIDE! And best of all, it's in New Jersey!

Pics from the madness that is Summer 2005!

- My brother and sister-in-law came from Las vegas, Nevada to help in the packing, loading and relocating from New Jersey to our new home in Florida.

- After months of packing, loading, unpacking, unloading and 2 sets of 24 hour trips from New Jersey to Florida, we are safely and finally here. Thank you to everyone who helped throughout. You and your hard work are appreciated not only by me but by my entire family. My friends are the absolute best! You know who you are. Despite the homesick feeling, I'm alright. I miss New Jersey, I miss all my friends, I miss all the places and routines, but life goes on. One thing will always remain, New Jersey is where I call home. I'll see you all again soon. I'll be back during winter break.

- The parents and I went to High Point, North Carolina. This place is known as the furniture capital of the world and for good reason! I'm talking about miles and miles of furniture. We spent 4 days of the furniture shopping there and surprisingly, that wasn't enough time to see them all. We wound up purchasing some really nice pieces. other than the shipping costs, it's to your advantage to shop out of state in order to eliminate state taxes. I'll post up pictures when all the pieces arrive.

- My first pictures here in Florida:

- My 2 nephews playing video games. -

- The formal living room furniture just came in. Italian styling. -

- Some more of Chloe in front of the house.

- My niece Sarah and nephew Daniel -

- Samo. My sister's hypoallergenic dog. LOL! -

- I have officially reached my target weight. As displayed by my scale upon today's weighing, I am now officially 187lbs! It took a year and a half to lose all 50lbs, but the hard work, sacrifice, determination and will-power were all without a doubt worth it. The immeasureable gain in motivation, self-reliance and needless to say, the confidence obtained is priceless. What's next? I don't know really. Maybe 175? We'll see. One thing is certain though, never will I allow myself to lose what I have achieved and have gone this far to overcome and conquer.

- So I finally decided to leave the house and actually do something which didn't involve family, looking for employment or setting up my next semester's schedule. I decided to go to a JDMUniverse meet at Orlando's Race Rock restaurant. Here's some pictures!

- I have decided to attend DBCC (Daytona Beach Community College). I would have loved to attend Stetson University, but unfortunately $17,000 in annual matriculation would deem it impractical and financially improbable. I have registered for a mandatory Oral Communications/Speech course here at Daytona Beach Community College which is held on Saturday morning from 9A.M-10:30A.M. A 3 credit course for only 1.5 hours a week? Definitely a no-brainer. Unfortunately, due to the demand for the nursing program here in Central Florida, I have a year wait on the reserve list in starting the clinical program. In the meantime, I decided to go into retail sales once again to help pay for bills and do some saving. I applied and was immediately hired by Coggin DeLand Honda, which I might add is only 2 miles away from home. Having prior automotive sales experience definitely comes in handy! I'm fortunate that the management team was lenient in terms of allowing me to come into work at 12P.M. instead of 8A.M. for our weekly meeting on Saturday mornings. So after class, it's straight home to change, grab a bite and straight to work. They were also accomodating my coming into work an hour late on Sundays that I have to work, in order to allow me going to church. Definitely the nicest dealership I've ever encountered.

- So management decides to put me on active sales on my 3rd day. Needless to say, that's quick. LMAO! They decided to start me at some sales event going on that weekend. 9AM-9PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday in 100+ degree weather! Despite the heat and long hours, I tried to make the most of it and actually tried to make some money while I was there. Needless to say, I sold 5 cars in my first 3 days on the sales floor! Well, technically it wasn't a sales floor. It was at the annual tent sale Coggin Automotive holds at the Altamonte Mall parking lot. 500+ vehicles to choose from, on-site financing, with detail and delivery right on the premises. Bonuses and "spiffs" were flying around everywhere at this event. 1st place in total gross profit will be awarded $1000 cash, with "draws" ranging from $10-$500. A draw in essence is a pull of an envelope out of a box containing a certain value amount which is awarded for each vehicle sold and delivered. There is also a $500 cash prize for the single highest gross on a single sale. I sold 1 on Friday and sold 2 on Saturday. At this point I was in a 4-way tie for 1st place by the 2nd day of weekend event. I was supposed to work at the dealership on Sunday, but once my management team heard of my tieing for 1st place, they recommended that I work the tent sale instead to make more money and try to win the entire event. I sold 2 more on Sunday and was tied with another salesperson for 1st place. The total gross profit overall would be accumulated in order to break the tie. Unfortunately, I wound up taking 2nd place by the end of the sale, losing only by a few hundred dollars in overall total gross profit. Although disappointed with the results, I was pleased overall with how I performed. I wasn't expecting to do so well but I am thankful nonetheless for the experience and opportunity. I'm definitely glad I made the most out of the event, accumulating in excess of $16,000 in front and back end/finance gross profits throughout the sales event, of which I took home a large percentage on commission + draws. I also won the single highest gross profit overall on a single sale. $7500+ in a single gross profit, front and back end combined. Needless to say, without getting into specifics, I earned in that one weekend what most make in 1-2 months. Busting your arse definitely pays. Man was I tired! :) So Monday morning arrives, I'm at work and management calls a brief meeting to discuss the weekend. My general manager puts it to the entire staff's attention of my success at the tent sale. Completely blew up my spot, congratulates me, shakes my hand and tells everyone to give a round of applause. At this point, I'm blushing. LMAO! :X

- My father is ecstatic. Why? He got this!
(Sony 42" Plasma M-Series WEGA KE-42M1)

And hooked this up!
(Bose Lifestyle 25 Series II)

- My mother wanted her own computer, so I gave her my old Hewlett Packard Pavilion 780c and bought myself a new computer. Now I'm sure many of you are thinking, why didn't I just get my mom a new computer? Well, for the type of computing my mother does, my old computer is beyond ample. I'm sure a PC with an Intel P4 2.0Ghz processor, 1GB RAM, 256MB NVidia video card, 6.1 surround sound audio card, 200GB hard drive, 17" LCD flat panel with built-in digital TV tuner would suffice for "web surfing," wouldn't you agree? LOL! Besides, my old computer was becoming insufficeint for video/audio editing, graphics design and hard-core gaming. So what did I get? Here she is! Isn't she pretty?
(HP Pavilion m7183c-b Media Center PC/HP f2105 21" HD TFT LCD Flat Panel Widescreen Monitor)

Here's the major specifications for all you tech freaks:

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005
Intel Pentium D 830 Dual Core 3.0GHz Processor
800 Mhz Front Side Bus
1GB DDR2 PC4200 SDRAM/4GB Max
250GB SATA HD
160GB Personal Media Drive
USB infrared receiver
HP premium wireless keyboard and wireless mouse
HP Media Center remote with infrared receiver
DVD (+/-) R/RW DL LightScribe
ATI Radeon X600 256MB DDR video card
TV tuner card with FM tuner
Integrated Intel High Definition audio (Azelia)
Realtek ALC 880 chipset/THX Certified/8 Channels for Full Dolby 5.1/6.1/7.1 surround sound support with Dolby Pro Logic IIx
9 Memory Card Reader
1x PCI-E expansion slot
HP f2105 21" HD TFT LCD Flat Panel Widescreen Monitor

For detailed specifications:
"http://search.hp.com/query.html?cc=us&lang=en&qt=hp+m7183c-b&la=en"

- My brother and sister-in-law flew in from Las Vegas, Nevada for 4 days to close on their new house here in Florida. And might I add their new home is a block away. LMAO! These pictures are kinda old and aren't of the finished product but that's all I have on my computer. Y'all get the picture! :P

- Working for Honda definitely has its privileges. As an employee, we were invited to the "2006 Honda Civic: Ride and Drive." A training session for the 2006 Honda Civic. Among the models present was the 2006 Honda Civic SI. Yes! We were all able to test drive the vehicle months before its prospective December 1st public debut. When the public is drooling over concept pictures, we were driving it! 197hp, awesome handling, 2-tier instrumentation panel, complete redesign, DVD navigation. Just amazing overall! Here's some pictures!

- So I finally saved up the money to get Chloe painted. So this is what she now looks like all white. I almost forgot how great she looks one single color. I'm in love again. :)
- BEFORE -

- AFTER -

- Chloe meets her Brides. Not going out or eating out definitely has its perks! Being able to save up for things like JDM Bride Brix 2 Gradient Center Racing Seats!

- Dolby Digital Pro Logic 2 surround sound is great while watching a movie or listening to music on your computer. Especially when it's 1000 watts pumping out of these. :)

- Surprise, surprise! So my parents think that my brother and sister-in-law aren't moving until after March 2006. My brother called me up and asked me to keep a "secret" and continued on by asking me what I was doing this December. I said, "I don't know, other than work that is, why?" He asked me if I wanted to come to Las Vegas mid-December to help him move. I'm like, "Where?" DUH! Then it hit me. Florida? So to keep a long story short, my brother and Ate Nelly will be here by New Year's. And the best part is, I'm the only one that knows. The rest of my family is clueless and think I'm just going to Las Vegas to spend Christmas with my brother. I can't wait to see the reaction on their faces. I know my parents are gonna ball. Thank you Lord for yet another blessing! :)

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Sun, 03 Apr 2005 00:11:13 GMT

[NOW PLAYING: "We Ride" by R.Kelly feat. Camron/Noreaga/Jay-Z]

[START: 7:34P.M.]

Hilarious lines from the night! ROTFLMAO!

"We're all fawking troopers!"

"Oh my gosh, you're a pastor's kid too?!?!"

"You want me to what?!?!"

"Deep throat the banana? How far?"

"Unbuckle what? On who? With what?"

"Are you craaazy?!?!"

"Dayaaaaam!"

"Say it with me, Where mah b*tches?!?!"

"Ryan's a dayam slut!"

"Body shots anyone?"

"No! That's my cousin forreal!"

Ever wonder what happens when the parents are away? LMAO! Here's the answer. I don't normally throw an "open house" when they're away, but I thought it was my duty to do so in the unfortunate event that I do move this mid-May. Taking into consideration the fact that this may very well be my last opportunity to really wail out at the crib. So rather than the small 10-12 guest get-together as I had originally arranged, the event wound up becoming an unexpected, full-blown 20+ guest house party with an expected guestlist of 30+ heads. And am I glad it did! Hot ladies. Cool peoples. Liquor. Close friends. Music. Food. Chilling. What more could you ask for?!?! Ever seen a guy-on-guy body shot? I did for the first time last night. Courtesy of "Spin-the-Bottle." Sorry. I reveal no names! LMAO!

More blackmail material. Arnon OWNS you all once again! ;P