Let's try for 40 miles today!

It turned out to be a sunny day -- a bit of a chill in the air -- but nice when the wind died down. Aaron called the Starkey's...

and they went out for an afternoon bike ride.

I got my wish and sat in the sun and read a book. I actually got some color on my arms and legs!

After we all went to Quaker Steak and Lube for a late lunch. It was a nice summer weekend after all!

Day shifts, day shifts, everyone loves day shifts!

I'm exhausted! Last week I successfully woke up in time for my early 11 a.m. shifts, added the Thursday kickboxing class to my Tuesday bootcamp aerobics week, and went out a couple of times over the weekend. This week I barely managed to wake up in time for my 10 a.m. shifts or stayed up throughout the day or worked all my hours. I ended up not going to aerobics at all. It's going to take me awhile to get used to my new early schedule!

Aaron took the week off, so he joined Michael and I at the Oberlin College staff picnic after work on Tuesday. On Thursday we went to Bellacino's for dinner and saw Terminator Salvation. Man, the movie was fantastic! Mr. Bale certainly didn't disappoint. But Mr. Worthington was a very nice surprise! Oh Crikey!

After work on Friday, Aaron, Dave and Jen Starkey went for a bike ride while Michael and I stayed home and watched The Women. After we all went down the street for a quick dinner at Rubin's Restaurant.

We had planned to go to the Indian's game vs. the Yankees on Saturday but I got sick so we stayed home. I caught up with sleep and worked on my blog while Aaron got his fill of his PS3 and The Fallout 3.

We had no plans today which is good since I'm cramping. But I wish for some sun -- maybe I can relax in the back yard and soak up some rays, before a new week starts up again!

Introducing... Takeo Konanui Caridad

Congratulations to my cousin Charmaine and her hubby Bert! Big brother Kainoa has a playmate now!

Flower power 09-05-30

Log... May 30, 2009

I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of my Peony bushes sometime in the week before the rain storms hit. The flowers were big and perky! The pink color is a nice contrast to all the green I have in my garden.

And my Maple tree is full of leaves and provides good shade for part of our yard, the back porch and our dining room.

Happy trails!

What a fine day to take a ride down the metro park bike trail...

Dave and Jen Starkey, with Aaron

until it started raining and thunderstorming! But they peddled through and completed the 30.13 mile trail! Good job!

GIRLIE UPDATE: John Conner vs. Marcus Wright

CB has always put smiles on our faces. But SW is such a babe! You choose...

A Welsh...


or an Aussie?


I say... Goo' day, Mate!

Graduation day

I thought I was late again (the 8th year) for the ceremony but Aaron, Keala, Ikaika and I arrived just in time to hear everyone receive their diplomas! We only missed the speeches. It was a big day, not only for my graduating Seniors, but for my dogs! They were a big hit again with the crowd of families and college students!

Keala knows how to work it! You would think she's an acting dog, all fluffy and prancing! Ikaika is getting better socializing. He was overwhelmed a couple of times by kids coming at him from all directions and tried to scoot away. Luckily his drool scared most admirers away. And they are a great way for my Seniors to find me in the crowd, "... just look for the white polar bear!"

It was a beautiful and happy day! The sun was out but it wasn't too hot, and our family was out and about! Aaron and I did look good all dressed up. I just wished I remembered to take a picture of us!

[Got pictures from Ploy and Lia!]

Senior week and commencement weekend

It was a challenge but I managed to get up at 8 a.m. every morning (barely) after a couple of sips of Aaron's awesome coffee and some breakfast. Yum, my favorite was spam and rice. Keala and Ikaika loves spam too -- they are Hawaiian dogs, after all!

I also went to aerobics on Tuesday AND Thursday! My body burned -- but in a good way!

Lia was back in town for graduation. I was so glad to see her before she went off into the big wide world! Hopefully I'll get to visit her in NYC sometime soon! I'd be fun hanging out in the city! Or I'd love to visit Bulgaria, if she ever goes home!

Aaron and I started a new tradition -- we started going to the movies on Thursday night. I don't know how long the tradition will last, probably until high school's out. Right now the theater's not crowded with giggling teenagers on a week night. We almost had the whole auditorium to ourselves when we went to see Angels & Demons. Wow, I actually liked the movie -- it wasn't as spooky as I thought it was going to be. Now I want to go back to Rome and see all those statutes, churches, fountains and fine art that Kelly and I missed during our Europe trip!

I took Aaron to his birthday dinner on Friday. The Rocky River Brewing Company has always been a favorite of his. So I did this experiment... I wanted to see if an energy drink would help me stay up after drinking a beer. It didn't. I fell asleep as soon as I came home and slept throughout the night. Aaron thinks I drank the Red Bull too early before we left to eat.

So I tried the experiment again on Saturday, when we went to Tasha's surprise birthday party. After two sips of a "Newky Brown" (Newcastle) I wanted to go home and take a nap. BTW, it was nice to see Tina and Mike, James and Erica, and Tasha and Big Al again. I never got a nap that day because I decided to join Aaron, Keala and Ikaika on their daily walk, then we realized we were late to meet Tina and Mike at BW3 to watch the fights. We had fun getting to know each other better. Tina's going to join me for Rumba classes in a couple of weeks, and she talked Aaron into joining a 70-mile bike race at the end of summer! You know, even though I was tired and never got that nap, I did manage to stay up until a little after midnight. Maybe the Red Bull did help me a little.? OK, I drank hot tea instead of beer all evening. At least I didn't crash and fall asleep at the table during the fights!

On Sunday Aaron had to go work so Michael, Jen Starkey and I had planned to go lunch and see a movie. But Jen opted to go biking while the sun was out so Michael and I enjoyed our typical movie date. We tried a new restaurant Vieng's Asian Bistro in Crocker Park (enjoyed the food and sushimi but not the waiter), spent some time in Borders and read up on Las Vegas restaurants and Rome, then went to see Night at the Museum 2 instead of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past due to timing.

Boy, am I tired! And now I don't think it's the beer!

Flower power 09-05-23

Log... May 23, 2009

There's Ikaika helping himself to some "salad" from my Sidewalk Garden. It seems my Clematis creeping vine by the front door is healthy and blooming lots of beautiful purple flowers this spring! And our American Elm in front now provides lots of shade to our yard and living room.

Can you see a polar bear underneath the tree? Keala loves spending time outdoors!

GIRLIE UPDATE: My beautiful Seniors!

Eight of my girls are leaving me and the crew. I wish them all the luck and joy in the world!

Tenisha Phipps, 8 semesters


Emma Anderson, 6 semesters and Ploy Keener, 5 semesters and 2 summers


Rebecca Balmer, 2 semesters and 1 summer, with Sam


Anjali Chaudhry, 2 semesters


Renee LaGue, 2 semesters, with Emma and San


Bella Gambuto, 2 semesters and Sarina Roma, 2 semesters

Happy 34th Aaron!

Aaron's happy because we are going to his favorite restaurant, the Rocky River Brewing Company.

My sister liked the salad there and Hoe liked the beers! Did my chest inflate?

Finals week... finally!

My 2008-2009 school year officially ended Thursday night! Say bye-bye to my evening shifts for the next 3 months! And hello to day shifts. It'll take me awhile (say several weeks) for me to get used to waking up when the sun comes up, like everyone else does! At least I'll be more productive and will enjoy the sun, my garden and company of my dogs more!

Thursday was also the season finale of Smallville Season 8. (And Michael and I managed to have dinner that night despite the desk being busy. Love my Thursday night desk crew!) You know I love Clark Kent and TW, but the series needs to end! I'll miss him but he is so Superman already!

I'll also miss JH!

Like I missed KK on the series.


Saturday was a busy day for me. I got my hair trimmed (And mistakenly put hand soap lotion all over my legs -- I thought it was a body moisturizer!), had lunch with Aaron at the Blue Sky Restaurant then finally went to see Star Trek. It was my first Star Trek movie ever, and I loved it! Captain Kirk aka Mr. Pine is a cutie!


Here comes summer!

Flower power 09-05-16

Log... May 16, 2009

My Lupines are blooming in my Circle Garden. I like the different colors and textures of my plants.

Aaron and I went to Pandy's our favorite gardening center to buy lovely hanging plants for Cookie and Grandma Brlas' mother's day, and some yard fertilizer and grass seed. I broke down and bought some plants to add to my Park Garden. Most of my purple and blue plants there didn't make it through the winter (or my cutting in the fall).

Our American Elm tree in the front yard is finally blooming some leaves!

It's crunch time at work!

I'm still busy at work. I conducted a lot of job interviews as well as wrote all my attendants' work evaluations. Tedious! Classes ended on Saturday so the library is open 24-hours over the weekend. I'm very lucky to have a handful of attendants who like working the crazy overnight hours! Otherwise I'd be covering the hours, and I'm no spring chicken anymore!

Aaron and I had planned to see the new Star Trek but I was so tired I couldn't get up in time to go to an early showing, before the high schoolers take over the theaters. Hopefully we'll see it next week!

We did go out with my friends Jen and Dave Starkey on Friday. We tried a new restaurant in Tremont called Ty Fun Bistro. The Thai food was awesome! After we walked down the quaint neighborhood and stopped in The Tree House for drinks. I found a beer that I actually like the taste! And it happens to be a favorite of Mr. Craig's -- Newcastle Brown Ale. Aaron says it tastes like watered down molasses! But like all beers, it put me to sleep! I was out as soon as we were in the car and on the highway!

On Saturday we took Aaron's mom Cookie and her fiance Ken, out to eat at Mezcal Mexican Restaurant for her Mother's Day outing. I kept getting blinded by her big rock reflecting in my eyes! Mom and Ken looked so happy, and in love!

I hope I survive this coming week! Our busy due date day is coming up! And my attendants usually drop like flies getting sick or freaked out over their papers and finals. I'm ready to do some overtime!

Flower power 09-05-09

Log... May 9, 2009

Look what a little sun can do to my plants...

GIRLIE UPDATE: Gamer trailer

GB looks pretty impressive in his movie trailer Gamer (aka The Game). I'm a sucker for a man who can kick ass!



I can't wait for it to come out in September! It's a date!

Let's get physical... physical

I did it! I barely survived bootcamp aerobics (lots of free weights, stepping and jumping) on Tuesday but I went to kickboxing aerobics on Thursday too!

My hamstrings and calves hurt like a mutha! My kicks on Thursday were so pathetic but I managed to work the rest of the evening without falling down. Just sitting at my desk was quite a challenge!

My upper abs burned from all the crunch/butt lifts I did too. Holy moley!

And my arms were like jello from all the push-ups. They shaked just to lift the air ball over my head. How is it possible?

Ibuprofen has been my choice of candy this week.

I don't do it to lose weight-- it makes me feel healthier and still YOUNG, and that's all that matters!

...Now if I can just get a nice tan!

It's May!

This is a very exciting time for me right now! The weather's changing for the better (oops, I hope I didn't type that too loud for the gods to hear me!) and I'm looking forward to doing yard work and tend to my flowers and gardens. I'm amazed that I haven't been plagued with my allergy symptoms yet (again, I hope I didn't type that too loud for the gods to hear!). Perhaps all those workouts are building up my resistance...

At work, I've managed to finish several big projects by their deadlines while covering the desk for my sick student workers and co-worker on vacation. I must say I'm not enjoying working in the library right now. The campus has finally turned off the heat but hasn't turned on the air conditioning yet, in fear that we'll be hit with another cold front. That means we are baking in the library on those beautiful sunny days! It makes me want to hibernate and it's very hard for me to concentrate.

For working so hard, I treated myself by seeing X-Men: Wolverine with Aaron and Michael on Friday. Not only was Mr. Jackman in it but Ryan R., Taylor K. and Liev S. too! Yummy!

I am officially an old woman -- I admit to liking Friday afternoon movies. I get the peace I need to watch a movie without the immature high schoolers! I just hate the kicking of my seat, or the giggling, talking or texting throughout the movie. So rude! We get the best seats in the house without no one sitting around us during the afternoons!

Later that night we hung out with Jay and Jen at The Brew Keeper. Aaron tried the Mad Brewer Double Chocolate Stout and the Mad Brewer Bourbon Stout. Sad to say, the taste of Guinness and stout beer is growing on me. They no longer taste like shoyu to me! I had a sip of each but I stuck to my hot tea for the night. Since I ate dinner before they called I just had dessert!

On Saturday we attended Kyle's graduation dinner at Red Lobster. My bro-in-law got his MBA from Tiffin University! It was nice to hang out with the Brlas Ohana -- Rick, Kyle, Becky and Grandma B.

Today, I woke up feeling under the weather. Oh, oh...
[Wouldn't you know it -- my man GB has been playing around in India, with again, eye candy. Doesn't he know he needs a W-O-M-A-N to truly be happy? Now I know why I feel sick! Aauuhhh!]