Wednesday, July 28, 2004


Fender Bender

I got into a minor car accident on the way home from work.  A moving truck sideswiped me on the driver’s side and took out my side mirror.  I was irate!  I yelled “pull the f*ck over!” and pulled into a U-Haul lot that the highway was next to.  I got out of the car and furiously started scribbling down his license plate, the company name and address painted on the side of the truck, and was basically boiling up.  I guess you can say I’m a hot head.  The driver got out and looked at the damage to my car and started fiddling with the mirror.  Then 3 other guys got out (there was 4 of them altogether) and started looking at my car.  (Had this been at night, I think I would’ve been a bit more alarmed).  I asked the driver for his license and information and he asked for mine.  All the while, I’m fuming and saying things like “it’s a 2-lane highway, why didn’t you stay on your side, etc.”  After the information exchange, I got into the car and adjusted the mirror.  One guy came by and said “relax, calm down.”  One guy adjusted the mirrors and put the frames back in place.  Then another one said, “she needs some tape.”  So they got tape from their truck to hold my mirror in place, and then the other guy noticed that a piece of my mirror must’ve fallen somewhere.  He went to go get it.  In the end, I thanked them for their help and I apologized for being mean.  I said I had a long day.   After all, the driver was nice and helpful enough.  He said just send him a bill and he’d pay for it. 

Lesson learned: I should’ve been nicer.  There was no need to be nasty.  The driver was calm and I should’ve been too.  But hey, I was stressed!  They sideswiped my car, and it was their fault!  On the drive home though, I was appalled at my behavior.  I’m not normally a yeller.  Yes, I am impatient and a general “hothead” in that I get annoyed easily, but I don’t normally yell at people or take it out on people just like that.  The important thing I should’ve remembered is that no one got hurt (although on the way home, my left arm felt funny...still does... Like it's numb or something).  I’m lucky that the damage was minor even though it was a truck that hit my car, and I’m lucky that the guys were nice enough to help me tape my mirror back in place.  In the end, will the guy pay for it?  That’s another story.  But I still should’ve bit my tongue and just counted my blessings. 

On a Better Note…here's other things that brightened up my day:

  • My package from Amazon arrived!  I ordered some July 25th.  The package shipped out on the 27th, and I got it today (go UPS! heheh...the hubs works there).  Now I have 2 new books: Something Borrowed and Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.  I also got The Strokes' Room on Fire CD.  I also got the hubs a golf book.
  • I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed at work because I have a lot of files that have yet to be disposed of, scheduled, presented to the Grand Jury, etc. This morning, however, I was really productive and reviewed a lot of them and organized them all.  Now, I feel more on top of things because I know the status of most of the files.  After all that, I found out that: a) I have 33 indictable files (potential “felony convictions”) and b) I have 32 non-indictable files (disorderly persons or misdemeanors).  I’m so relieved!  I thought I had more, but I don't!  Now I won’t feel so behind when I go on holiday. 
  • My friend Julie sent me a birthday present.  I love presents!
  • The hubs and I are going to go see The Bourne Supremacy tonight! I'm out!
POSTED BY KAT AT 7/28/2004 07:46:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS



Monday, July 26, 2004


Now that I'm in a better mood.... some random blurbs before I head off to bed:
  • Spiderman 2 rocks!  Yes, I've said it before, but I'll say it again!  I especially like how they show my old university campus in the movie! Hehehe...I'm such a nerd.
  • I have these bug bites all over my right arm and right leg (none on the left side!).  Don't know where they came from, but they itch like mad!  The hubs does not have any.  Why?!
  • I am so peeved to find that tickets to this concert I want to see is now SOLD OUT.  I wanted to see The Killers play on Aug. 16th at the Bowery Ballroom.  I've been checking the site every day for the past 2 weeks and the site kept saying tickets not available.  I checked again tonight and now it says SOLD OUT!!  I'm so peeved....
  • I have sworn off ice cream.  Okay, more like, I'm trying to wean myself of it.  I eat it everyday.  I kept a record.  Since I'm trying to get more toned, I'm limiting myself to only having ice cream once a week.   *help*
  • It's annoying how the hubs doesn't know where things are in the house. 
  • GOOD LUCK to my friend ANNIE who's taking the NY Bar!
  • Okay, I'm really tired.  And I miss my laptop.  Using the hubs' computer right now. Not the same. 
POSTED BY KAT AT 7/26/2004 10:11:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS



Sunday, July 25, 2004


Rainy Day Blues: What I Did This Weekend

23 July
It poured like crazy on Friday.  Of course it did.  Especially because I planned on hanging out in the city (NYC) and then go to Cape May the next day.  I took the day off from work because I had pay our contractor (for rebuilding our home's front steps); go to the Spanish Consulate to pick up my visa; meet up with my friend to buy records; and then had planned to go window-shopping.  I wanted to take the train in, but it rained so hard that I had to drive.  So I drove, spent about 20 minutes looking for parking; waited about 20 minutes in the line for my visa; then walked around briefly.  I called my friend and said that record-shopping is off cuz of the rain (it sucks to walk around the city when it's raining...not pleasant), then headed back home.  Was stuck in traffic for 1 hour and 40 minutes!! F*ck!! I HATE TRAFFIC.  It normally takes me about less than 25 minutes to get home from the city.  Instead, I sat in traffic for one hour and 40 minutes of my life.  What a waste. When I got home, it was still pouring. 

That night, the hubs and I drove down to Atlantic City (the East Coast's Las Vegas) as plannned.  It stopped raining, and I had some glimmer of hope that the next day would be sunny.  We stayed at the Sheraton (b/c the hubs gets free points there and complimentary stays) and were pleasantly surprised to learn that they gave us a nice suite.  We're talking massive!  About the size of a 2-bedroom aparment!  With 2 bathrooms! The master bath was gorgeous with a huge shower and an even bigger tub.  This bathroom is the size of our bedroom.  After ooohing and aaahing over the suite, we debated on what to do that night.  We're homebodies for the most part.  So we just chilled indoors since we didn't have the money to go gambling.  Read a book. I'm in the middle of "The Crimson Petal and the White" --long-ass book I gotta say.  I'm a fast reader, and I read different books at the same time.  This one needs some concentration since it's a period piece. I'm reading it solo for now.

24 July
Cape May.  Weather: overcast and very breezy.  Low 70's.  Certainly not beach weather, but at least it didn't rain.  Walked around town and window-shopped, saw all the pretty Victorian homes, played mini-golf, ate ice cream, bought some bargain books at a great indie bookstore, and then went home when it started to drizzle.  On the drive home, the sun came out.  Phooey.  But by then, it was already about 5:30 pm.  Got home, went grocery shopping and bought steaks, had the hubs grill them, had dinner, then watched Monsters Inc. on DVD.  Read more.

25 July
The hubs played golf.  I meant to take a 5-mile walk but got lazy.  Stayed home and cleaned up instead.  Didn't even go to church, and we usually go every Sunday.  Got a pedicure.  Then met up with the hubs and his family for a brunch for my bro-in-law's 23rd birthday.  Ate massive amounts of food.  Went to Barnes and Noble and bought 2 new books (had a gift certificate): Dry by Augusten Burroughs & A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel --both are memoirs.  Ever since I read Burrough's 'Running with Scissors,' I've been on a memoir kick.   Got home, turned on my laptop to blog, then discovered the stupid thing did not work.  Was on the phone for half an hour with DELL to try to fix it, but to no avail.  LAPTOP broken; has to be sent it for diagnostics.....Boo-erns! 

Today: Don't even ask.... this day was shite.  Court sucked.  I am so tired that I'm not even going to spell-check or grammar-check (not that I normally do, but I at least scan the entry for glaring errors, but not today!).  At least I got the gym over with this morning.  Will go home, change, have band practice tonight, then I will SLEEP..... will write something more interesting another time.

POSTED BY KAT AT 7/25/2004 09:24:00 AM | 0 COMMENTS



Thursday, July 22, 2004


Inspired by Toni's Wifely Steps, today's blog is about some of my life experiences/milestones thus far:

10 Years Ago, I...

  1. Lived with a classmate's family in Los Angeles, CA while my parents & siblings moved to Queens, NY.  (I stayed behind to finish high school).
  2. Played guitar in a garage band with my then-boyfriend and friends. 
  3. Was a Goth-punk dresser (not in the extreme) and lived in my Doc Martens.
  4. Was the Editor-in-Chief of my school paper.

5 Years Ago, I...

  1. Graduated from college with a BA in Sociology.
  2. Signed a lease for an apartment in the Upper West Side.
  3. Decided to enroll in law school.
  4. Reunited with a friend from junior high.  She became my roommate.

3 Years Ago, I...

  1. Got married with many of my relatives from the Philippines in attendance.
  2. Moved from Manhattan to an apartment in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
  3. Landed my first waist-high rail while snowboarding.  Kick-ass!
  4. Hosted my first Christmas party.

A Year Ago, I...

  1. Received a job offer for my DREAM job!!
  2. Tried surfing for the first time. 
  3. (Along with the hubs) closed on my very first home in Fort Lee, NJ.
  4. Partied with my cousins in Hong Kong at our cousin's wedding.

This Year, I...

  1. Went back to Los Angeles in June to visit old friends. 
  2. Gained 7 pounds so far since working in this office.
  3. Painted our dining room red.
  4. Joined a band.

Yesterday, I...

  1. Went to the gym before work! (gasp!)
  2. Practiced DJ-ing/spinning with my friend to prepare for my first gig on Tuesday.
  3. Made up a song to try out with the band.
  4. Went to bed at 11 pm.  My earliest bedtime in a looong time.

Today, I...

  1. Went to the gym before work! (Trying to make it a habit).
  2. Stayed strong and refused to go on our 3-pm ice cream break.
  3. Had a meatball sub for lunch.
  4. Am going on a dinner date with the hubs.

Tomorrow I will...

  1. Go to the gym in the morning.  Try to squeeze in a pedicure somewhere. 
  2. Go to the Spanish Consulate to pick up my visa.
  3. Go meet up with my friend to buy more records.
  4. Head to Cape May with the hubs.

POSTED BY KAT AT 7/22/2004 02:21:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS



Tuesday, July 20, 2004


25 Things About Me Today.
 
Note: This was actually written Monday afternoon, but didn't get to post it until today.  So this is actually "25 Things About Me this Monday."

  1. I survived my morning court calendar without yelling at anyone in court or passing out       from hunger.
  2. I did, however, end up yelling at the hubs via the phone about the contractor who is             repairing our brick steps today.
  3. It was not the hubs' fault that the contractor keeps calling me while I'm in court.  I took it  out on him anyway.
  4. I just hope and pray that the steps are done correctly and with no problems!  I don't want  to have to threaten the contractor with a lawsuit just to fix what he f*cked up (like when we   had our floors done.  What a fiasco that was!)
  5. I am very excited to see that our house is getting spruced up little by little.
  6. I am very excited to see The Cure in concert on July 31st and August 1st! Yay!
  7. I downloaded some songs by The Psychotics, an L.A.-based punk band that my ex is in.  I  am very happy to see that the ex is living his musical dream.  I hope that he decides  to talk to me again someday. (See blog of May 12, 2004 and May 16, 2004 for the crazy details).
  8. I wonder if my friend has given birth to her baby girl.  She is due today. I hope she is okay.
  9. I would like to have a baby within the year (in reality, let's see what happens).  Hopefully before I turn 29.  I don't want to be an old mom who pops out her baby at age 35 (not that 35 is old!).  I just don't want to be 60 and my kids are still in college.
  10. I have band practice today.  I hope we get some songs recorded. Update: We recorded 3 songs!
  11. I do not dig the proposed band name: SQUARES.  What do you think?!?!  Yay or nay? Please give some feedback.  Update: I think Squares is the band name, like it or not.  Still, I'd like some feedback.
  12. I am looking forward to going to my 11-day European holiday with my family and hubby. We are going to Portugal, Spain, and Morocco on August 5th!  Ya-hoo!
  13. I am looking forward to going to Cape May this weekend with the hubs.  I need some sun, relaxation, and a nice, dark tan.  I cannot wait to hit the beach, go surf a bit, and then read a tawdry,"chick-lit" book under the sun.
  14. This means, I need to lose 5 pounds by Friday. 
  15. I cannot lose 5 pounds before this Friday.  It is physically impossible unless I stop eating period.
  16. I hate my arms and thighs.  Why oh why does my fat go directly to those 2 places!! I just want to be toned!!
  17. But I detest the gym.  Okay, more like dislike.  Heck, I haven't gone in almost 2 weeks.  I admit, it's not so bad once I'm physically in there...I just hate the going there part.   Now, it's slightly better with my fantastic iPod so I can drown out everyone else!
  18. I am in love with Spiderman! I saw Spiderman 2 when it came out and I was just floored!  I really enjoyed it! In fact, I can even say I loved it (and I don't love a lot of movies)!  Tobey Maguire is hotness! I wish there was a Spiderman in real life…*sigh*  I am looking forward to Spiderman 3.  Rumor has it that Eliza Dushku (of Buffy fame) will play the Black Cat (aka Felicia Hardy) Coolness! Sony should work a deal with Fox to feature Kingpin (as played by Michael Duncan in Daredevil).
  19. A Fantastic Four movie may be in the works!  Jessica Alba is hotness!
  20. I want to go to Italy next year.  I am saving up for it as we speak.  I also want to go to Greece, Prague, Amsterdam, Japan, Switzerland (for snowboarding!), Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand. And that's just to name a few.  And I want to go before I have kids.  So this may also be impossible.  I guess I'll just have to work around the kiddies.  People take holidays w/o their children, right?  At least I've already been to London (I lived there for a summer! I would even move there!), Paris, a slew of Caribbean islands, Hong Kong, Fiji, more than 30 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, the Philippines (of course!  I did live there until I was 12), Mexico, and Canada.
  21. I desperately need to get rid of the running balance on my credit card before the 0.0% APR on it expires in December.  Being in debt sucks.  I am embarking on a new financial plan!
  22. I wish I made more money.  But I would NEVER give up my job for a better salary elsewhere.  I love what I do, I love who I work with, and I like the fact that sometimes, what I do makes a difference in someone's life.  (Not always, but sometimes it happens). I still wish I made more money though.
  23. I don't like it when people automatically think that just because I'm a lawyer, I make a lot of money.  I explain to them that I work for the government, and that I hardly make a living.  Yet some folks still look at me dubiously.  Even one of my closest friends did not believe that I DO NOT make 6-figures until I told her what I received per month after taxes.  She shut up afterwards.  
  24. I wish we were allowed to work part-time.  That way, I can get a paying gig with my band! Assuming someone will book us! Hahah….
  25. I want a pet cat.  Damn the hubs and his allergies!


POSTED BY KAT AT 7/20/2004 11:53:00 AM | 0 COMMENTS



Thursday, July 15, 2004


Making the Band.

Yesterday was my band’s third “jam session.” We tried out a new bassist named Jessica (not to be confused with the band leader Jesica –with one “s”). She was cool and liked the same types of music that the rest of us did. It was easier to get her to play in the same styles/beats that we’ve been trying out. We were in the studio from 6-9 pm and I was beat. I’ve been tired this whole week even though I get the usual amount of sleep (7 hours/night). But last night, I basically sat the whole time as I played guitar and didn’t have much energy towards the end of the night. We were working on a bunch of songs and they sounded great; our problem is that they don’t follow the standard song structures (e.g., verse-chorus-verse-chorus-change-chorus-end –or something like that, at least) that you hear on the radio. So we’re trying to come up with what we call “middles” to the song. It’s hard work. But fun hard work. Can’t wait until we actually have a set of songs so we can start playing out in the real world!

Gripe of the Day.

Yesterday, our office posted our new 'assignment' list for this year. Each year, prosecutors get reassigned to a different unit. The new assignments start at the end of August or early September. I got reassigned to the Juvenile Unit –which means I won’t see the light of day, literally. The courtrooms are in the second floor (of a 9-story building) and they are tucked away. And I mean tucked away. I had been in our office for about 4 months before I realized there were 2 other courtrooms tucked away past this hallway on the second floor. It’s dark, dingy, stinky, and just overall unpleasant. As for the assignment itself, I shouldn’t really complain but I will (just for a little bit!).

I was not expecting Juvenile. It’s not like a demotion or anything of that sort, but everyone was telling me that I would be placed in a trial team because I started here in the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault (SAVA) Unit (they go hand-in-hand). In addition, I was already doing SAVA cases. I was already dealing with indictable (aka “felony”) offenses, presenting cases to the grand jury, etc. So I was already familiar with some aspects of being in a trial team. You see, the natural progression here in our office is this: 1) Appellate -> 2) Juvenile -> 3) Trial Team. I did not start in Appellate. My co-worker Priya and I “skipped” that step because there was a need for prosecutors in DV. DV and Juvenile are very similar in that you get non-jury trial experience, deal with a Family Court judge, and have quick dispositions for cases. So my co-worker and I (she started with me in DV) were told that “Oh yeah, you guys will probably end up in a trial team right away.” So when the assignment list came out, we were a bit bummed because we had our hopes up.

This is not to say that Juvenile is sucky (for lack of a better word). On the contrary, Juvenile is everything under the sun (manslaughter, sex crimes, robbery, aggravated assault, etc.) except that your defendants are obviously minors and not adults. So I will definitely be getting massive trial experience that will be more complicated and involved that our usual DV trials. The way I see it, here are my pros and cons about this new assignment:

CONS: we hear the judges over there are “difficult”; crazy calendar schedule and long court hours; no jury trials; we hear the public defenders over there are “difficult” as well; it’s not an adult trial team; we are closed off from the rest of the other units because Juvenile has no interaction with other units whatsoever; and the physical location of the courtrooms.

PROS: more complex, varied trial experience (complete with hard evidence like guns, drugs, and money, oh my!); no jury trials (I’m not sure I was ready for it anyway); exposure to all sorts of criminal charges (and not just domestic violence or sex-related offenses); a window-seat; my co-worker Priya and I are still together; I get to work with young people and make a difference (yes, I’m ideological like that); and we know for a fact that we will be assigned to a trial team after the year is up (after all, there’s no where else to go!).

The pros outweigh the cons most definitely. Though I am slightly disappointed that I did not get what I want, I am happy and eager for this new assignment. I’m actually looking forward to the change...It's a whole new ballgame.
POSTED BY KAT AT 7/15/2004 03:16:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS



Tuesday, July 13, 2004


Birthday Weekend Update. This past weekend was a kick-ass, jam-packed birthday weekend that lasted from Friday to Monday! Some highlights:

9 July
1. My co-workers took me out for lunch.
2. The hubs sent me a bouquet of beautiful spring flowers at work.
3. The hubs took me out to dinner on my birthday to Restaurant Aquavit. I’m a ‘foodie’ and love trying out new places. Aquavit is a Scandinavian/Continental restaurant on 54th St. The maitre'd was very amusing. He asked us if we liked the sound of falling water. We said "uh, yes" so then he proceeded to seat us next to an indoor waterfall. The dining room was very unique, I thought. It was housed in an atrium-like room in the middle of an office building. The ceiling is very high; if you look up, you see the sides and windows of the office building looking into you. The restaurant itself though, is in a brownstone that was once owned by the Rockefellers. The food was amazing! I had the foie gras ganache with duck sausage for my appetizer, and the halibut (with foie gras sauce and five-spice celery root) for my entrée. Another feature of the restaurant was their homemade ‘aquavit’ which translates to “water of life.” Their aquavit is potato vodka and they infuse it with various flavors. My hubs tried 3 of them. 80% proof and very strong! All in all, I had a great time with my hubs over the 3-course (and 3-hour) dinner.

The flowers (and box my iPod came in!):


The hubs and I getting ready to go out for dinner:



10 July
1. The hubs and I spent the day gardening. At this point, gardening is really just pulling out a bunch of weeds and overgrown bushes. Lots of hard work, sweat, and tears. But I had a very satisfying time. Like I said before, I’ve decided to devote more time to my house and NOT spending money on myself anymore. Dare I say it, but weeding was actually soothing and not that bad.
2. My friends and I went to Bond St. Sushi for dinner. I like going to this joint because they have excellent sushi and fresh seafood overall. Their ‘hot eel dice’ roll is fab, and so are their saketinis!

Chilling at Bond St:



3. Had a birthday party at Denizen Lounge in Soho. My friends were already spinning at this lounge, so they suggested that I just ask more folks to come and make it merrier. There were a lot of folks who came out (not just for me) and I had a great time. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO STOPPED BY!! Best of all is that my friend Karen flew in from Los Angeles that day to surprise me for my birthday! Her and her husband Babs sauntered into the bar like nothing, and I ran to greet them like a lunatic!

Me and Karen:


4. My younger brother turned 20 that day (his b-day is right after mine) and was actually at the party with his own friends. Nothing makes you feel older than having your younger brother be at the same party as you.! He bought me a shot (I turned a blind eye) and told me it was a lemon-drop. Of course, it turned out to be a shot of 151 Bacardi! Like guzzling liquid fire! Let’s just say, I didn’t drink anymore after that! But there was no ‘praying to the porcelain god’ moment that evening. Thank goodness for that! Rolled home at about 3 am.

Me and my bro:


Chilling at Denizen:




11 July
1. Woke up with a banging headache! I wanted to sleep some more but my headache wouldn’t let me! I usually drink about 2-3 glasses of water before going to sleep if I drank that night, but I was so tired the night before that I only drank 1 glass.
2. Went to my hubs’ friend’s BBQ in Hillsboro, NJ –which is near Princeton and about an hour+ drive away from us. But before we left, I called up my friend Karen to invite her and her fams to see our house and have a BBQ of our own. Very impromptu. I also called my folks to come over as well.
3. We came home from our friend’s BBQ at about 5 pm. Got home, rushed to Pathmark, bought food and supplies, came back, marinated meats and stuff, cleaned up and got ready. My folks got here around 7 pm with chairs and a propane tank in tow (I asked them b/c we didn’t have outdoor chairs, and our grill is new and we had no gas!). We started grilling, and then Karen et al, came at around 7:45 or so. We had a great, first BBQ at our house –especially since it was a spur-of-the-moment type of thing! But I was so tired from the night before, and was functioning with a slightly hungover body!

12 July
1. After celebrating 28 years of life thus far, I actually had to go to a funeral in the morning. One of the assistant prosecutors in our office died on July 8th from cancer, and our office encouraged us to go and pay our respects. I didn’t know him, but I feel sad that I didn’t even get a chance to meet him. He was clearly beloved and revered. There were many people there who came out and paid their respects to him. I can only hope that when my times comes, I will have affected as much people in a positive way just as he did.
2. Got out work late that day because we squeezed in a day’s calendar in only one afternoon and I had to meet up with Karen and other friends for a final dinner for them in the city. We went to Sylvia’s, this famous soul-food joint in Harlem that serves this fab dish called ‘Smothered Pork-chops’. It’s pork-chops smothered in brown gravy and served with your choice of 2 sides. YUM!! Like I said, I love food! Afterwards, we were supposed to go to Serendipity’s for dessert, but it was mad packed! We got there at about 10 pm, and we were told that the wait for a table for 5 would take 45 minutes! We ended up going to Café Lalo’s instead for dessert. Equally delectable. I had tartufo since I was already in the mind-set for ice cream. YUM!!
Afterwards, we dropped my friends and said goodbye!

It was a great birthday weekend!

POSTED BY KAT AT 7/13/2004 09:00:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS



Tuesday, July 6, 2004


So I bought an iPod. After debating whether or not to get one, I finally caved in and got myself a 15GB iPod for my birthday. It's definitely a splurge, but I think it's worth it. It'll definitely come in handy at the gym; walking outside; and overall convenience of having my music when I need it. I used to be a big music buff in high school (for alternative/new wave/modern rock music, that is) and bought tons of CD's. During college, I switched gears and listened to mostly hip-hop, so I have a lot of hip-hop CD's as well. As of now, I've become a music buff all over again, and I listen to all kinds of music. So the iPod will come in handy with putting my CD collection together at my fingertips. Because sometimes, you're at the gym and you really want to hear David Bowie except that your David Bowie Best Of CD is at home, in the basement, getting very little airplay! Now, the hard part is ripping all my CDs...I have more than 200 CDs more or less scattered around the house and it takes anywhere from 2-10 minutes or so to transfer a CD into your hard drive. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?

Birthday Wishes. I'm going to be 28 this Friday. I don't think I'm getting "old" per se. To me, it's another year. Of course, when I was younger, say in my teens, I used to think 30 was old. But now that I'm almost 30, I don't think 30 is old at all (of course, we've said this to ourselves as well). To me, "old" in terms of age is 60 --especially now that folks live longer and start having kids later in life. Besides, like they say, age is nothing but a number. Check out stellar-looking ladies like Susan Sarandon, Sophia Loren, etc. They all look great! Age should've confine you. I certainly don't feel old! Or grown up for that matter. I feel like a kid most of the time. I still have ambitions in life that start with "When I grow up..." And I know I'm irresponsible when it comes to certain things --like managing my finances, or taking care of our house. Or keeping up with the news, etc. But I am trying. And I know I am responsible in my own way, and in other area in life. One day, I'm sure I'll get it. Plus, there's no rule saying that you have to do things exactly the way your parents did it.

Folks are also asking me what I want for my birthday. I don't really want anything material-wise. I'm happy with hanging out with my friends, eating at a new joint (which I'll be doing with the hubs), going out dancing --all of which I am going to do this weekend. Of course, if hard-pressed, here's some things I wouldn't mind getting =):

1. Gift certificate to iTunes music store! (To put my iPod to good use).
2. Gift certificate to Bliss Spa (I am in desperate need of a facial!).
3. I Luuuurrrvve books! (Something Borrowed; The Secret Life of Bees; The Last Girls; Little Children: A Novel; Missing Mangoes....too many to mention!) There's nothing like going to a bookstore and browsing through books...*sigh*
4. A Gibson SG Supreme (in Midnight Burst) OR a Les Paul Standard Limited Edition (in Manhattan Midnight)<--both are SOOO beautiful! And SOOO expensive!! I would have to trade in my first-born to own either one! But a girl can dream, no?

And that is it...like I said, I don't "need" anything. Actually, I'm trying to curb my own personal spending because I want to save up money for items for our house. We closed on our house the day after my birthday last year (coincidentally, the previous owners also closed on their house on July 10th, 1956 --and we bought it 47 years later!) but it still needs a lot of work. We still need several big-tickets items like a fridge (the one we have came with the house, is very small, and only has 1 shelf! Plus, the freezer doesn't work that well); a dining room set so we can start eating on it versus the coffee table in front of the TV; and eventually, a dishwasher. Also, I'd like to save up money for needed home improvements....See, I'm becoming more "responsible" as I type!
POSTED BY KAT AT 7/06/2004 08:57:00 PM | 1 COMMENTS



Monday, July 5, 2004


Where were you on 9/11? The hubs and I watched Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 last night, the 4th of July. It's an op-ed, "documentary" of sorts that was really engaging and thought-provoking. Of course, I had to watch it with a grain of salt since Moore has his own political agenda and his own brand of propaganda. I know he is biased and I know that this film is biased (i.e., not "the truth" --who the hell knows the truth nowadays?!). So I hope that the people who watch it won't necessarily take the material to heart. In any case, I liked it. It was funny at times, poignant at times, and always entertaining. But it was almost painful to watch the footage of 9/11 and even more disheartening to watch a segment on a soldier's mother who discovers that her son had died in Iraq. I came away with the following thoughts:

1. Damn, I'm glad I cut class on the morning of 9/11. My law school is approximately 6-8 blocks from the World Trade Center (WTC). In fact, many students/faculty use the WTC train station (including myself). On that day, I had an on-campus job interview. I decided to cut class so I can go to the gym, relax, and prepare. When I got home from the gym, the hubs called me and told me to turn on the TV. That's when I saw the 1st plane collide into one of the towers...the rest is history. If I hadn't cut class that day, I would undoubtedly been stuck in that area and traumatized for life at what I would've have seen first-hand.

2. I feel bad for all the soldiers deployed in Iraq. A large number of them are younger than me; some in the middle of college, some just finished high school, some hardly educated. However, I think all of them are naive in some way, shape or form. Some do not know what they're doing there. And some of them don't care what they're doing there --they are just following orders without heart. The movie had footage of young American soldiers mistreating civilians. I don't like the way they dehumanized the Iraqi people just because they are deemed "the enemy." With that said, I do admire their courage and enthusiasm for serving the United States. I appreciate their service. And I feel for their families back here who live in constant fear for their safety. What I don't appreciate is the fact that they are NOT educated prior to sending them overseas. Even a lecture on cultural differences would give them some insight.

3. It seems Bush wanted to be president only for the sake of saying "I am president of the United States." Like it's a popularity contest. I don't claim to know much of his policital agenda (or politics in general). But I do think he's doing a poor job because of what I see around me: no change on domestic issues (e.g., unemployment; continued deterioration of poor communities; no health care reform; unimproved educational systems); the fiasco of "The War Against Iraq"; government spending; tax reform; the economy, etc. In short, I don't think he's made any sort of lasting impact. Of course, these are just generalizations on my part (like I said, I'm no expert), but what a waste. Being President of the U.S. is NOT EASY, I'm sure, but that's why he's not alone --he's a got a team of folks to advise him, educate him, etc. I just think he's squandered his term. Period. But what do I know? I can't even vote!

4. I really should be more educated about current affairs (domestic and international), politics, and the economy.

5. This country ROCKS!

Keep on Rocking in the Free World: So I finally met my bandmates face to face this past Thursday. For a bunch of strangers who just met for the first time, I thought we kicked-ass! Jes, the girl who placed the ad in the first place, had come up with a couple of songs so she played them and the rest of us contributed our part. Jes sings and plays rhythm guitar; I play lead guitar; Josh is our bassist; and Angela plays the drums. Angela is an amazing drummer! She's Filipino too and has played with a band before. In fact, her band has even performed in CBGB's! Tell her what kind of beat you want, and she'll do it. I thought Josh was great too, considering he's only been playing bass for a little over a year. And the best part was that they said that they liked the way I played! I was dumb-founded. I mean, I think I'm an amateur, but they said 'Wow, you're really good! I like your style. How did you learn?' I'm like "Uhm...trial and error, I guess." I told the hubs what they said and he laughed. Because he's always saying "you can't even play that well!" Well they think I can play! This past weekend, I made up 3 melodies for 3 different songs and I can't wait to try them out with the group.
POSTED BY KAT AT 7/05/2004 12:48:00 PM | 0 COMMENTS






who is kat?

a wanna-be rockstar with mediocre guitar skills | mom to rockstar baby | guitarist in a band | 30 but not grown-up | this is all about my musings. music. motherhood. and mayhem.

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