fanTabulous memorial day wknd!

so we begin our memorial day weekend extravaganza by gettin' prim-properLY dolled 4 a long awaited showcase of the Laughing Samoans out in La Mirada (LA) ...tickets courtesy of jthewise ltd. aka "Me" 4 gettn' such awesum seats, 2nd row center to the stage 2 months prior. the dazzling la mirada theatre hall was jammed pack'd w/ plenty of polys reppn' from the gr8r area of soCali and it's surrounding counterparts, myself and bff numia enjoyed an eve full of good fun & choice ppls.
we left d'aygo at 3PM and made our way onto the 5 northbound frwy w/ mild traffic, however in the opposite southbound direction, it was severely congested even on our way out of d'aygo. while i did the driving & numia shotgun as GPS slash navigator 4 da drive up, we made gr8 timing 2 our final destination in which we made the beach blvd exit, enuff time 2 find a local denny's 2 dine & chill 4 a good hour or so. by 630P, we were ready 2 bolt 2 the theatre in hopes of finding a dressing room 2 change within the complex, & to our surprise, we arrived a lil' less than hr b4 preshow, and already there was a line in full force outside the parking lot and on2 da main steps of the theatre entrance. instead, we were able to get ready at a nearby restroom, courtesy of wendy's...classic!
once inside, we patiently awaited for the main event 2 begin, as emcee brian aka 'B' came out 2 rally the crowd in unison 4 a preshow medleys featuring duo: spawny & breezy & ensemble that drove from waaaay out of independence, mo which gave an on-point set 4 da hour. afterwards, they announced a raffle winner and presented the winner w/ a case of wahoo to receive it onstage...finally, the moment myself & numia have been waiting for, in which i had my hair fabulously curled & i was dress'd 2 da nines in a form fitting green one shoulder strap dress w/ my black stillettos, lookin' rockn w/numia in tow, if i do say so myself, when the infamous Ete & Tofiga of the Laughing Samoans came out 2 an overly enthused crowd. from beginning to end, the Prettyfull Woman show in La Mirada, CA was pure funnyness -- i couldn't stop laughin' in sheer ecstasy from their terrific live skits. seeing them 'live' definitely was a thrill for me, especially tofiga's impersonations were spot ON -- from a local media personality to a waitress of an eatery, and everything in between, it was refreshing comedy relief 4 a friday eve...afterparty was coolio, met up w/ sum choice ppls, that coincedentally were homies of numia frm her past hood of anaheim. plus, i got 2 meet up w/ a home girl of mine who's been a bebo convert from the get...***waddup, meilynn!*** once our nite was filled w/ gr8 convos & dancin', we made our way out 2 find a local diner 2 grab sum grub b4 makin' da drive back 2 d'aygo. we was troopers, made it back 2 da pad by 6ish that morn b4 knockn' da fuzz out till noon...all in all, it was 1 helluva a memorable nite along w/ my partna-n-crie & very bff numia by my side...
the rest of our weekend extravagana entailed on the following activities: day 2: ward luau special & l8 nite movie "angels & demons"...day 3: sunday school & hangout session at sistra "D" w/ new homies plus checkn' out Belly Up down in solana beach while enjoyin' pink floyd tributes thru-out da eve...day 4: 4mi jog 2 ross' & back my pad, cruise thru mission beach park, and than finally hangin' w/ family & new homies, while celebratin' cousin E's b-day spectacular!

happy memorial day weekend, indeed...CHOOHOO!!!

finish MY sentence...

1. My ex...no comment!

2. Maybe I should...travel

3. I love...shai-styles & steel

4. People would say that I’m...downright honest!

5. I don’t understand…the complexities of a relationship

6. When I wake up in the morning…I snooze my alarm

7. I lost...my sense of SELF at one point

8. Life is full of…opportunities

9. My past...is herStory

10. I get annoyed when…there’s no plan of attack for the order of the day

11. Parties are…brilliant!

12. I wish…to be financially prepared

13. Dogs…underrated

14. Cats…overrated

15. Tomorrow…are My-stery!

16. I have low tolerance…ignorance

17. If I had a million dollars…a trust for my boys’ future

18. I fear...my Heavn’ly Father!

19. My spouse...not applicable!

20. My life…fanFuckn’tastic!

21. Yesterday I…was productive

22. I said “WTF” last because...i was annoyed

23. My parents...extraordinary in every way imaginable!

24. I have decided…to Be Passionate in all things

25. I am proud of...my life!

mother, i love you!

mother's day extravaganza was an eventful weekend in which i had the honor of celebrating with my immediate family, my sister & her four wonderful kids drove from tulare county as well as new and old friends to embark on my older son, Shai-Styles, baptism into the LDS church. both my son & his cousin, Tyreece, accepted the gospel and was baptized & confirmed by their Papa Patane, who traveled from pago pago, american samoa to administer in the baptism proceedings.

the baptism commencement was very intimate, personable, & awe-inspiring mainly because of my former Father's-in-law confirmation blessing onto my son, and my sister, June's, engaging & heartfelt talk about 'the holy ghost'. i guarantee you that the room left no dried eye untouch, i was ballin, like a lil' baby. once the program was over, i made sure i thanked bro. hill for conducting and i gathered enough courage and humility to offer my gratitude to my estranged former father-in-law. the holy spirit definitely moved me enough to let my walls down for just that moment so that i can let him know that him performing the ordinances for shai-styles especially, really meant the world to me.

soonafter, all that were in attendance enjoyed light refreshments in the kitchen hall prepared by shai's father & uncle. it was there that i made sure i reacquainted myself to members of tyreece's family & shai's father just so that there wasn't any ill-will feelings on my end since my heart was still soothed by the spirit. i even had offer to extend an invitation to them to the lunch special at kris' home, but of course they graciously decline due to prior commitments.

following the baptism, i extended an invite to the rest of those in attendance to join myself & my inner circle on a lunch special feast in honorary of the joyous day. i recall planning my menu entrees days prior early in the week w/ myself and three of samoa's finest ladies (mia, kris, & neeka) and we prepared the following: ginger chicken, kalua pig in the oven, chop suey w/ beef, potato salad, fried rice and for dessert: puligi, chocolate cake w/ vanilla ice-cream. YUM! plenty of leftover since i wasn't anticipating a small crowd 2 show, nonetheless, there was plenty of ono grub and good 2 honest natured individuals that shared in the monumental milestone for Shai-Styles and what a proud moment it was indeed...shai baby, mommy loves you too!

fun-filled weekend agenda!

1. self magazine workout in the park held on saturday, april 25th from 11 a to 3p in mission valley's ski beach.

2. vendors and/or free samples/brochures/raffles

3. workouts (aerobic, yoga, mini-trampoline) by Crunch Abs of LA, sponsors Reebok

4. lunch at rubio's

5. accessories shopping in chula-u-juana

6. luau in national city for sdsu's pisa

7. drinks at XO lounge in bonita, ca

8. midnite-run to jack-n-crack

9. bedtime

10. brunch at denny's

11. church

12. ces fireside

girls nite out... at belo!

friday eve, april 10th, myself & three of the finest women dress'd 2 impress 4 an eve that included reconnecting w/ homies angel deesky of stooie bros & big al and enjoyin' a fun starred affair w/ baby bash event held at club 'belo' located on the corner of E street between 4th & 5th. we started off the eve by hangin' out with "the homies", very hospitable seein' that my bff, mia and i were awaitin' 4 the rest of our entourage at their hotel suite. i'm sure at first, the encounter appeared to be awkward, the 2 of 'em weren't anticipating two fine a$$ samoan women knocking on their doors askin' 2 let 'em in, but both angel & big al r such gents.

we had a few cocktails & hor d'oeuvres at the house of blues located next door 2 the homies suite. we blabb'd for a good minute, myself, bffs numia & darlene, and her man bernie and of course chenobyl. it was sum good fun & convos, while the jazz band played sum tunes (not my style) and then big al joined us 4 sum tantalizing group fotos and chat. an hour or so l8r, it was time 4 us 2 get goin' 2 belo's w/ da rest of da entourage awaiting outside of the hotel. there was plenty of tantalizing women, ourselves included in the mix, definitely overshadowing the men in tow. as we walk'd down the streets of downtown, we kept ourselves entertained 4 da most part -- and as we approached 2 da belo's entrance, gettin' in was a cinch thanks 2 big al 4 makin' it such a smooth transition.

we got 2 hang on the VIP platform along w/ other baby bash & stooie bros converts, and got 2 cheer & danced 4 'em in sheer enthusiasm later in the crowd. the rest of the eve was all 'bout havin' a grand time w/ the ppls all around both in the club and at the hotel. it was by far a highlight of eves, seeing how i got faded-ly fabulous 4 my own good, pass'd out 4 da rest of da eve, but at least i was cared 4 w/in da company of respectable gents & my girls...ish all good, ya HURD!

.:.analyze this.:.

.:.Which coffee flavor are you.:. hazelnut blend

.:.Which popular sitcom character are you closest to.:.a cross between samantha & carrie of sex & the city

.:.Which has been your happiest moment in life.:.right now - in my 30s, living by my own rules

.:.If told that this is your last day on earth, how would you spend it.:.on a secluded beach resort with just the closest of my friends & family livin' la vida loca. HA!

.:.Rate all your friends on the basis of their sense of humor on a scale of ten.:.
-serine 10
-malia 10
-nua 10
-arlene 9
-latashia 9
-iris 9
-tash 9
-darlene 8
-melissa 8
-numia 7
-barb 7
-pua 7
-claire 6
-kandra 5

.:.If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for.:.
(1) to be financially ready
(2) to find happiness in all things
(3) gain knowledge & understanding of the mysteries of this life and beyond

.:.Name one annoying habit of any of your friends’, which you would really like to change.:.
honestly, i love all my friends equally. i wouldn't want to change anything 'bout them because that's why they're unique in their own way.

.:.Name one quality that you absolutely adore in your friends.:. loyalty

.:.What has been your best-kept secret till date.:. i'll never tell. . .

mY-ind "small" truth

Tats: 2

Piercings: ears

Vices: opinionated by nature & sex

Favo-food: sushi

Ideal ride: ecologically-friendly

Retreat: anything "earth" extravagant

Proudest moment: Accepting defeat w/ my marriage, and being euphoric ‘bout it

Dream vacation: Shang-hai or Old Countryside of the UK

Collect anything: packrat by right, so save a lot of misc knick-knacks

Fondest childhood memory: Sunday to’ona'is after church and Christmas eves dinners w/ fam

Phobias: Getting sidetracked again on my goals for the future, livin’ by a man’s standards

5 yrs, where do u c urself: local savvy business entrepreneur, w/ MBA to boot – and taking over Maeva legacy reigns w/ pops’ blessing.

san diego 5k mud-run

on sunday, march 29th, 2009 i participated with four other members of the "DIRT FLIRTS" on a 5K aka 3Miler mud run on the hillsides of the Skyline Church grounds in la mesa, ca. i am still pinching myself in sheer delight and in soreness for that matter as i type, that i cannot believe that i was able to make it to the finish line in tow with my team, while still jogging my way down the rough terrain, muddy passages and mud pits. and jst for the record, those mud pits were thick and as high as my waist line. at one point thru the course, i came across a mud pit which i was confident to push thru it without a blink, but in the process i miscalculated my footing and lost my stance, immediately fell forward into the deep pool of mud, yet i got right back with mess and all and kept veering forward without stopping a beat. as a consolation, i had the support of my bff, numia, as well as my other mates, julie & her 10 yr old superstar son, Dominique, as well as runner Katie to get me thru the course. more so dominique, since he kept echoing in my mind through the course that if that lil' man can do it, so can i.
honestly, i thought i didn't have it in me but strangely enough i found my inner strength to plow thru the course with a lot of heart. the worse by far was this epic hillside, that was appeared to a mile long up but the intense incline made me pray to have miracle legs & wings to get to the very top, which indeed i finally did. and boy, was that a terrific view once i reached to the very top but i didn't want to look back to slow my progress instead my thoughts kept reverting to 'damn, i only wished i had more added time on that damn stairmaster', but nonetheless, i finished it and what a joy it was to embrace my team at the very end. this awesome feeling of having this mud-run experience will be a marker for more wellness events to come in the future for me, and i am so amped for all of that. so i'll maintain this momentum as i move forward. happy browsing!

TWILIGHT, phenomenal!

over the weekend, the boys and i drove out to spend an overnighter with one of my bff, numia and her daughter alana. she lives in the san bernardino county, so our drive out of san diego, was an hour and 40-minutes tops. as part of our agenda for the evening was to watch Twilight since it made it onto DVD that week friday. and boy did i enjoy it immensely.

i realize what a huge sensation and HIT, the movie grossed at the box office not to mention on preorder DVD sales. in any case, we spent sunday morning watching the complete dvd, from deleted scenes as well as featured soundtrack videos from the movie. i overly enjoyed the film and understand how others are able to find a connection to the movie as well.

one of my to-do list of this year, is to read the complete series. the story line of the phenom is engaging to a wide audience and even if you're not a fan of vampires, the message is clear about the notion of love. when we meet someone of the opposite sex, that we have this undeniable connecton whether it's emotional or physical, it's as if everything else about them or the other is irrelevant. and perhaps that's why a lot of young and old fans are so drawn to that message.

MY family road trip. . .

so i had my boys with me over this past weekend, and boy did i have an itinerary planned for our anticipated road trip extravaganza. i rented a car from enterprise, a mazda 5 -- plenty to fit 6 ppl comfortably but b/cuz it's only 4 cyclinders, it was terrible on gas mileage. had to refuel thru the overall trip, four times. anywho, i made enough snacks and packed x-tra clothes, blankets, etc for the ride out to tulare, ca county. a small town in between bakersfield and fresno in which my sis & fam have been livin for the past 12 yrs and counting.

so we were on the road headin' out of san diego and in2 orange county - san clemente by 10:21AM and breez'd thru there like a toronado on crack. of course i made sure that there was no chps in sight. i did however came across slight traffic thru los angeles, only to find that it was a car on the side of the road with a chp. i'm guessn' gettn' a ticket or engine went haywire. so i reached pass'd the grapevine and in2 bakersfield by 12:45p, but than sis calls 2 find out where we're at, and obviously made gr8 time b/cuz by 1:33Pm, i made in2 sis' curbside on the dot.

we chatted up a storm and had turkey & cheddar on gorditas while the kids had sandwiches. by 3:15p, sis june wanted to pick up kevin from school and onto meeting her man, joe the mechanic. all in all the time spent with the fam was wonderful. we had burgers 4 dinner and i turned in early along w/ steel & kenny for the eve simply b/cuz our plans 2 head out 2 the mountains was early on saturday morn.

sis awoke to make bfast 4 the kids and i got myself dress'd and made ready my boys for the long ride ahead. it appeared that all the snow gear was prep'd and ready 2 go, however early that morn, we stopp'd at least five times jst 2 get snow chains. the kids had a blast entertainin' themselves on our ride up there. all in all, it was a gr8 bondin' experience 4 ev'ry1. made it out 2 sequoia & kings canyon national park by 12:30p and got take sum fly photos of the scenery. by the time we made it 2 our final destination, wolverton, elevation approximately 4000+ ft. evrywhere u saw was blanketed with snow galore, and slopes all around 2 enjoy. there, the kids got their snow gear ON and headed 2 have sum major fun. here r sum of the fotos throughout the trip.

be true to thyself!

i've been thinkin' a lot 'bout doin' somethin' completely out of character, and often times when i begin to feel this way, it's entirely based on my "mood". yes, i'm feeling like i need to take charge and be bold about my life, my decisions yet again. i often times struggle with this when i feel i don't have a handle but in retrospect, i actually do. in terms of new adventures and/or horizons, i definitely have a plan to develop my hobbies for the upcoming year. my absolute belief in life is that life in itself is undeniably short and to miss out on the wonders of what this this great world has to offer would be a shame. i hope to achieve of the following work-in-progress to-do list that is shown below, and i plan to chronicle my new experiences by showing fotos and/or videos of it, so please stay tuned.

.:.gettn' a acne peel and deep cleanse exfoliation
.:.buying a cal king size mattress set
.:. redesign living room and furnishings
.:. spruce up my existing warddrobe
.:.taking a mini-trip to an exotic and/or unfamiliar place
.:. learn to make sushi
.:. a trip with the boys anywhere but san diego, ca

tune in to see this list grow. . .

exploring alcatraz. . .

a few months ago, i had the priveleged of visiting one of the most
historic landmarks in american history, the infamous, alcatraz federal prison, which resides off the coast of the san francisco bay. my stay out to the bay area was short & sweet seeing that i initially went out there to meet up w/ 1 of my bffs, arlene, who was in training for the week & due to scheduling conflicts, wouldn't make the trip out to san diego, ca in time to catch up. so instead, myself and arlene's sis, lia, plan'd a two-day trip to visit her instead. we spent the day playin' "tourist" by takin' the san francisco trolley down to fisherman's wharf and from there walk'd down to pier 39 to catch the hourly ferry to our final destination. the ferry ride to the remote isle was quick and unmemorable, in which it also only took less than 20mins. that saturay day happened to be wonderful crisp clear blue sky w/ temperatures in the mid 60s, and we were dress'd for the anticipated tour. below are a series of photos that depict that very day and what an awesome experience it was to spend that mid-morning bein' educated 'bout the events that had transpired. i hadn't realized that it was designated as the very first federal state prison in the nation. not to mention that after it had been condemned and closed due to upkeep maintenance fees, there had been revolt by local native americans claiming the isle as their own due to the "gov't" taking theirs and w/ the support by the public, these natives received their reservation lands because of this effort during the late 60s. wat an amazing story to learn 'bout something so profound which makes me feel that more empowered.