First day of work ....January 2, 2009

It's one of those morning you do not want to get up bed and go to work. New Year's Day was an excellent excuse not to go out, spend any money, not even turning my cell phone on....to stay home and just watched the Rose Parade and the USC/Penn State Football game on TV ...went back to sleep...it was a perfect day to be lazy......I looked out the windows this morning and outside was foggy and it was cold. On my way to work, the dense fog produced limited visibility driving up the mountains on Barham Avenue towards Cahuenga, however, there was no traffic

en route and I made it to work in less than 30 minutes. There were plenty of vacant parking spaces at the Hilton garage...a sign that only a few were working and at AMEX, it was only Christine and myself answering calls on a weekend like this. Oh well....I will start cleaning my desk and start throwing old stuff... anyway 2008 is behind me and I'm ready for 2009.

Celebrating New Year 2009 at the Bicol's

What a way to end the year with friends and families gathered together in one place making noise, playing games, enjoying laughter, feasting on food and having fun all night. Thanks to the Bicol family ( Rosyln, Arnel, Kassi and Justin at 1600 Garden Street in Glendale for hosting this year's party for 2 years in a row. Of course the party won't be complete without the other families with their children and other guests for participating and making this New Year a memorable one to treasure. I've taken more than 100 pictures from my Olympus D-SLR camera and the smiles are cascading on each and every shot I posted on this blog. The rest of the pictures will be emailed to all via Kodak gallery. I hope you guys enjoy the pictures and from the De Leon family, Rudy, Liza and Champ, Happy New Year to all ! We start the year with a party and I'm for sure there will be a lot more to come. Cheers to 2009!

A Look Back at 2008 and what we expect for 2009

For good or bad 2008 was a very memorable year. You can't get through to the end of the year without reflecting just a little bit on the past twelve (12) months. Barack Obama was elected President.

Gas topped $4.00 a gallon then the economy tanked. The economy immersed as the major issue in 2008 as most state suffered by a record number of foreclosures . The impact was felt right away as spending decrease, government budget deficit increase and companies started to cut back and people started losing job. What's going to happen in 2009 remained unseen but it doesn't looked good . Economist said be ready for there will be more lay-offs to come, but for us Filipinos, a country where obstacle never ceased, life goes on, with our families on our side and our strong faith in God, we pray and we hold on together and our resiliency will help us bounce back and move on. Let us all welcome the change and adapt to it and hope for the best for 2009.

THE YEAR OF THE OX
1/26/2009 - 2/13/2010 (Earth)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2009 is the Year of the Ox. The Ox, or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character. Not many people could equal the resolution and fearlessness that the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task. Ox people work hard without complaints at work or at home. They know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes.

Famous Ox People: Catherine Freeman, Heather Locklear, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh and George Clooney.

The Sign of the Ox : Invariably solid and dependable, Ox people are excellent organizers. Oxen are systematic in their approach to every task they undertake. They are not easily influenced by other's ideas. Loyalty is a part of their make-up, but if deceived they will not forget. Oxen do not appear to be imaginative though they are capable of good ideas. Although not demonstrative or the most exciting people romantically, they are entirely dependable, and make devoted parents. Oxen are renowned for their patience, but it has its limits - once roused, their temper is a sight to behold. People born under the sign of the Ox or Buffalo usually have strong codes and work ethics. This can lead to a tendency to be a workaholic, and they should make an effort to relax more. Ox people are usually strong and robust, and according to ancient wisdom, they should be blessed with long lives. The Ox home is his castle where he finds relaxation and peace from the everyday hustle and bustle of his career or responsibilities. He also enjoys spending much time in planting gardens and trees. He generally prefers to decorate his home comfortably with nature colors. Able, ethical and aware, co-workers of the Ox can depend on their eyes for details. Because they are so well-organized, they are better-suited for specialized positions and prefer to work in large companies. They work best when they work alone since they can be unhappy when participating in a large group.

Ox years: 1937-1949-1961-1973-1997-2009

Christmas Day Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine

Christmas Day Weather Forecast:THU DEC 25, 2008

Tonight...Partly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Northwest winds around 15 mph with local gusts to 40 mph. It's a wet day, with some drizzle - made it to the 12:30 p.m. mass at St. Robert's. It was the last scheduled mass this Christmas day .

As 2008 is winding to a close, we look back on a year that has brought challenges to so many people. The terrible economic crisis that has affected all of us, money we lost on stocks and other form of investments, Friends and neighbors who have lost their jobs lately and have a hard time finding one, Families who lost their homes through fires and foreclosures and are now struggling to survive on a daily basis. What else is there to come, we don't know. All we can do is pray that 2009 will be a year of hope, change, good health and a recovery for all.

Christmas in Buena Park

For the past 13 years or so, we have been celebrating Christmas either at the Flores residence in Cerritos or at the Santos residence in Buena Park. This Christmas, Val and wife Evelyn Santos hosted the pot luck party at their house in Buena Park. Their extended family now includes eldest daughter Mary Ann and her husband Paul Smith and their 2 sons Josh and Bryce plus second daughter Cheryl and her husband EJ Wilson. Unfortunately, we got in too late for the big group picture taking as we arrived at their house around 9:30 p.m. Daniel and Roseanne Pagilagan with their children were getting ready to leave to go to Daniel's parents for Christmas eve. The absence of Ed and Rose Flores family at this year's party was a big miss. They flew to New York last Friday, December 20 and will spend the holidays with their daughter Mariel & Janelle Pike. The regular attendees were there that includes Totoy and Minda Balanon, Boy and Minda Rosales including son Ian who flew from Vancouver, B.C. to spend the holidays with his parents here in L.A. Also present was the family of Val and Vicky Santos with their 3 boys as well as Marissa who we haven't seen in years was there too with her husband. And of course, the party won't be complete without the presence of the new retirees, Lienne and Sally Flores together with their children Dwayne, Dexter, Peach and son TJ. It was a happy occasion to be together with everyone this Christmas.

Holiday hugs across the miles

To all our families and friends that we have not seen in years or have spent christmas in the past. We hope this Christmas greeting brings a warm and special touch and shows you're thought of often because you mean so much to us ...And hope that you'll remember, when the Christmas season is gone, The thoughts of all of you - the wishes, too, will still go on and on. Happiness at Christmas and Always,

Rudy, Liza & Champ de Leon

Burbank, California USA

just 5 days before christmas

Konting tulugan na lang at pasko na naman ( For a few more night sleep and it's christmas once again). For this Christmas, let us pray that no child is left without food on the table and for those who lost their homes recently and all the homeless may they find a shelter to provide them food and warmth this cold winter nights. Also, let's pray for those who are struggling with chronic illness and those who were diagnosed with life threatening disease, may they make it through this holiday and hopefully overcome life challenges. And most of all, let us thank the Lord for all the blessings that we have received and let's find time to spend the holidays with our families and loved ones.


Prayer to Live With Grace

May we discover through pain and torment,
the strength to live with grace and humor.
May we discover through doubt and anguish,
the strength to live with dignity and holiness.
May we discover through suffering and fear,
the strength to move toward healing.
May it come to pass that we be restored to health and to vigor.
May Life grant us wellness of body, spirit, and mind.
And if this cannot be so, may we find in this transformation and passage moments of meaning, opportunities for love and the deep and gracious calm
that comes when we allow ourselves to move on.


--Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro