today marks the end of my 1st week at my new position at PepsiCo. its weird not supporting an application anymore -- my phone doesn't ring as much and i don't get too many emails. its actually pretty nice. this week, ive just been reading up on SAP and gathering information from my teammates. but yeah, its nice. its friday afternoon and no one is in the office due to summer hours. im just waiting for benny to get out then off to chinatown we go...

i had practice for my fall flag football co-ed team today. half the team i already know because they're my softball teammates. id say we're pretty good and organized. we covered long and short routes today. next thursday we're going to cover formations. benny came to watch but ended up playing center and snapping to the QB. it was nice that he was there. hes so supportive. afterwards, we met up with our other softball teammates and hit the batting cages. i havent been to the cages in f-o-r-e-v-e-r. i just did slow pitch softball because (1) i didnt bring my fastpitch softball bat and (2) my right wrist hurts like hell. i pulled it 3 co-ed games ago when the coach was telling me to hit to right field. when swinging, once my arms cross the plate i snap my wrist to aim the ball to the right side of the field. works everytime. in highschool, i was a placement hitter -- wherever the coach wanted, the coach got. i could lay down a bunt for a squeeze play at home or hit mid-right field to advance the runner to 3rd. gosh, i miss fastpitch...

happy birthday, chris!


happy birthday, ed!

benny and i went to our first WNBA game @ uic pavilion -- chicago sky vs connecticut sun. it was the sky's last home game for their inaugural season. we had some sick ass seats -- s-club -- i guess i should've known since i got them from work (gatorade). appetizers, food, snacks and open bar in the club area. we literally sat 10 feet away from the sun bench. it was awesome!

we met up with erik and stephanie last night for the soxs game. dont fret, i am a cubs fan, but mr. casanova is a soxs fan. what can you do? i did what any cubs fan would do on soxs territory: buy a huge bag of peanuts, $1 hotdogs and chug down as many beers to my hearts (and bladders) content and hope that the soxs lose. i got pretty thrashed...haha. the soxs lost too.

fun times...
...me and benny


...erik and stephanie

its 626am et. im sitting here in my hotel room at the westin in atlanta. on the top floor looking out at the most beautiful view of atlanta. i woke up an hour ago feeling so good and so relaxed. something i havent felt in a long long time...like years. im so happy with everything and everyone in my life right now.

my family is awesome...last saturday i took my cousin's kids with me to my dad's company picnic. one of them is my godkid who i so adore and love to death. we spent half the time melting cotton candy on our tongues to see who can get the brightest pink/blue color when we should've been watching the baseball game. it was so much fun. these girls are so innocent and so pure...they have no cares in the world and all we did was laugh. granted, they were teasing me and one of them punched me in the eye...haha...its okay though. please note that they're 7 and 9 years old and im 25. my dad and i drank beers during the game and just sat there and chilled...that was great. i love my papa. my mom was just enjoying the girls and i can see that shes ready to be a lola. my kuya and ate my are great and so are my cousin rich and his girl amy...i see them during the softball games because me and archie and richie play on havoc together. i feel pretty lucky that we get to spend time playing a sport together.

my friends are awesome...my college friends, my girls and my new batch of friends (peeps from softball) are loads of fun. benny and i are catching a soxs game on monday with another couple who met through softball. matapalooza is coming around the corner and so is our september babies birthday bash. a few of us are turning 26 and im one of the lucky ones. blech. haha.

my i/t career is f'in awesome. im moving up to places i never thought i would have the opportunity. my feet are still wet. ive only been working for 4 years. but hey, working hard pays off and i cant wait to see where my career takes me.

the suns coming up and i think its time to change and go run.

im so happy right now.

this came on during my AM run...

"I never believed in dreaming, it never got me very far.
I never believed that love could find me, like an arrow through the heart.
I never believed in miracles, or building castles in the air.
Not until that day I found you, turned around and you were there.
From the day you came, you gave me, a whole new point of view.
I've been touched by an angel, it's impossible, but true..."

--Joe's "I Believe In You"