A new chapter...

Sounds like a Star Wars title doesn't it?
Sorry I have been gone a while. I am going through some changes in my life right now. I probably shouldn't blog about it, so I might have to take that part off line...maybe even publish it one day.

Where to begin: I will start with today and recent family updates as I promised some people that I would not put my feelings through a public forum.

My younger brother suffered a stroke a few months back. He just got married to his lovely bride, decided to move to Las Vegas as Southern California, I guess California in general, is getting way to expensive to live. He found a job at a Catholic school as theie P.E. coach and within a few weeks, found an apartment for his young family. Then literally the next day, BOOM. It hit him. We were all shocked. My whole family freaked out ofcourse. I was already planning to go out there and bring his things to the new apartment, but man this hit us bad. But, with a lot of faith, family, and love, he is getting better. That's when it reminded me what being a family was about. With the power of prayer, faith, and just being able to rally around the circumstances, hope finds a way to enter your life. I like to think our Catholic upbringing had a lot to do with that as well. Plus the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from family and friends, support from his new work (which is his new Las Vegas family) is just such a wonderful thing to see.

I don't know if the gofundme page my sister started is still up, but if you know my brother, or would just like to help him and his young family, click on the link below

https://www.gofundme.com/coach-lagmans-road-to-recovery

So today I took Nathan to Universal Studios. Needless to say it was a blast. Yaya came too as she has not been there in a long time. She does so much for us so bringing her with us to enjoy was a no brainer. We went to the usual spots: Tram Tour, Minions Ride, Harry Potter. It was all new to Yaya so she enjoyed. We all enjoyed the new Waterworld show. I don't know if kids nowadays even know it was a movie with Kevin Kostner, but it was still good.
It was a good break from all the bad vibes I have been getting lately.

Which brings me to the title of my blog, A New Chapter. It is definitely a new chapter for me. When you turn a page of a book when you are thrust into a deep story line that has you hooked then all of the sudden something you never see happen happens...well that's pretty much the description of the new chapter. Like I said I can't go into detail (as I might make this into a teleseria or something) but this is surely something new to me. But like my brother, as he fights and works on just getting back to normal and stronger, he has inspired me to become stronger, and hopefully a little better than normal. We'll just have to wait and see.

Good night eveerybody

I'm back

Sorry for being incognito. Where have I been? Good question. To be honest, I just got busy. It was easier when I just wrote in my journal ala Doogie Houser or Mr. Belvedere...and I think I just aged myself. haha.
But it has been a while. Many things have happened since I last blogged. Too many to catch up so I will just start a new slate. I can do that right? Start a new slate in July? It doesn't necessarily have to be in January when the year starts.I actually want to start a clean slate in July because it is my birthday month so yes, I will do it now.
So I went to the doctor recently and I definitely not as young as I was. I take more "candy" now so I can stay healthy, but I think my lack of exercise is a big reason that I am in this state. I am losing weight, but I'm losing muscle too. And I am feeling weaker. When I was younger I felt so invincible. Why did I have to grow up?
I am now watching what I eat...as I see it go from the plate to my mouth. But I am at least eating in smaller portions. So many food trucks and small brick and mortar places like The Nest, Belly Bombz, These places I actually heard from friends so thank you to them for helping my waistline get big.
But I have done a lot of volunteer work for my alma mater ever since my son got there. So now, being his senior year, I'm pretty sure we are going to do a lot.
Well, this is it for now. I will try to stay away from politics, religion, and all the other supposed taboo stuff, but we'll see. Good night yo.

What a week

My best friend Tony came out for a much needed vacation this past week. It great to see him. He also brought his girlfriend Rhea with him. He was showing her his old stomping grounds and taking in the much needed California sun that he has missed.
I remembered when I was younger when my cousins would visit during the summer, there was always this void that settled in. All the late night trips, laughs, games, and fun things that we did all summer, just disappeared when they all left. I felt that same void again when Tones and Rhea left. We only hung out a total of 3 days, but it felt like a summer of memories. The trips, the laughs, and the food. Oh the food. It was nice because my wife got some girl time. She misses it so and I feel it. I think my wife really misses my buddies girl. We will see each other soon.
Tomorrow is the first day at my new position. I think I'm more scared then excited, but we just have to keep moving forward right?
I better get some sleep. Good night

Happy New Year....

I know it's late in the year, but never too late right? I have actually got a lot of things done already this year. Of course welcomed the new year in with my youngest son was great. Me and some friends participated in a Blazin challenge. If you don't know what that is, Buffalo Wild Wings has this challenge where if you can finish 12 of their hottest wings without ranch, drink, and wiping your mouth all under 6 minutes, you get a shirt and your photo posted on their wall of fame. It was a great experience. Out of our team of 3, I was the one that made the last cut. Five minutes 50 seconds to be exact. But man I was hurting the next day.
Then the next month it was my son's birthday. We postponed the first party because of rain. Then we were sad because it looked like it was going to rain on the other date we chose. But thank God it didn't. My parents and yaya worked hard to get the party ready and it was so worth it. We had lechon, taco lady, my mom's cooking. It was almost all gone when it was said and done.
It has already been such busy year. I can't believe it's already March.
This is about the time I start to reflect on my life. Where I am now. Where I am going. It's funny how perspective changes as you get older. How what was important to you then is minute now. How which friends who you thought were the greatest are now not so great and vice versa. How family is the strongest bond there is. And that a little boy's smile can make the most taxing day be the best day ever.

Sins of the Father...

Now before any of you start thinking thoughts, my father is a good man. I was thinking more in terms of my son. I love quotes and there was a quote that stated, "Live an honorable life so when you think back on how you lived, you can be proud." I would like to say that I had a good life. Sure, I didn't get to experience too much of the "wild" stuff, but if I never experienced it, how can I miss it?

I guess I never really knew what kind of adjustments I had to make personally in my life when Nathan came. I mean, I still see some of my friends that are married with kids, but they still club like no other. But that's them and another blog.

So now here I am, trying to be a good role model to my kids. It isn't easy being the good guy and I tell my kids that. That's why it's better to be the good guy. You get to see yourself in a proud light.

Just yesterday I noticed these two kids at the corner of my block. I had a feeling they were up to no good so I watched them. Sure enough, they hopped the fence to my kids school and what do they do? Start vandalizing the school. What did I do? I called the cops. Too many times I hear people complain about graffiti and how ugly it makes our neighborhood. Well, this time I did something about it. Luckily the cops caught the two kids who ended up tagging 4 buildings in the school. The cop said that it ill cost them over thousands of dollars to clean that up.

Where am I going with this? Were their dads like that growing up? Are they paying for the sins of their fathers?

I look at my children, especially my youngest one and wonder if I can prepare him for the world he is going to live in. I'm not saying I'm a saint, but I try to live an honorable life. And even though living a good moral, ethical life can be challenging sometimes, my hand will be there for my children to help guide them along this thing we call life.

Thoughts running through the night

Hello. Sorry it's been awhile. As I sit here in front of my computer, I can't help stop thinking about Friday night. No, not because that is the start of the weekend. It's because my old high school will play our arch rival. We, and I mean my old high school, will try to do what we have not been able to do in 20 years, beat them.
Yes, I know that is a long time, I just don't want it to be longer. I can't say I hate my arch rival school because my sister went there.
Me and my brother always teased her in not going to one of the sister schools. Then she gave me an answer that I will never forget. I asked her, "Why didn't you go to Rosary or Connelly?" Without blinking she responded, "Because they are not Servite." That just showed how smart my sister is.
So I took her answer and just smiled. I attended some games that she worked at, and she would come to our games and cheer us on. And of course she would cheer my brother when he was playing basketball at the time.
So in a nutshell, I hope we beat them, finally...so I can get some rest. hahaha

Made me think...

August. HOT day in the city. Just your typical Tuesday after work day. Got home from work, saying hi to the kids, having dinner, getting ready for the next day...typical.

So here we are in the living room. The kids and wifey on the sofa, me with the baby standing up, and were watching John & Kate plus 8. As we are getting into it, my cell phone rings. It's my dad. He wanted to know if we're watching TFC. I said no. He tells me to turn it there, so I did. It's the funeral of Cory Aquino. Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez are singing The Prayer. I like Martin's version a lot and no, it's not because I am a fan. So we are watching the funeral as we listen to them sing. Then other singing stars like Ogie Alcasid and Jose Marie Chan are singing as well to pay tribute to the former president.

I hurriedly changed it back to John & Kate, but my wife wanted to watch the funeral. I was a little surprised because she doesn't really keep up with the goings-on in the Philippines. But in a sense I was glad she did...and this is why:

During the show, the daughter of the former president, Chris Aquino was being interviewed by the local news that was covering the event. She was very strong, carrying a good conversation, but, there was a time in the interview where realization set in. She said, "...now that the mass is over and we are processing to the burial site, it's more of a realization now and that we have to move on without her..." This hit me hard but I'm sure it hit my wife harder. You see, my wife lost her mom earlier this year. She lost her life to the same disease that Cory Aquino was battling, colon cancer. As Chris kept pouring out how she felt at her most vulnerable time, I sat next to my wife, for I knew what Chris was saying, is what my wife was feeling. There were a lot of similarities with my wife's mom and Pres. Aquino. I'm not saying that my mom-in-law was qualified to run a country, but she made sure her kids were taken cared of, when she was alive and now when she is at rest.

This made me think about my grandma, who's death anniversary of 1 year is coming up. It also made me realize how special these women were. I know we always say, "Treasure these moments fo you will not get them back..." So true.

Like I said life is experienced in stages. Enjoy each stage.