I succumbed to the late night infomercials about the benefits of Proactiv in the hopes that my
-jet lagging
-house guest hosting
-OCD cleaning
-entertaining
-extended family hosting
-first communion stage mothering
-celebrating
-international children's festival boothing--
--stress related bout with acne would clear up.
Three days after I got back from Paris,
(I promise that's the last time I will use that phrase)
we had house guests from the Philippines.
A couple of friends and their three daughters visited us for a week.
Mariza Gatmaitan and I were best friends in the 5th Grade at Maryknoll.
Her husband, Jet Custodio--was a buddy of mine at the University of the Philippines.
In typical small world fashion, they met while at dental school.
They married and did their specialization training here in the States and ended up living a block away from Steve and me for three and a half years.
(after which, they returned to Manila to set up their dental practice.)
During their visit last April 15th, Mariza was lamenting about the dearth of photographs being taken.
Her husband replied,
"how can we take any pictures when Chesca has not fixed herself up in three days!"
(I remained unshowered, in my pajamas during most of their visit)
While they were still here, my other friends Kelley and Becky visited from Maryland.
They came to spend time with my first communion girl.
While K and G enjoyed the use of their hotel pool,
I made one concession for a shower before their dinner here.
In preparation for our first-born's first communion weekend and the replacement house guests
(my parents, parents-in-law, tsbowser, cousins)
I learned the merits of cleaning with a so-very-powerful-shop-vac.
I shop vac-ed in places never seen by a regular vacuum cleaner.
Dried pine needles stuck in the crack of our threshhold from 12 years of hauling out the christmas trees, I sucked up.
Lone sock? sucked up.
By the time I was done my patented picture perfect smile was replaced by a grimace masquerading as a grin.
All that house cleaning paid off because the weekend was beautiful.
K was the epitome of angelic perfection.
We had gorgeous weather for the party.
We had Filipino Food
(fresh lumpia, fried lumpia, lechon kawali, kare-kare, sweet & sour fish and pancit)
K said to me before she went to sleep that night:
"thank you for a wonderful party."
The next three days I spent sleeping.
My last major shindig was the International Children's Festival.
I somehow got suckered into putting together a Philippine Booth.
(Note to self: must wriggle out of this one next year)
--K and G were happy to participate and were quite proud of their half-filipino heritage.
(I knew there was a reason why I agreed to do this)
Needless to say, I am ecstatically happy to be commitment free for a while or at least until the Proactiv kicks in and my adult acne scars fade away.
Today is the anniversary of my parents
--Mario and Gregoria Silva.
They have been married for 53 years!
Happy Anniversary.
Thank you for not letting my dog loose downtown during your scenic trip to our house.
Thank you for letting me block your car in so that once again, you are held hostage here.
I love you.