Dedicated to those who were lost, survived and helped on that day... We will never forget!
For the last few weeks I have had been thinking about a lot of things. One of these things I have been thinking about is a tragic event that happened 10 years ago in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. I knew the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks where coming up and the best way I know I can pay tribute is to write down my personal thoughts and feelings and what I remember from that day. Before I start writing down my thoughts and recollections of that day I want to say that in no way do I want to make it seem that I understand or can comprehend what the victims and their families went through. What I want to do here is just share what I remember and what I think about the sad events.
Let's start with what was going on, on September 10, 2011.... I was trying to get to bed as the next day would be a big day for me. It was going to be my first day of work at Starbucks Coffee. The next memory I have is of my sister walking into the room, waking up me and my Dad by saying "An airplane just crashed into a building in New York" At the time, I really thought nothing of it. It was something that happened and I honestly did not pay much attention to it because I was more concerned about going to work on my first day. I remember watching more of the coverage before I went to work. While I was on the way to work the second plane hit the towers. I get to work and this is the only topic of conversation. As I was being introduced to customers that would become my regulars, they would ask me what I thought and tried to give me updates on what was happening. The oddest thing was that every update was different, there was no consistency in the messages and the information. My manager at the time got a phone call from the district manager and he was directed to close the store early and evacuate the staff. Mainly due to the reason that we were in a gas station and that we were close to San Francisco airport.
After work, I headed home, I had the radio turned on and still hadn't realized the significance of what was happening. I get home and I rest for a bit, I call my girlfriend (who is my wife now) and we started talking on the phone, we were both watching the coverage of the attacks on t.v. I remember how we were comparing the coverage of the news on NBC, FOX, ABC and CBS versus the coverage on the Spanish channels Univision and Telemundo. The American channels started off showing a lot of the real time events, but soon they would show, what I felt was censored coverage. On the Spanish stations the footage was raw, emotional, uncut. The best example was of the people who decided, well actually I should not assume that it was a decision for all of them, but the ones who dropped out of the building. I remember only seeing the footage once on the American stations, but on the Spanish broadcast they were showing it and showing how real the tragedy was. This was the moment that I realized that this was a watershed moment in the history of the United States.
The world changed in an instant. They postponed all sporting events, any outdoor activities and there were no flights allowed. The sky was silent, it would be some time before anyone would hear the sounds of a plane in the skies. One thing that changed as well was the emergence of the colors Red, White and Blue. It was at this time that it seemed that everyone put aside their differences and stood up for the United States of America. 'These colors don't run' would be on various shirts, posters and stickers. One thing I remember clearly is going to my History of San Francisco Class on Thursday 9/13/11 and our teacher Ms. Alioto standing in front of the class, holding back tears and just holding up the front page of the San Francisco Examiner that read "BASTARDS" with a picture of one of the planes crashing into one of the towers. That moment stands out to me and I will always remember what I was thinking during that time.
I was looking for a deeper meaning to what the attacks meant. We were talking about it in class and I voiced concerns that I felt that this could only be the beginning, that this was the warning shot. Using planes from American and United Airlines, which I thought was a message to 'Unite America' as we are really a country of people who are together but always separate. There was a lot of uncertainty going on, I had visions of an attack on the Golden Gate Bridge and other landmarks. It was not a fun time for my imagination to be running wild.
I remember that year was the year that Barry Bonds was going to set the single season home run mark. The San Francisco Giants and all of Major League Baseball, as well as other professional sports had begun to wear hats or uniforms with the United States flag on it. Chants of 'USA USA USA' would ring throughout the stadiums. We were all Americans now. We all had a common threat and we all pulled together. But to believe that it would be that way going forward was a fantasy that would never work.
On the first anniversary of the attacks, as I did every year of my time at Starbucks, I would wear all black and reflect with a moment of silence the lives that were lost and the families that continued to struggle with their loss.
Jintotepe in Nicaragua. When we were approaching Ground Zero, I don't remember where it was but we saw this flag with a list of names on it, memorializing the many lives that were lost. I also remember seeing a firehouse station with a mural dedicated to the fallen brothers of the NYFD. Being there at Ground Zero, where this tragic event happened was unreal. I could feel the sadness, the emotional toll and I could still feel people were there. This turned out to be the final resting place for a lot of people. I did get choked up, I held back tears, it was really heartbreaking. You could see the holes where the towers had been, my mind raced with the images that were shown of that day. My mind replayed the footage of the planes hitting the towers, the collapse and the cloud of dust and debris. I paid my respects to those who lost their lives and I also paid respect to the men and women of all of the rescue teams that were there to help and for those who lost their lives trying to help.
This year, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of that dreadful day. For the past few weeks I have been just revisiting the images, the stories and tragedies of the events. I wanted to remember the people and not forget them. There are a lot of people who say "9/11 we will never forget" This moment in time is a big part of history. Only time will tell how the world looks back on it. There are few national moments that happen where you remember where you were or what you were doing when it happened. I remember.
On this 10th anniversary, I will remember those lost with a moment of silence and a moment of prayer. I wish all of the victims, first responders, families and survivors peace and love. I pray to God that nothing like this tragic event happens again.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
More Randomness...(part 2)
OK, so for those of you who have been waiting (yes, all 1 of you...) here are more random thoughts about what is going on with what I am interested in...
-Now that the Church wedding is over and we are coming down for the high of the even and the honeymoon, we are looking for the right 'Thank you' cards and also the right pictures for our wedding album. We had decided on two pictures that we have printed and have framed to give to our parents. I gave my Mom hers yesterday and she really liked the frame and the picture. We are giving my mother-in-law her picture this weekend. I set up ours in our house and we will give one to my Dad when he gets here in November. I also need to print out a few more to give to our Aunts and Uncle who attended the wedding and ceremony. I also want to bring a nice one with a frame to work, I already have a picture of me and my wife up, but I think there should be anew one...
-The Bible.... So I got past the first book, then I hit a road block. The first road block was Chris Jericho's second book, then I just never picked up the Bible again, it was too ambitious for me to attempt to read the Bible in one year, I say that because I have very little extra time for reading and I like to read slow to get a better understanding of what has been written. I may read a few more books before the end of the year.. let's see where I end up..
-San Francisco Giants- right now the Giants are 2 games behind the D-Backs in the west. Considering that they have had most of their players out due to injury this season, I would call that pretty impressive. But what plagues the Giants is the inability to cash in with runners in scoring position. It's like the cave into the pressure and get over anxious and just swing at anything, usually resulting in an inning ending double play, Strike out or my favorite frustration a foul pop up. They still have great pitching, but the staff cannot be expected to go out and shut everyone out. The offense needs to score. The Giants still have some time left on the schedule and I know they will get it together and win the west. I hope it happens the night of Oktoberfest.....
-San Francisco 49ers- Pre-season football means nothing. Don't believe me, what was the Niners record last pre-season? go ahead and check, I'll wait.... that's right 4-0 and they did not have a good season. So when the Saints put a whoopin' on the Niners, I wasn't upset that they lost. I was upset by the lack of focus and play. It's the pre-season open it up! Throw the ball. Then last week they beat the Raiders... how did the fans respond to that? go ahead, look it up..I'll wait... That's right, by beating the hell out of each other. It is disheartening to hear what went down that day. Did anyone not lean from the Brian Stow incident in LA? It's just a game folks. It's not that serious. The players don't even care. Senseless violence at sporting events create an atmosphere where families are not going to attend. The experience at a game is to enjoy the game, have a hot dog, maybe one or two beers (depending on how big your paycheck is, beer is expensive..) cheering for your team and if they win...Cheer louder, if they lose...Show your pride and hold your head up. On that day it was 'I don't like ______' so I'll knock you out in the bathroom, or better idea let me shot you over something so small. Oh and you ladies, if I can even call you that, fighting in the parking lot? really? really? I bet you are a real catch. I don't care if it was a Niners 'fan' or a 'Raider' fan, this should not be happening. If you want to fight, sign up for the armed forces. Don't ruin the sporing games experience just because you're an A$$hole!
-What's next... my sister-in-law is having another boy!!!! Both my nephews celebrate birthday's in September, a baby shower for our cousin and a Giants game. Tomorrow my wife and I are going to see John Legend and Sade in concert and next week the circus comes to town. I think in the next few days I will write a post about Michael Jackson on what would have been his birthday and also reflect on the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on September 11th.
-So folks, that's it for another blog about my random thoughts.................... Have a great day!
-Now that the Church wedding is over and we are coming down for the high of the even and the honeymoon, we are looking for the right 'Thank you' cards and also the right pictures for our wedding album. We had decided on two pictures that we have printed and have framed to give to our parents. I gave my Mom hers yesterday and she really liked the frame and the picture. We are giving my mother-in-law her picture this weekend. I set up ours in our house and we will give one to my Dad when he gets here in November. I also need to print out a few more to give to our Aunts and Uncle who attended the wedding and ceremony. I also want to bring a nice one with a frame to work, I already have a picture of me and my wife up, but I think there should be anew one...
-The Bible.... So I got past the first book, then I hit a road block. The first road block was Chris Jericho's second book, then I just never picked up the Bible again, it was too ambitious for me to attempt to read the Bible in one year, I say that because I have very little extra time for reading and I like to read slow to get a better understanding of what has been written. I may read a few more books before the end of the year.. let's see where I end up..
-San Francisco Giants- right now the Giants are 2 games behind the D-Backs in the west. Considering that they have had most of their players out due to injury this season, I would call that pretty impressive. But what plagues the Giants is the inability to cash in with runners in scoring position. It's like the cave into the pressure and get over anxious and just swing at anything, usually resulting in an inning ending double play, Strike out or my favorite frustration a foul pop up. They still have great pitching, but the staff cannot be expected to go out and shut everyone out. The offense needs to score. The Giants still have some time left on the schedule and I know they will get it together and win the west. I hope it happens the night of Oktoberfest.....
-San Francisco 49ers- Pre-season football means nothing. Don't believe me, what was the Niners record last pre-season? go ahead and check, I'll wait.... that's right 4-0 and they did not have a good season. So when the Saints put a whoopin' on the Niners, I wasn't upset that they lost. I was upset by the lack of focus and play. It's the pre-season open it up! Throw the ball. Then last week they beat the Raiders... how did the fans respond to that? go ahead, look it up..I'll wait... That's right, by beating the hell out of each other. It is disheartening to hear what went down that day. Did anyone not lean from the Brian Stow incident in LA? It's just a game folks. It's not that serious. The players don't even care. Senseless violence at sporting events create an atmosphere where families are not going to attend. The experience at a game is to enjoy the game, have a hot dog, maybe one or two beers (depending on how big your paycheck is, beer is expensive..) cheering for your team and if they win...Cheer louder, if they lose...Show your pride and hold your head up. On that day it was 'I don't like ______' so I'll knock you out in the bathroom, or better idea let me shot you over something so small. Oh and you ladies, if I can even call you that, fighting in the parking lot? really? really? I bet you are a real catch. I don't care if it was a Niners 'fan' or a 'Raider' fan, this should not be happening. If you want to fight, sign up for the armed forces. Don't ruin the sporing games experience just because you're an A$$hole!
-What's next... my sister-in-law is having another boy!!!! Both my nephews celebrate birthday's in September, a baby shower for our cousin and a Giants game. Tomorrow my wife and I are going to see John Legend and Sade in concert and next week the circus comes to town. I think in the next few days I will write a post about Michael Jackson on what would have been his birthday and also reflect on the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on September 11th.
-So folks, that's it for another blog about my random thoughts.................... Have a great day!
I promise......
I was having a conversation with someone and they asked about the wedding. They asked me if we did the traditional vows or if we wrote our vows. I told them that we used the traditional vows as me and my wife agreed it would be the best thing for the ceremony. So that got me thinking, what would have I write my wedding vows..
"As I take your hand, I promise to love you for the rest of my life.
I promise to support you, stand by you, be with you to make sure we are alright.
I promise to lift you up when you are down and help you soar when we leave the ground.
I promise to be faithful, respectful, true and above all of the I promise to always love you.
I promise to take care of you, to show you that you are my world
and cherish all of our moments.
As I take your hand in front of family, friends and God
I promise to always love you as your husband and best friend"
-I would have like to shared this with everyone if we would have elected to have this in our ceremony. But I am happy with knowing that I have every day of my life to making sure that I follow through with this. Who knows, maybe at our 25th or 50th anniversary, I may dust these words off and add a few more....
"As I take your hand, I promise to love you for the rest of my life.
I promise to support you, stand by you, be with you to make sure we are alright.
I promise to lift you up when you are down and help you soar when we leave the ground.
I promise to be faithful, respectful, true and above all of the I promise to always love you.
I promise to take care of you, to show you that you are my world
and cherish all of our moments.
As I take your hand in front of family, friends and God
I promise to always love you as your husband and best friend"
-I would have like to shared this with everyone if we would have elected to have this in our ceremony. But I am happy with knowing that I have every day of my life to making sure that I follow through with this. Who knows, maybe at our 25th or 50th anniversary, I may dust these words off and add a few more....
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Looking Back... (Thank you's & Final Thoughts)
So here it is, a final wrap of the big day. Let me start with the Thank You's.
In no particular order:
To our parents: Mom (Olivia) Mom (Rosario) Dad (Jose) and Dad (Dave)
Thank you for your constant support and for all of the love and understanding that you give us. Our wedding day was much more special because you were a big part of it. You all looked amazing and we really hope you enjoyed yourselves. Thank you again. We love you.
To our Family: Sister (Karen) Brother (Will) and Tia Silvia
Thank you for your contributions at the church and for any input you gave us for the wedding. It was a pleasure to be able to include all of you into our special day. We hope you enjoyed the event and that you will forever hold onto the good memories of this night. We love you.
To our special helpers: Olga, Brain and Jennifer and the Daza Family
Thank you very much Olga for helping out so much. Brian thank you for taking the pictures you took and for teaching us how to Dougie! Also, Happy Birthday! Jennifer thank you for your help and also thank you to your parents for lending us the car. It was awesome! You all stepped it up in 3D and played a big part on our wedding day. We love you.
The Bridal Party
The Groomsmen: Charles, Arnel, Lil Will and Santi
Thank you guys very much for being a part of our wedding. When we decided to move forward with the event I knew that you were the ones that I would want in the bridal party. You all looked great in the tuxedos and I am really happy that your personalities came out and you showed people why you were up here with us and not watching with them. I truly hope that you enjoyed the night and thank you once again. I really appreciate you and I love you everyday
The Bridesmaids: Adri, Alina and Alexia
A^3 (If you don't know what that means, look it up) Thank you very much for being here and being part of this day. We both appreciate the efforts that you have made and are very thankful for your contributions. We really hope you enjoyed the night and will forever take the memories with you as a keepsake of a great moment in time for us. Thank you for everything. We love you.
The Best man: Amilcar
Well, what can I say. A no doubt about it pick. Thank you very much for all of your help and support. Thank you for your kind words during your speech. We have been friends for over 16 years now, more like brothers. You were a big part of this day and I thank you for all of your efforts and for everything you do. You set the bar high for best man duties, but I will come through in 2013 for you! I love you every day! Thank you again.
The Matron of Honor: Elmira
Thank you for being here. The Orange looked awesome! Your kind words during your toast we very welcomed. I hope everyone understood why you were picked for this roll. Thank you for your efforts and contributions for our wedding. You did an awesome job at the church and were a great Matron of Honor. You helped make this day very special for Ulisa and me. Thank you again and We love you.
Looking back on this day. It was great. No doubt about it. We want to thank everyone who showed up at the church and at the reception hall. We really hope that you truly enjoyed yourself and that our wedding will hold a special place in your mind's memory museum. Even for those who wanted to be here and could not make it, always remember you are with us in our hearts. We are truly blessed to have a great families and friends. We love you everyday!
In no particular order:
To our parents: Mom (Olivia) Mom (Rosario) Dad (Jose) and Dad (Dave)
Thank you for your constant support and for all of the love and understanding that you give us. Our wedding day was much more special because you were a big part of it. You all looked amazing and we really hope you enjoyed yourselves. Thank you again. We love you.
To our Family: Sister (Karen) Brother (Will) and Tia Silvia
Thank you for your contributions at the church and for any input you gave us for the wedding. It was a pleasure to be able to include all of you into our special day. We hope you enjoyed the event and that you will forever hold onto the good memories of this night. We love you.
To our special helpers: Olga, Brain and Jennifer and the Daza Family
Thank you very much Olga for helping out so much. Brian thank you for taking the pictures you took and for teaching us how to Dougie! Also, Happy Birthday! Jennifer thank you for your help and also thank you to your parents for lending us the car. It was awesome! You all stepped it up in 3D and played a big part on our wedding day. We love you.
The Bridal Party
The Groomsmen: Charles, Arnel, Lil Will and Santi
Thank you guys very much for being a part of our wedding. When we decided to move forward with the event I knew that you were the ones that I would want in the bridal party. You all looked great in the tuxedos and I am really happy that your personalities came out and you showed people why you were up here with us and not watching with them. I truly hope that you enjoyed the night and thank you once again. I really appreciate you and I love you everyday
The Bridesmaids: Adri, Alina and Alexia
A^3 (If you don't know what that means, look it up) Thank you very much for being here and being part of this day. We both appreciate the efforts that you have made and are very thankful for your contributions. We really hope you enjoyed the night and will forever take the memories with you as a keepsake of a great moment in time for us. Thank you for everything. We love you.
The Best man: Amilcar
Well, what can I say. A no doubt about it pick. Thank you very much for all of your help and support. Thank you for your kind words during your speech. We have been friends for over 16 years now, more like brothers. You were a big part of this day and I thank you for all of your efforts and for everything you do. You set the bar high for best man duties, but I will come through in 2013 for you! I love you every day! Thank you again.
The Matron of Honor: Elmira
Thank you for being here. The Orange looked awesome! Your kind words during your toast we very welcomed. I hope everyone understood why you were picked for this roll. Thank you for your efforts and contributions for our wedding. You did an awesome job at the church and were a great Matron of Honor. You helped make this day very special for Ulisa and me. Thank you again and We love you.
Looking back on this day. It was great. No doubt about it. We want to thank everyone who showed up at the church and at the reception hall. We really hope that you truly enjoyed yourself and that our wedding will hold a special place in your mind's memory museum. Even for those who wanted to be here and could not make it, always remember you are with us in our hearts. We are truly blessed to have a great families and friends. We love you everyday!
Looking Back...(The End)
We get out and the pictures begin again. Robert Valdes was very instructive with us and was very professional. He had us pose in different locations and we were also competing with about 4 or 5 other brides. The tourist in the area were filming us and taking pictures of us. Which was strange, but whatever. The girls were getting tired from walking on their heels. Some of the poses were funny. The sun was out and everything was perfect for us. This time was more of the time for Ulisa to take pictures with her Bridesmaids, but I got some in with the guys as well. Alina would help out a lot by fixing Ulisa's dress and yes, I have seen the pictures and they were great.
After what seemed like forever, we got back into the limo and went over to the Embassy Suites to do last minute prep. Then it was off to Dominic's for the entrances. Amilcar was communicating with Olga who was a great help. We had asked Olga and Brian if they could greet the guest, send them to their seats and have them sign the jersey. They both went above and beyond what we asked of them.
We were waiting for Baltazar to come out and check in with us. Then the introductions started. Lil Will and Alexia up first. Arnel and Alina, Charles and Adri, then Amilcar and Elmira. Last it was us, Ulisa and Edwin..with the glove. A nice tribute to Michael Jackson and a great reminder to everyone that this was our wedding and it was going to have some personalization to it.
I gave the thank you speech in English, Ulisa did it in Spanish. Elmira (who forgot her speech at the hotel) gave an amazing speech from the heart. I still laugh thinking about how some people were probably confused with the 'long haired Steve austin' comment. But it was a wonderful speech. Amilcar did his and I will admit I got a bit choked up, I knew he meant every word and that is what made it special.
It was amazing to see everyone ready to enjoy this party. When the music hit, I made sure everyone hit the dance floor. We made our rounds and greeted everyone. Every moment was special, the cake cutting, the bouquet toss, the garter, our parents dance and our first dance to "Stay with you" by John Legend. The night was magical and special and we could not have asked for anything more. The vibe that we felt and we knew we were going to enjoy was awesome. Everyone there contributed to the fun. It was non stop all the way up to the last song of the night by Tony Bennett "I left my heart in San Francisco"
Dominic's was a great venue to hold our reception. It really did seem like everything fell into place and it was perfect for us.
Then it was over, all of the planning, the meetings, the discussions. Done in a blink of an eye. But well worth it.....
After what seemed like forever, we got back into the limo and went over to the Embassy Suites to do last minute prep. Then it was off to Dominic's for the entrances. Amilcar was communicating with Olga who was a great help. We had asked Olga and Brian if they could greet the guest, send them to their seats and have them sign the jersey. They both went above and beyond what we asked of them.
We were waiting for Baltazar to come out and check in with us. Then the introductions started. Lil Will and Alexia up first. Arnel and Alina, Charles and Adri, then Amilcar and Elmira. Last it was us, Ulisa and Edwin..with the glove. A nice tribute to Michael Jackson and a great reminder to everyone that this was our wedding and it was going to have some personalization to it.
I gave the thank you speech in English, Ulisa did it in Spanish. Elmira (who forgot her speech at the hotel) gave an amazing speech from the heart. I still laugh thinking about how some people were probably confused with the 'long haired Steve austin' comment. But it was a wonderful speech. Amilcar did his and I will admit I got a bit choked up, I knew he meant every word and that is what made it special.
It was amazing to see everyone ready to enjoy this party. When the music hit, I made sure everyone hit the dance floor. We made our rounds and greeted everyone. Every moment was special, the cake cutting, the bouquet toss, the garter, our parents dance and our first dance to "Stay with you" by John Legend. The night was magical and special and we could not have asked for anything more. The vibe that we felt and we knew we were going to enjoy was awesome. Everyone there contributed to the fun. It was non stop all the way up to the last song of the night by Tony Bennett "I left my heart in San Francisco"
Dominic's was a great venue to hold our reception. It really did seem like everything fell into place and it was perfect for us.
Then it was over, all of the planning, the meetings, the discussions. Done in a blink of an eye. But well worth it.....
Looking Back... (The Middle)
Now it's 7am and I get up. I let my nephew sleep a little bit. I get up to transfer money and pay bills. I know, a great way to start the morning. So I am waiting for my nephew Charles and Amilcar to get to my apartment as we were headed to Sam's Barber Shop in San Bruno. While we are on the way up there, I notice that there is a fire truck near the IHOP that we were going to eat at. But I really didn't pay any attention to it. We get to the barber shop and then they tell us. "Transformer blew out, no power until the afternoon" Obviously this would not be a good thing for us. I looked up to the heavens, called in a favor and boom, lights back on! I had my beard growing for close to 2 months and now it was going to be shaved down! Sam did a great job. My beard and cut were just the right length and size. Sam was the barber that cut my hair and shaved my beard for our civil ceremony. I knew I could count on him to make my beard look perfect.
After our hair cuts and shave we went to IHOP in Daly City. We had some breakfast, of course my cup of coffee had a crack in it. I told the guys to eat up as we would not be eating until around 7pm. We went back to the apartment. Lil Will was playing the Wii. Charles left to start getting ready, I had Lil Will take a shower, then I took a shower. Then we went to pick up the bouquet's and the flowers for the family. The flowers were ready and looked awesome. We went over to the Embassy Suites and Amilcar, Charles and Lil Will dropped them off to the girls. I took Charles home and Amilcar left and we all started to get ready.
At around 12:30 Charles showed up again, this time with his girlfriends father and the 65 Impala that would take us to the church. Before we left, Amilcar, Charles, Arnel and Brian took a shot of Flor De Cana for good luck. We were looking sharp and ready to go. As I said to Lil Will 'Do you know what time it is? It's go time!'
We get to the church and I begin to give the flowers out to my family and those who are involved in the ceremony. I took a lot of pictures with my Groomsmen and some family. After about half an hour or so, I was in the church with my Mom and Dave, one on each side and got the cue, and we were off. My Dad was waiting for us closer to the alter. Then I turned around and knew that Elmira and Amilcar would step it up and make sure things got done. As I saw each couple come out, Santi and Alexia, Lil Will, Arnel and Alina, Charles and Adri, Amilcar and Elmira, Olga, then Ulisa and her Mom.
My first thoughts when I saw Ulisa was, "WOW this is the moment that will live with me forever. This is the reason why we worked hard to make this event possible. Ulisa is my soul mate. This is going to be forever for us."
Everyone did a great job. It was a nice moment in time to share with our families and our friends who could make it. We took a lot of pictures after the ceremony and then we were off to the limo to go to the Palace of Fine Arts.
In the limo, we had some champagne and were listening to some music. The A/C seemed not to be working and the window wouldn't go up. We were cracking jokes and anticipating the picture taking. Everyone seemed a little exhausted, maybe because of the anticipation of the wedding ceremony. All I know is that I was wide awake and ready for these pictures and ready for the reception.
Finally we get to the Palace of Fine Arts and the door opens....
After our hair cuts and shave we went to IHOP in Daly City. We had some breakfast, of course my cup of coffee had a crack in it. I told the guys to eat up as we would not be eating until around 7pm. We went back to the apartment. Lil Will was playing the Wii. Charles left to start getting ready, I had Lil Will take a shower, then I took a shower. Then we went to pick up the bouquet's and the flowers for the family. The flowers were ready and looked awesome. We went over to the Embassy Suites and Amilcar, Charles and Lil Will dropped them off to the girls. I took Charles home and Amilcar left and we all started to get ready.
At around 12:30 Charles showed up again, this time with his girlfriends father and the 65 Impala that would take us to the church. Before we left, Amilcar, Charles, Arnel and Brian took a shot of Flor De Cana for good luck. We were looking sharp and ready to go. As I said to Lil Will 'Do you know what time it is? It's go time!'
We get to the church and I begin to give the flowers out to my family and those who are involved in the ceremony. I took a lot of pictures with my Groomsmen and some family. After about half an hour or so, I was in the church with my Mom and Dave, one on each side and got the cue, and we were off. My Dad was waiting for us closer to the alter. Then I turned around and knew that Elmira and Amilcar would step it up and make sure things got done. As I saw each couple come out, Santi and Alexia, Lil Will, Arnel and Alina, Charles and Adri, Amilcar and Elmira, Olga, then Ulisa and her Mom.
My first thoughts when I saw Ulisa was, "WOW this is the moment that will live with me forever. This is the reason why we worked hard to make this event possible. Ulisa is my soul mate. This is going to be forever for us."
Everyone did a great job. It was a nice moment in time to share with our families and our friends who could make it. We took a lot of pictures after the ceremony and then we were off to the limo to go to the Palace of Fine Arts.
In the limo, we had some champagne and were listening to some music. The A/C seemed not to be working and the window wouldn't go up. We were cracking jokes and anticipating the picture taking. Everyone seemed a little exhausted, maybe because of the anticipation of the wedding ceremony. All I know is that I was wide awake and ready for these pictures and ready for the reception.
Finally we get to the Palace of Fine Arts and the door opens....
Looking back....(The beginning)
It's been some time since I last checked in here. Now it is July 28, 2011. 12 days after our wedding. This will be a 4 part blog. I decided to break the event down into three parts. The beginning, the middle and the end and a final thoughts section. There are so many thoughts and memories I would like to share, I just hope I do the event and the participants justice. So, sit back, relax and enjoy our wedding from the point of view of the Groom (for those of you keeping score at home, that would be me!)
July 15...
I was able to get this day off, originally I was supposed to work only half a day, but after looking over the last minute details, I decided that the whole day would be needed to get things done. In the morning I took my Dad to a doctor's appointment and then shopping down on Mission St. I got home around 12pm. Ulisa (Bride) was getting ready to do some last minute shopping with her Mom. My first task was to go get the rings cleaned and then some quick shopping for traveling supplies. I get to Serramonte and go to the jewelry place and ask for the cleaning service, of course it was not available. The person who cleaned the rings was not in and would not be back until the next day. However, they did steam clean them, which was better then nothing. I also went to another jewelry shop and the lady cleaned the rings with a liquid solution and gave me some bags to put them in. I got the last minute things at Target and went back home.
I met up with Ulisa and her friends (Elmira, Alina, Wilmer and Juan) at the Olive Garden. We were talking and catching up with each other. It was nice to have them in town and being able to spend time with them. After we left the restaurant we went over to Ulisa's Mom's house and picked up the Champagne to take to Dominic's. We also picked up the wedding dress and other items that would be included in the wedding ceremony.
Our first stop was the flower shop, we went to pay for the flowers that would be in the church. After that, we headed to Dominic's to drop off the champagne, place cards, table numbers and the seating charts. We did our final check in with Roger (the hall coordinator) and moved on to check into the Embassy Suites. After the check in and dropping off the items, Ulisa and I went over to Party City and picked up some fake rings to place on the pillow.
Now the fun part.... We headed out to Holy Angels church for our rehearsal. For the most part everyone was on time (except for 3 people [1 I knew about, 2 that were just late....]) Now, we had to find Father Jun. During this time Ulisa was speaking to Tito and Al (the music and choir contact) and finally Father Jun came out. Now, I do not want to speak bad about anyone, so I will just say that I really hope that the next time Father Jun performs a wedding ceremony, that he is more organized. I will admit, I was getting frustrated with the lack of disorganization and was just trying to calm down. However, I did have to laugh when Father Jun freaked out when he saw Elmira and Olga (who was filling in for Amilcar) walk down the isle together. But at least now we had some type of order and some type of plan to go into the ceremony tomorrow. After the practice, we practiced how we were going to take the pictures due to a short window provided the next day. We were running late, so I sent my sister and most of my family to the restaurant so we wouldn't lose our reservation. Two things that were supposed to happen were 1) the rings needed to be blessed (Didn't happen) 2) we needed to confess (after locating Father Jun, who had left, he was able to do this). The rings did get blessed during the ceremony the next day. After my confession, I headed out to the restaurant to meet everyone else.
Now, everyone is at Celia's in Daly City. This is where we had the dinner after our civil wedding. Once again we made the personalized menus and I had the people in attendance sign the guest (book) jersey. One person missing was Adri as she was still on the way from NOLA. We all had a really good time at the dinner, a few drinks and told a few stories. Alina and Juan were snapping pictures with their new camera (which I can't wait to see) and then it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, I had a quick meeting with my Groomsmen and gave them their Groomsmen gifts. For Amilcar, Charles and Arnel I gave them engraved rock drinking glasses and for the junior groomsman, Lil Will, I got him some baseball cards, a Giants wallet and a Tim Lincecum dog tag. I also gave Brian his birthday gift. Ulisa gave Alexia her bridesmaids gift and then had to go as she needed to pick up Adri at the airport. I said goodbye and goodnight to Ulisa and went to the house with Lil Will.
We called it a night at around 12:45am. I was surprised that I was able to get to sleep so fast. It was already July 16th. The day was finally here......
July 15...
I was able to get this day off, originally I was supposed to work only half a day, but after looking over the last minute details, I decided that the whole day would be needed to get things done. In the morning I took my Dad to a doctor's appointment and then shopping down on Mission St. I got home around 12pm. Ulisa (Bride) was getting ready to do some last minute shopping with her Mom. My first task was to go get the rings cleaned and then some quick shopping for traveling supplies. I get to Serramonte and go to the jewelry place and ask for the cleaning service, of course it was not available. The person who cleaned the rings was not in and would not be back until the next day. However, they did steam clean them, which was better then nothing. I also went to another jewelry shop and the lady cleaned the rings with a liquid solution and gave me some bags to put them in. I got the last minute things at Target and went back home.
I met up with Ulisa and her friends (Elmira, Alina, Wilmer and Juan) at the Olive Garden. We were talking and catching up with each other. It was nice to have them in town and being able to spend time with them. After we left the restaurant we went over to Ulisa's Mom's house and picked up the Champagne to take to Dominic's. We also picked up the wedding dress and other items that would be included in the wedding ceremony.
Our first stop was the flower shop, we went to pay for the flowers that would be in the church. After that, we headed to Dominic's to drop off the champagne, place cards, table numbers and the seating charts. We did our final check in with Roger (the hall coordinator) and moved on to check into the Embassy Suites. After the check in and dropping off the items, Ulisa and I went over to Party City and picked up some fake rings to place on the pillow.
Now the fun part.... We headed out to Holy Angels church for our rehearsal. For the most part everyone was on time (except for 3 people [1 I knew about, 2 that were just late....]) Now, we had to find Father Jun. During this time Ulisa was speaking to Tito and Al (the music and choir contact) and finally Father Jun came out. Now, I do not want to speak bad about anyone, so I will just say that I really hope that the next time Father Jun performs a wedding ceremony, that he is more organized. I will admit, I was getting frustrated with the lack of disorganization and was just trying to calm down. However, I did have to laugh when Father Jun freaked out when he saw Elmira and Olga (who was filling in for Amilcar) walk down the isle together. But at least now we had some type of order and some type of plan to go into the ceremony tomorrow. After the practice, we practiced how we were going to take the pictures due to a short window provided the next day. We were running late, so I sent my sister and most of my family to the restaurant so we wouldn't lose our reservation. Two things that were supposed to happen were 1) the rings needed to be blessed (Didn't happen) 2) we needed to confess (after locating Father Jun, who had left, he was able to do this). The rings did get blessed during the ceremony the next day. After my confession, I headed out to the restaurant to meet everyone else.
Now, everyone is at Celia's in Daly City. This is where we had the dinner after our civil wedding. Once again we made the personalized menus and I had the people in attendance sign the guest (book) jersey. One person missing was Adri as she was still on the way from NOLA. We all had a really good time at the dinner, a few drinks and told a few stories. Alina and Juan were snapping pictures with their new camera (which I can't wait to see) and then it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, I had a quick meeting with my Groomsmen and gave them their Groomsmen gifts. For Amilcar, Charles and Arnel I gave them engraved rock drinking glasses and for the junior groomsman, Lil Will, I got him some baseball cards, a Giants wallet and a Tim Lincecum dog tag. I also gave Brian his birthday gift. Ulisa gave Alexia her bridesmaids gift and then had to go as she needed to pick up Adri at the airport. I said goodbye and goodnight to Ulisa and went to the house with Lil Will.
We called it a night at around 12:45am. I was surprised that I was able to get to sleep so fast. It was already July 16th. The day was finally here......
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