FCC v ROC

The alternate title for this entry was almost,

I'M SORRY, WHAT?! : An Open Letter to the USL Game Officials, and the Optometrists Who've Failed You

... and then I realized that a title like that just would't work aesthetically on the main page ;).

moderately unimpressed.

Ok, but really. Rob and I spent the majority of the morning running random errands after breakfast at PFC, agreeing that it was nice to actually be home with no pre-set agenda.

Becky touched in early afternoon and invited us last minute to the FCC game; of course we obliged, and at 7p we found ourselves 2 rows off the field watching FCC take the rhinos on home turf.

>>This is where I'd insert my rant of unchecked discontentment with all but maybe a couple of calls made out of our favor.<<


It's been easy for me to get lost in these games and forget that the majority of our home turf fanbase is comprised of newly-immersed soccer watchers, who haven't had the chance to really download the game of futbol - at least not in the way we've done so far with football, baseball and basketball. What matters, in my incredibly non-expert opinion, is that futbol's gaining some much-earned traction and attention here in the Queen City. As someone who played on the college platform on the exact same campus a decade ago, I can easily say the awareness now versus then is night and day.

love them.

And I love it.
And I love the crew that sits beside me through the adrenaline rushes and, in tonight's case, every single one of those ri.di.cu.lous yellow cards... haha.

Next time, boys.... next time. Phewwww.... g'nite!

xo | cms

Seeester & Nieeeester Birthdays | Hickies!

If you read that title, you're immediately asking what HICKIES have to do with... whatever the rest of that supposedly says.

I'll start from the beginning:

TODAY is my dear sister's birthday!
It is ALSO her daughter Cynthia's birthday, because they are special that way and share the same birthday! I think it's pretty daggone cool ♥

♥♥ happy birthday, beauties!! ♥♥

Today was gorgeous. The sun was out all day, but wasn't scorching. Elisa and I made a mini trip out on lunch to Michael's and Fusion, where we made a celebrity spotting of President Ono! [If you don't know who that is.... his first name (for real) is Santa, and I'll leave it up to you to see why he's a person of much-deserved respect here in our community.]

santa ono 

He is pretty freakin' awesome. Let's just be honest. I'm proud to be an alumni of UC, based on his presence there alone... even if he wasn't the president when I was there. Let's not split hairs ;).

I stayed a little later at work than I typically would, but felt accomplished for it and headed home with just enough extra oomph to get myself changed and ready for the gym. It didn't hurt that I'd bought these a week or so back.. and they arrived today!

my new hickies!

^ Funky name, awesome invention. I put them on a trial run for tonight's workout, and won't be looking back to traditional laces anytime soon. Thumbs up to these guys on an awesome little hack that I'll be sporting for the rest of my gear, if at all possible!

At home, Rob made a quick sell off some Craigslist postings; he's all about divesting extra stuff for the Summer, and I'm pretty happy with that choice, too. He also managed to get the front yard mowed, along with a few other miscellaneous things; I got dinner reared up and tackled a few planning things for a certain special date in 2016 ;)..

Needless to say, it's been a successful Monday. See you tomorrow!

xo | cmd

Killer Yardwork & Asian Volleyball

First things first, let's talk about yardwork.
... Let's talk about that time I completely forgot I had a backyard in the capacity of the jungle that had taken it over. I haven't bothered going back there in quite a few weeks due to the massive camps of mosquitos who I'm convinced are just patiently staking out until I'm in striking range, so honestly, it didn't occur to me that the yard might look more like a forest than an occupied property. Embarrassing blunder.. definitely won't happen again.

Good news, I took care of it, with minimal damage [only TWO mosquito bites.. take that, suckers..]. Note to self? - This sucked today. Don't forget about this again, self, don't... forget. Yeesh. 

massive overhaul. whoa.

Moving on to the rest of the night... it has been.... a while since the last time I was surrounded by this many of my Asian friends. Let's take a second to give a flashback just for the sake of a flashback...

uc dpsa 2004 (discover philippines student association)

Ohhhh yeah. That's a bomb right there, haha. Look at all those old faces.. and that's barely the half of it. There were definitely some great times with these guys and gals, and though I'm happy where I am now, I had some incredible experiences, road trips, conferences and performances with this group.

So tonight, for a miniature reprise, I opted in for some volleyball at Hahana Beach after B found out I played there. He and a crew of Asians catapulted me back in time to my college years when we stormed three full courts for a few hours tonight to play.

nothin' like late night sand volleyball (:

This was my favorite part... because I've become so used to now taking pictures and having no way of mistaking which one is me. I'd also like to say that yes, the obsession with taking pictures is absolutely an Asian thing, and I will embrace that to the bitter end ;)

asian overload!

Hilarious. Thanks again, B, for the invite! I'll be back here in the same spot tomorrow night for league with Kalyn, Keifer & Beth. I'm certainly getting my fix if nothing else!

On an unrelated note, I finally made it home after some debachle finding my keys post-game [it could be worse... I'm just glad I got back], and for what it's worth from the situation I must note that once again, I've been reminded that I am dating an incredible guy and even from 500ish miles away, he's there for me whenever I need him. I don't deserve it, and count myself one of an elite handful to have someone on whom I can rely and trust. //endrant (:

And that's the day, folks! Let's meet here same time tomorrow? ;)

xo | cmd

[SUPER] #TBT

This entire entry? Odes to Throwback Thursdays. Haha.

Here we go. I narrowed it down to the top 8 [like the original myspace, pahaha super throwback reference...].
I'll do my best to keep them chronologically listed.

1 | Hellooooo, baby Cori! This dusted-off jewel comes from the archives of Boulder, Colorado. What my mom didn't know, was that in just a few years, I wouldn't need those curlers. I would however, need pants. I don't think there was any confusion later on, but still. Hello, scared Cori with old lady curlers in her hair. You're.... a miniature granny. Thanks, mom ;)

1986 | meet 2-yr-old me.

2 | Fast forward a few years. This is vacation with Mom & Dad. This picture is awesome. Dad, along with his decade-appropriate short shorts, and me sporting what I am fairly certain to be a Paul Bunyon "Reading is Power" [or something] shirt from PSES. And we're on a boat. They started me early. :)

1994 | fourth grade me & dad

3 | I've gotta dedicate this one to Chelsea & Brandon, back in my hometown of Mt. Vernon. It's throwback Thursday, and I couldn't help but get this one posted. This is from our childhood in the sticks, aka MV, being kids and enjoying every bit of it. Love these two. Talk about neighborhood kids!

1998 | 8th grade me, probably 1st & 3rd grade brandon & chelsea?

4 | High School! I remember this pretty clearly, but I still think it's hilarious to look back and see how much we've changed. This was forum show, I think junior year. This was in the green room with the youngest of the Culbertson clan, Hilari [she's grown up now, and just as beautiful as her sisters!]. Yes, I had cornrows. Yes, I sang Killing Me Softly that night, and YES, I had cornrows. Hahah. Ohhhh... yeah... 

mvhs forum show 2000 | with hilari

5 | College. "Ohhhh, Ohhhhh.. OHHHHH... *clap clap clap,* U-C!" yeah. I went there. I loved it, and I'm glad I was able to have that experience. Among the many things I did there, one of the first things I found myself roped into was DPSA [Discover Philippines Student Association]. By the time I graduated, I was voted in as president for a year and a half, and had the opportunity as part of that group to travel across the midwest to a series of different colleges, conferences and shows. Naturally that meant delving into hip hop, cultural dance and more importantly tribal stuff. That's where Kawayanero came into play, and I have to include that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for being voted in as the first female kawayanero in what was previously an all-guy project. We brought on two more gals to complete the tribe and had a blast for a few years performing at whatever conference we were. The archives are limited for this one, but I found a half-decent shot of the clan at U of I in Urbana Champagne, this one from the FACT [Filipino Americans Coming Together] conference. Here ya go,  kaibigan! ;) 

kawayaneros 2003 | univ. of illinois @ urbana champagne | fact conference '03
back: loc, david, ronnie, brandon, alex | front: paris, cori, maika

6 | Post-College Cincinnati life. This was right after I finished up at UC. I'd supported myself with a retail job [senior assistant manager at Journey's... c'mon, shoe obsession!] through the tail end of college, and before the grueling tenure I had at Clearchannel, I nailed down a store manager position at PacSun. This is probably still one of my favorite random shoots. Whitney and I met each other here and have been friends ever since. Like I said, this is still one of my favorite moments with her at the store. This is what you get for leaving us to close together on a dead weekday night! 

2007 | pac sun
whitney, manny the mannequin & myself ;)

7 | Finding my adult life... haha. Kalyn and I quickly became best friends after meeting through... well, it doesn't really matter how we met. All that matters is that this girl is, to this day, one of my best friends, and I would move just about anything to be there for her the way she's been there for me. A few summers back [this one... is from..... 2010?], we jumped on the bikes for pretty much the entire summer and that's really all I remember from it. There was a lot of swimming involved, lots of river time, sand volleyball, soccer, cooking, and a lot of laughing. This was probably one of my favorite summers, with one of my favorite friends. Love this girl. 

2010 | river gear... with helmets. mehhhh.

8 | I figured I'd close this post by bringing it full circle with another baby pic... but not of me. This one's a throwback to early 2011, from my one.. and only... little love of my life. I can look at this picture a million times and still be in disbelief of how quickly the time has passed. She is getting so big now and it's still hard to believe she's almost FOUR. These baby pictures will never get old. I remember this one like it was this morning. These are the moments that make me realize how blessed I am to be a mama to such an incredible little girl. It may not be a perfect world that her and I are in, but she is perfect for me. ♥.

2011 | baby sydni | love of my life!!

So yeah, how's that for a story-esque TBT?
Haha. It's almost the weekend! I can't wait!

xo | cmd

Emma's Birthday | Lovin' Ohio Sports!

What a Saturday! I'm spent. And I'll tell ya why.

It started off with some early morning errands, some photo editing, and finally out to Becky's for Emma's birthday party. It was a great time with our friends, and the kiddos had a blast, too. Jason & I got to babbling on about cameras, Jimmy & Joe finalized their plans to have an eating contest, and Jarod was hailed as the reigning champ of trial mud runs, despite his affinity for Slim Jims and Mountain Dew. Oh, and there were plenty "That's what MO said"'s to go around. Haha. Don't ask; we're a funky bunch....

[I'm still editing down the pictures I took, so I just borrowed Jason's. Haha. I'll get mine up later....] Either way...

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY,
EMMA!!!

[photog: jwisely] | happy birthday, sweet emma!!!

... of course it wouldn't be a show without something random, unnecessary, and silly. For that reason, Becky dug out the crimson gloves she snagged at the Towerview yardsale.. and, well.. here's that mini-story [thanks, Jason]: 

you can't see it, but that is a uc sweatshirt.. just sayin'
.... oh. and the gloves? you can thank becky for those ;) 

*I love our friends.*

You know what else I love, in a separate but equally-awesome way?

Being an OHIOAN. Hehe. 

I know, I know, I live in Illinois, but let's be honest. I breathe Ohio, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon, even if I never set residence outside this state ever again. Sorry to disappoint. Haha. Anyway, today was one of those days that made me super proud to be a Bearcat [alumni], a Buckeye [state allegience], and also a supporter of the Redlegs. 

O-H! .... I-O!

ahh! my alma mater! happy homecoming!!!!
[with a victory, too?! not a bad way to go!! ohh, ohhh, ohhhh uc!]

My alma mater! Cincinnati's homecoming was tonight, and since I obviously was unable to be present for the festivities, I sure do remember homecomings and the fun we had at the games. Nippert was packed tonight, and those Bearcats did their job to earn a WIN over Miami for homecoming! 52-14, we'll take it! SO PROUD OF THOSE BEARCATS!!! (:

the ohio state, at it again!!

Ohio State, also failing to disappoint, came out on top of Nebraska on Columbus turf with a big win. O-H.... I-O!!! 

brandon phillips.. you sir, are fantastic! yeah, reds!!!

Last but definitely not least, Brandon Phillips and the Reds came through with a win tonight, and basically left us Ohioans [Cincinnatians, specifically] on the edge of our seats for the last couple innings. The Reds took it with a win over SanFran, and if we do it right, we'll snag another W tomorrow! 

*Whewwww. I'm definitely not the one to continuously post sport-related updates, but I had to today. Hopefully the Bengals will take a win tomorrow... and we'll be all set :)

Church in the morning. Time call it a night! 

xo | cmd

Filipino Flashbacks

Yeah, so I'm Filipino.
What a lot of people don't know about me is that, for a large portion of my life in college and shortly thereafter, I had immersed myself completely in the [re-]recognition of everything that is a part of that beautiful culture.

During my tenure at UC, I held the position as president of the university's Filipino-Am (Fil-Am) student association. It was a terrific experience that created multiple opportunities for me to visit other colleges/universities for conferences, explore the history of the population as a whole, learn new cultural dances, and cook cultural food. I wouldn't trade that time for the world: while I am adopted, and an American through and through in my heart, I am still Filipina, and that culture is a part of who I am.

That being said, there is a Fil-Am association here, which I have yet to investigate, simply because I keep running out of time to get over there. I drove by it once again on my way out of the base the other day, and for the next 20 minutes kept reminiscing back to the times when I did my part in cultural performances and planning for the different conferences and hosted events.


binisuan | dpsa

 That girl on the left? Yeah, that's me, sometime back in the mid 2000's. That particular performance was for a cultural day at one of the local high school's in our area, at which the daughter of one of Cincinnati's elder Filipina women attended. It was a guest performance, and a ton of fun.
The other picture [in which we kind of resemble confused bartenders, I know] was at [THE] Ohio State University's Barrio Fiesta, an annual Fil-Am event hosted by OSU's PSA [Philippines' Student Assoc.] The dance portrayed in both of these is called, Binisuan, which entails balancing a cup of water on your head, and one in each hand as you're dancing. It's not easy.

When I think about all the dances in which I had the liberty of participating, I would have to say Singkil was my absolute favorite. It's a beautiful love story played out with a huge ensemble of dancers, bamboo poles, and stunning costumes. A less intricate, but equally beautiful cousin of Singkil is the dance that became my favorite to perform. Tinikling is one of the most popular Filipino dances, and one of [in my opinion] the most fun to learn and perform. It certainly requires a fair amount of agile footwork; otherwise there is a likely guarantee that you will get your ankles smashed by two heavy bamboo poles.

Long story short, I spent a lot of time over the past few days thinking back to my days of Fil-Am costumes, tours, dances, conferences, and shows. It was a ton of fun, and the more I think about it now, the more inclined I am to find another avenue here, in America's dream of Belleville, IL, to again dig into that culture in a more hands-on capacity. I would also love for my daughter to develop a solid knowledge of what is a part of her, as well.

And so my search is on.....

xo | cmd