TrulyGrace

First weekend of April 2009: PAMS

Mom and Dad's computer has been on the fritz all this week. I typed up Dad's speech for his induction/inauguration as the Philippine American Medical Society's president. (He and "Tita" Lydia N. have been going on PAMS medical/surgical missions since the inception, for ten years.) I printed out the speech Friday, Dad and I drove to Upper St. Clair to pick up my car from the shop, then went to Kinko's (now FedEx Office) to pick up the program booklets and a few packs of push pins/thumb tacks and a memory card for taking photos. Mom, Dad, and Auntie Chi attended the continuing medical education at the golf club near my last secondary school employment.

I was in charge of picking up Kelly at the airport Friday at (conceivably) 5:40pm. After multiple delays, she didn't arrive until about eight o'clock in the evening. We drove back to Mom and Dad's place (where she stayed), ate, and chatted to catch up with our latest do-ings.
~~~~~
Saturday, I awoke at 5:00 and did four loads of laundry! Maureen, her sister, and her niece drove to the bakery in Millvale (I followed them, where I got a cream custard croissant, almond brioche, and also an Easter poppy seed roll for Auntie Chi. I then drove to the golf club to deliver the papers with two copies of Dad's speech (one stapled, the other loose leaf sheets) to Mom and Auntie Chi there. I also saw Rose V. there.
I went to Mom & Dad's home, where Kelly had left shortly before to meet with friends for lunch and opera short excerpts. I then took a nap, and Mom returned my call. I indicated that Sonia had called for Dad---and Mom said that I need to pick up the snacks for tonight for her.

There is poor parking hunting where Sonia has her business, so I enlisted the assistance of William before Kelly was to return at Mom & Dad's at approximately 16:00. So I picked up William, we stopped at Chia-Pih's favorite Asian Grocery Mart for him to pick up some snacks and supplies, and then we proceeded to Sonia's. We retrieved three trays of food from Sonia and her family. Kelly called, indicating that she was ~five blocks away. We waited for her and all drove to Mom and Dad's to pick up our clothing, dropped off William on the way to to Golf Club, then Kelly and I attended the anticipated Palm Sunday Mass with Fr. Utz from the Cardinal Dearden Center. He indicated that it was "an honor" for him to celebrate Mass with our group.

Kelly and I changed in the locker room into our formal attire...Tita Tina arranged my hair for me, and lent me some eye makeup.

Dinner followed; Auntie Chi emceed the event; William, Kelly, and I introduced Dad (with Mom doing a speech, too) before he delivered his speech; and Mr. Hingson from Brothers' Brother was the guest speaker. There was a band that provided music through dinner and during our snack time after...and a DJ for group dances, including the chicken dance, the "Hokey Pokey" (Beatrice turned to me, her face lit up, and stated the dance name to me!) and the Electric Slide. We all had fun dancing.

The night was cold (~35 Fahrenheit, and clear as the night sky).

The snack boxes and grape juice were a hit! Kelly and I returned slightly after midnight. Tired, we said our goodbyes after I handed off the schedule and then I handed off the bus coupons to her.

~~~~~
I called her on her phone at about 7:20 this morning to wish her a safe voyage.
~~~
First Sunday, April 2009

This was a day of rest. This evening William's family, Les & Chere, Mom,
Dad, Auntie Chi and I dined together at Mom & Dad's home. We had singing
and dancing after dinner, then it was time for the children to go home and
to get to bed.

Auntie Chi, Mom, and I told stories after we all cleared the table.

Labels: automobile, computer, dance, diocese of Pittsburgh, family, medical mission, meeting, Philippines, shopping, stars, transportation, travel

posted by Grace @ 4/05/2009 08:48:00 AM