"late nights are made for slow jams."

okay, so some aren't slow jams...

but they're great to listen to in the 

early parts of the a.m.

the dream - i'm not ok

gwen stefani - 4 in the morning

twista - wetter

kings of leon - use somebody

ciara - promise (lukewarm midnight remix)

tydis feat. chingy - she make me say

coldplay - fix you

shiny toy guns - seasons of love

the dream - put it down

the fray - look after you

trey songz - takes time to love

kleerup feat. lykke li - until we bleed

angie stone - wish i didn't miss you

u2 - city of blinding lights

lloyd feat. the dream - i need love 

westlife - i wanna grow old with you

ryan leslie - gibberish

radiohead - idiotheque 

mario feat. the dream - boomin' it

and a personal favorite...

gwen stefani - the real thing (bonus remix)

in the mood - jl

"fiya."

it's monday night and here i am reminiscing on the

swag flu epidemic 

that was this past weekend's vegas trip.

i'm definitely sure that there were thousands more with

more money, a more equal male-female ratio, better hotel,

better amenities, and such...

but let it be known to all that my three days in vegas

with pat, christian, genevee, devyn, ana, tiff, 

jee, mike b, stephen, lala, jennie, ashley, and fred

was amazing.

it was also a pleasure to chill with

maddie, dub, matt, brent, paul, betty, jay,

james, wes, and all others who spent a little time

with us, ran into us, and/or made a one-night turnaround.

i'll cherish the memories of...

- arthur's driving tunes.

- steak and eggs at bill's gambling hall.

- fat tuesdays @ caesars.

- living it up at jet on friday night.

- taxi ride and car conversations.

- bootleg badcast sessions.

- soulja boy's "turn my swag on."

- relaxing at parasol down at the wynn

- the awesomeness that was XS.

- hotel room laughs.

- almost 4 hours of lunch/dinner at wynn buffet.

- attending mass and confession at the guardian angel cathedral.

i needed a vacation like this and i've been waiting to go on one 

since i graduated.  i'm blessed and fortunate to be safe and have

great friends to enjoy this trip with.

but alas, it was only a mere getaway...not an escape.  

i'm fully recovered and ready to improve the quality,

experience, and (hopefully) duration of this adventure

called life and its daily grind.

here's to job hunting, reviewing for the nclex, and 

getting ready for RN school!

there is no cure for the swag flu - jl

"her name is olivia."

say hello to my little (and brand new) friend...

i named it after a pair of my two favorite eye candies haha.

being reminded of musiq's "newness" - jl

"nyquil...where art thou?"

having a cold during the summer is so troublesome.

i can't help my grandma out or

visit my grandpa at his nursing care facility.

i can't work out at the gym and stay fit.

i can't eat normal portion meals.

i can't go to san francisco this weekend

with rachel, brent, paul, and arthur.

my aim to be productive this summer is certainly

off the mark at the moment.

i hope to get better as soon as possible.

i'm getting as much rest as i can and

relying on vitamins to raise me up.

i missed out on the bay area trip...

but i will not miss out on vegas.

i'm will not miss out on this adventure.

straight illin' - jl

"industry versus inferiority."

the first full week of my summer vacation has arrived.

it comes after an eventful weekend that included the death anniversary of paulo, a reunion with brother eric burke, the baptism of my niece ever marian, and kabalikat society's first annual philippine independence day festival...all of which were amazing times.

and then monday comes along to remind me that the weekend comes only as it implies in its name...at the end of the week. 5 days of what used to be filled with 40 hours of school and about 8 hours of driving is no longer my weekeday reality. it's really some kind of irony...i dreaded my school schedule for the past 18 months but now when i have so much time on my hands, i long for being productive and learning. i need to find things to do now...to make the weekdays worthwhile.

i will not end up a nobody, wasting my life away when the world yearns to be explored, when the community desires service, and loved ones seek affirmation through experiences.

my elevator is only heading up - jl

"hot pursuit."

some people spend their time chasing paper.

the los angeles police chased oj in a white bronco.

tom chased jerry, sylvester chased tweety,

wild e. coyote chased the road runner,

and boss hogg chased the general lee

all over hazzard county.

there are those who chase their dreams

while others go about chasing one another.

silent bob chased amy.

there are even people chasing pavements.

whatever you're chasing...

make sure it's real.

make sure you're passionate about it.

make sure it's worthwhile.

otherwise...why bother?

finding sense in insomnia - jl

"my heart is racing."

i want to run...

and smash into you.

finding myself willing to be in love - jl

"distance."

i don't really say it out loud...

but i'm hoping that i'm doing something

every day that brings me closer to her.

gone fishing - jl

"finally."

july 7, 2009.

the day i've been waiting the past 18 months for.

the last day i would spend at concorde career college.

my graduation day.

the time went by so quickly that i'm still settling into

the fact that i am finally done with that school. i succeeded

in doing what i set out to do. i had a couple setbacks,

disappointments, and failures. i made a whole lot

of sacrifices and i've been broken down and put

back together in a whole other way...

but here i am now as

john lendl lachica chuatuan, VN.

i'm finally a nurse...a dream come true.

i can't wait to take my licensure exam in the fall

to add a L to that VN.

in the meantime...my summer has finally begun.

i look forward to going on vacations, adventures, and so forth.

i also look forward to spending more time with friends.

i'm in need of a job until i take my exam...so the hunt begins now for one.

the next 2-3 months will be great...

and i'm going to cherish the time because

RN school is already on the horizon for me.

but for now, i'm lovin' the feeling of being...

free.

being a nurse feels damn good - jl

and by the way...

happy birthday paulo...party it up in Heaven.

"mistakes (i wish) i knew i was making."

last night was not a good night for me.

i won't say i'll never do what i did again

because you should never say never...

but i'll be more definite and say

that there will not be another instance of my

imprudent behavior manifesting as such.

i've come so far to be perceived as legit...

i won't throw it all away or be naive to

the risks of my seemingly harmless choices.

thanks to everyone who helped me out and

kept me from (literally and figuratively) falling...

i know more than ever that i've invested in the right

people...the right friends.

recovery never hurt so good - jl