Life according to Mee... Kimee Balmilero

Mee Time w/ Kimee Balmilero: "Domo Arigato Mr. Robot #1"

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Check out the latest "Mee Time" craziness starring my pals Curtis, Sydney, Jenn and Yasmeen.

"Kids show star Curtis Cregan has decided to hang his dancing shoes and trade them in for a solid job. He's married, ready to start a family and has left showbiz behind...or has he? Curtis thinks it's all over and thinks his secret is safe, but can't seem to escape the "ghosts" of his past. Watch as Curtis' mind is HAUNTED by his alter ego, former cast mates and crazy dance moves. Happy Halloween!! MWAH HA HA HA HA!!!"

Enjoy!

Love love,
Kimee

Sing, Dance and Vote...

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:18:00 +0000

Mee: "So it's almost that time again."

Person with Goofy Voice: "What time is it?"

Mee: "Guess."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Halloween Time?"

Mee: "Good one...but not what I'm thinking."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Fall time?"

Mee: "Again, good guess...but not what's on my mind."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Dancing with the Stars time?"

Mee: "Now you're just being silly..."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Time to buy toilet paper time?"

Mee: "Okay, you know what..."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Time to buy new batteries so that you don't have to keep switching the remote control batteries around time?"

Mee: "I don't do that..."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Time to just admit that you really do switch the batteries in the remotes time?"

Mee: "How about I just tell you what time it is."

Person with Goofy Voice: "But I like guessing."

Mee: "But you're taking too long to figure it out."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Is it I'm running out of time time?"

Mee: "No."

Person with Goofy Voice: "Oh. Then what time is it?"

Mee: "Well I thought you'd never ask! (drumroll) IT'S ALMOST TIME TO VOTE TIME!!"

Okay, so next week Tuesday a whole lotta something is going to change and I hope that if you're able to get up in this voting thing...then you're going to do it too! I'm not going to sit here and tell you who you should vote for and why. That's your deal. How cool is that? You get to wake up on Tuesday and pick a President. That's pretty rockin' if you ask me.

I'm excited to vote on Tuesday and I hope you are all feeling the same way. Not only do I get to vote, but I get a sticker that says, "I VOTED" too. I really like stickers. Stickers make me happy...and so does this song:

(I have no idea what they're saying, but I like the chorus. If you see someone skipping around doing that dance and singing that song on Tuesday...Holla at your girl!)

Who am I Anyway?

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:39:00 +0000

I watch a lot of television. Ain't no shame in my game...and as much as I LOVE my Tivo, it really hasn't helped my addiction. The more I watch it, the more I realize-I'm getting old. I've noticed in the past few years that my choices of shows have totally changed and I'm a different person. I mean I watch NatGeo sometimes...what?
There was a time I was addicted to MTV.

Shows like "Real World", "TRL", and "The Hills" used to put a smile on my face (alright, I still kinda like "The Hills"), but now my go to station is BRAVO (I know BRAVO's not for "old" people, but it's definitely a few years above MTV and a few years below The Hallmark Channel).

Although the majority of the shows that I watch on Bravo are reality shows, I don't feel too bad because I always feel like they're "fancy reality shows" like "Project Runway", and "Top Chef". I'm loving "The Rachel Zoe Project" too and yes, I do feel like I learn something from that stylish little lady. You know like what's going on with designers and stuff. Okay fine, whatever...at least I ain't watchin' "I Love New York".

Another thing that I've noticed about my TV viewing is my love for Baseball.
I HATED BASEBALL GROWING UP! I thought it was the most boring game ever! I mean for reals! I liked watching local Hawaiian fishing shows with my Dad way more. My boyfriend is a huge fan, and it just grew on me. Now I watch games even when he's not around and I get upset and scream when my teams aren't winning. I wonder if my boyfriend watches "Project Runway" when I'm not there and yells, "Fierce!" and "Yes, Honey!" at the screen. Or rewinds "So You Think You Can Dance" a million times just to see the AH-MAH-ZONG routine someone just did. Doubt it.

Another thing that I'm totally addicted to is texting. I feel so bad sometimes, but I loves it. This is why it's bad for me:
A) I text instead of talking to people
B) I've actually attempted to do it while driving (thank goodness for the new law)
and
C) I'm starting to speak as if I'm texting (ex: "OMG" and "Totes"-talking this way started as a joke, then it became my real life...bad Kimee).

I've had an iPhone since last December, so it hasn't helped me at all. I also think it's funny/weird when you're texting back and forth with someone and then when one of you finally gives in and calls, the other person doesn't answer! Ummmm...I know you're holding your phone, yo! I admit, I'm a screener sometimes. I tend to screen calls when I'm out and about.

One of my biggest fears is walking around the Mall or something, receiving a phone call from a friend,

looking at my phone,
making a weird face
and then screening them...

only to listen to their message right after,

then find out that they can see me from the second floor of the same mall and saw me pass on their call!

Oooopsies....

Well if this ever happens to me and you are the friend, thank you for helping me get over one of my fears. You're totes the bestest ever!!

So when I started blogging tonight, and thought of the title, "Who am I Anyway?" I obiviously started thinking of one of my fave movies of all time, "A Chorus Line."
I LOVED this movie when I was a kid. I got my first leg cramp trying to point my foot as hard as I could while watching it. Anyway, I wanted to find a clip from the movie of Paul singing "Who am I...", but couldn't find it. I did find these regional clips though. Enjoy...

Mee Time w/ Kimee Balmilero: "Mamma Mia...here I go again?"

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:58:00 +0000

New "Mee Time" video:

WARNING: You are about to experience some major cheese balliness!
and
BEWARE: Characters like this actually exist...No, like for reals though yo.

Cheap Therapy...

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Feelin' down? Need a pick me up? Well forget about paying for a therapist or watching Dr. Phil! Just check out www.yaketysak.com and get all the positive energy you need! I found this bag while shopping for a friend's birthday pressie. A little pricey for a gift bag ($7) but I think he'll like it....yes, HE. Happy Birthday MV!!!

I met Hillary Duff...

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:39:00 +0000

...okay, I thought I was about to. I went with some friends to a friend of a friend's party and there she was. OMG it's Lizzie McGuire! Oh wait...is that her? Yeah it's totally her. Wait? What? Are you sure? It wasn't. But it was the weirdest thing. This girl looked exactly like Hillary Duff, but was a little taller, thinner and with Gwen Stefani platinum blonde hair. Okay, after awhile it was clearly NOT little miss Duffet, but she was a really great look alike. It was one of those things that my friends and I couldn't stop talking about(that tells you how much we enjoyed this party...we didn't stay long). It was kind of like when they added the animatronic Johnny Depp at Disney's Pirates ride...you can't stop looking at it because it looks just like him.

It wouldn't have been too surprising if it was her. These celebrities are running loose all over the place here. When I first moved to LA, my first sighting was when a girl bumped into my bag at a restaurant and sweetly said, "Oh..sorry. Excuse me." When I turned around to say, "It's okay," it was mini Alanis herself, Avril Lavigne. I had to tell my little cousin about it right away because she loved her at the time. We later saw her walking around our neighborhood, so I guess she lives near by. That, or she's totally stalking me and wants my Betsey Johnson bag.

I like seeing really random celebrities. I guess I'm used to seeing the faces of super famous ones all the time on magazines and tv, but when you see someone like Scott Bakula...cool beans. Then you remember how awesome "Quantum Leap" was and start thinking..."Whatever happened to that guy?" Well he shops at Best Buy, that's all I can tell you.

Speaking of Scott Bakula, has anyone ever noticed how he looks like Alf? You know the aloha shirt wearing alien guy from the planet Melmac? I'm sure others have pointed this out before, but here's a peek...

Here's another one that's been called out before, but I enjoy it every time I watch a Sox
game or any of the Shrek movies:

Here's a shout out to my friend Cliffton Hall (sorry Cliff...it's so good. I had to do it) He kind of looks like Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry"

I don't think I look like any celebrities, but for some strange reason, people say I look like Tia Carrere all the time. I think it's only by default. They find out I'm from Hawaii and Filipino and then all of a sudden I look like her.

Well...when auditions for "Wayne's World: The Musical Spectacular" come up...I'll be there.

Picnic Baskets, Chipmunks and Barack Obama...

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:48:00 +0000

I was out having lunch with my Mom the other day, and we were sitting near a mother of 3 with her kids and her gal pal. It was a Saturday, so lunch and shopping with the girls is a big To Do on the weekend check list for a lot of people. Anyway, I was very impressed with this woman. She was able to carry a conversation with her friend while handing off coloring books, stuffed animals and a video game to each kid. I'm always blown away at how Moms can do that! It was time for them to order and she ordered for herself, but not for the kids. She had packed meals for all of her children (Super Mom Alert). Now, this place had a kids menu, so it wasn't like the kids wouldn't have anything to eat. The server was totally cool with it and they went on to have a great meal.

Here's what I'm thinking. If a group of six adults were having lunch at a restaurant and 3 of them were ordering but the other 3 brought a picnic basket would they let them stay there? If they say no to the adults, but yes to the kids, is that age discrimination? What if their Mom's packed the picnic basket? I'm not saying that people should walk into Mr. Chow with take-out Panda Express. Plus, to me the issue is not about saving money. What if you want to hang out with your friends, but can't or don't want to eat anything at the restaurant. Like a vegetarian at a steakhouse. I have a veggie friend who would sneak tofu in her purse because she couldn't eat anything on the menu. Yes there are salads, but vegetarians need their protein too, and No seafood doesn't count either (seems obvious I know, but people would suggest the fish dishes to her all the time.) Now, I know there's a MAJOR difference between 3 grown adults bringing a picnic basket and a Mom feeding her baby carrots from a jar...It was just a funny thought:)

As I was thinking about this, I started thinking about theme parks. I know, randoms. Maybe it's 'cause my little cousin is really excited about his trip next month to Disneyland and his Mom and I were talking about it at a family get together the other day (see, I mentioned Moms again..there's the connection!) I recently visited Mickey's House and I do love going there, but it's pricey. Luckily I have a friend that works there...

...and he can get me and a couple of pals in on the house (it's great when we have out of town visitors), but what about a whole family coming in from out of town? I recently met a woman that said she couldn't take her kids to Disneyworld anymore because it's just too expensive. Bummers. And what about people who don't really like going on rides? I love going to Disneyland and Six Flags over My Hammy and all that good stuff, but I'm not a huge roller coaster person. Wait...I take that back. I'm NOT a roller coaster person at all (I'm more of a Small World, E.T. Adventure kinda gal.) I'm a bit freaked out when it comes to heights. It probably has something to do with the time I fell out of a hot air balloon as a kid (okay that didn't really happen, but it's much better than my glass elevator story.) I think Theme parks are really fun, and there are a lot of things to do other than roller coasters...but if someone's not riding all the crazy rides, then why should they pay full price? I mean, I'm not even sure if I'm tall enough to ride on these rides. People like me, Alvin and the rest of the chipmunks should get a special pass or something:)

(ps: I used to LOVE the Chipmunks when I was a kid. I had all of their toys and cassette tapes...yes cassette tapes. This is one of my fave videos that they did)

(okay I'm back...)And again, what about those families that have to pay for Mom, Dad, the kids...wowsers! Plus, Mom AND Dad can't ride on the rides all the time (someone has to hold the Churros), they should be able to split their tickets. Just another random thought (Whew, I kinda feel like Cher right now)

If I could talk to Barack Obama right now I'd ask him to look over these things. I know he'll have a lot of things to take care of like the Economy, and re-decorating the White House and all, but when he's President, these are little things he can take care of fairly quickly and he'll for sure gain major creds for the theme park thingy. So Mr. Future President Obama help us out here and thank you in advance for all that you're going to do.
ps: I LOVED you as Nate in Stomp the Yard and Tom Dilton in Mo Money;)

I'm sorry...how many hot dogs?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:38:00 +0000

I love the Discovery Channel. No really I do! This isn't an attempt to shamelessly plug the TV series that I'm in that happens to air on that network (check your local listings.) Seriously though, I've always liked Discovery, and I got totally addicted to it when I traveled a lot and would only have a handful of channels to choose from in my hotel room. I could only take so many episodes of "To Catch a Predator." You know when you've watched it too much when you forget that it's real life sadness and start to think it's a hidden camera joke show. Only these guys just punked themselves. I mean really, the guys that keep doing it and keep getting caught...Yikes!

Anyway, one of my fave shows on Discovery is "How it's Made." (Yes Mike Rowe...I dig your show too), but I've always loved shows like H.I.M...it reminds me of one of my fave segments on Sesame Street. You know, the one where they take us to the crayon factory. I thought it was so cool! The most recent H.I.M. that I watched was all about machines at fairs. Like a cotton candy machine, a popcorn cart and a hot dog grill thingy (I clearly learned a lot from the show.) All was well until the narrator said this, "The average American eats about 60 hot dogs a year..." WHAT?!? The "Average American?" That can't be true. So I went to Google. Food Network said it too...it's confirmed. That's too much. Before I posted this blog, I was worried that I might offend people out there who love their hot dogs and don't think there's anything wrong with eating 60 a year, 5 a month, 1.25 a week...then I thought, "IF YOU'RE READING THIS AND EAT THAT MANY HOT DOGS...STOP IT!" Unless you go to that many baseball games, in which case I am now extremely jealous of you.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm cool with the hot dog. Hello...I'm from Hawaii and I'm Filipino! I eat Spam and a whole buncha random stuffs...I can't totally down the H-Dog. I'm just surprised that we eat that freakin' many! It kinda made me not wanna have them anymore. Especially since I just finished reading a book that went really deep into how bad the meat industry is (according to them, it's not good.) Then I realized how much I loved Chili Dogs and couldn't imagine giving that up entirely even though I probably only eat that once a year...if that. But hey, if I'm a cravin' it...give it to me. So I attempted to make a Chili Dog with NO MEAT whatsoever. And I did!

Looks like the Chili Cheese Dog that we know and love doesn't it? Well, it ain't. Both Alicia Silverstone and my friend the vegetarian Karla Mosley could chow down on this bad boy. I went to Whole Foods and hooked myself up with all sorts of faked out "meat" products...and I must say, you could totally fool yourself with what they have out there now days. I even made spaghetti sauce with Vegetarian "Ground Meat." It's not just tofu and tempeh anymore-Although I do love that stuff too!

Now I wish I could tell you that it tasted just like the real thing, but unfortunately...I can't. Don't get me wrong. It was delicious, but we all know what a hot dog taste like and we know it's bad for us...but boy doesn't it taste extra special at a picnic, or at a ballgame, or at a BBQ? Especially with the 4th of July comin' up. With this meal, the Chili was REALLY GOOD, the cheese was GOOD, the dog was OKAY. It didn't taste the same...(duh Kimee.) One of the best parts about this meal is that you don't feel totes guilty and gross afterwards. I'm sure the taste is something you could get used to, but if you're like me and only eat a couple of dogs a year..whatevs. At least it's not 60.

Puerto Rico...you lovely island. Island of yummy tostones...

noreply@blogger.com (Kimee Balmilero) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:06:00 +0000

Okay...so Puerto Rico was never on my list of places to visit. I'm from a tropical place, so spots like Tokyo and Venice hit the top ten for me. That being said, I am SO glad I got to experience Puerto Rico!! It's a beautimous place with a lot of history and cool spots to check out. As soon as we arrived, the view of the Atlantic ocean took my breath away.

I've said this before..I'm a total beach snob. I'm from Hawaii..hello! PR did not disappoint and I loved how San Juan was such a beach community. One night, there were tons 'o people walking around in their swimsuits and surf shorts carrying around coolers at like 2 in the morning! Rad.

Anyway, I was in Puerto Rico for "work"...now if you're randomly reading this blog right now and have no idea who I am or what I do I put the word work in quotes because I'm part of a kids show called Hi-5 and our "job" consists of singing and dancing for kids and playing around with your friends on stage. Don't believe me? Check out www.hi5us.com and see for yourself. The shows were great and the audiences were AH-MAH-ZONG( amazing according to the Sydney James dictionary!) It was cool to be back with the gang again and it was like we had never left. We even threw some Spanish into the show!! Now, I don't know how to speak Spanish...AT ALL! I took Japanese in high school, so I was pretty proud of myself for picking some phrases up. It's inspired me to learn the language. I'll let you know how I do:) Special thanks to my girl Margaret and our new PR gal pal Luisa for the help. And a shout out to Gabriel and our little Chiqui Chef friends too! Love to all of you guys! The gang and I had a lot of fun performing for all of you and I'm so glad I was still able to rock those yellow wedges. It's been awhile:) Thanks to everybody who came out to see us. It meant so much to me to meet all of you!

tu eres maravilloso!!! beso beso!!

Anyway, back to PR. We got there on Sunday night and started rehearsals Monday morning, so my schedule was pretty packed with Hi-5ness. I don't know how, but we managed to fit in some sight seeing...

Old San Juan:

We hit Old San Juan the first night we were there. We had rehearsal for a couple hours and then took a cab to check it out. The cobblestone streets and colorful architecture were too inspiring. It's weird to think how old this place is. Even their Pizza Hut looks old. Anyway, we walked around for a bit and stopped in a restaurant called The Parrot Club for lunch. Fellow Hi-5er Sydney highly recommended this place and I'm glad he did. The Empanadas are too die for! Thanks for the suggestion Syd...we loved it!

El Castillo San Felipe del Morro (Fort San Felipe del Morro):

We had one more free day before starting the shows, so we headed back to Old San Juan to check out El Castillo San Felipe. Amazing! It was a beautiful, sunny day (a little hot, but it was worth it) and the fort was breathtaking! It's been their since 1539!! Craziness. It was fun to walk through and read about the history of the place. I love that kind of stuff!

El Yunque National Rainforest:

So after all the shows were done, my boyfriend John and I stayed back an extra day to do more sight seeing. I'm glad we did 'cause I wanted to feel like we really experienced Puerto Rico. We rented a car and headed out to the Rainforest. I'd never been to a rainforest before! It was wet and rainy, but I liked it. I totally rocked a plastic poncho! We kinda hiked to a waterfall (I say kinda because it was a pretty easy trail) and got to go swimming there too! It was a cool experience and we met some really nice people along the way. We also saw a lot of snails and heard lots of birds too. I really wanted to hear the famous Coqui sound of the Puerto Rican frog...but I'm not sure if I heard it or not. I sure did try to get them out though.

Ya know, I'm usually not much of an outdoorsy type of girl... but I really enjoyed this! I loved it and highly recommended it if ever you're in Puerto Rico.

Pikayo:

Okay, I'm so addicted to Bravo! Project Runway, Top Design, Shear Genius...I love those shows. Top Chef...Hello! One of my faves! Anyway, if you don't watch the show, this season's finale was in Puerto Rico and the guest judge was Chef Wilo Benet. I totally googled him and absolutely had to dine at his restaurant Pikayo. I'm a dork like that. It reminded me of the time a fan took a picture of themselves in front of my old high school while on vacay in Hawaii (you know who you are and I love you for that.)

Anyway, Pikayo was FABULOUS!!

We couldn't decide what to get and all the appetizers were calling out to us, so we created our own little tasting menu and ordered a bunch of appetizers like risotto, crispy duck, tuna tartare, pumpkin soup, scallops, yum! They were all so delicious and the service there was incredible! The restaurant is located in a museum, so that was a neat little treat. They also have paintings throughout the restaurant. On our visit they had artwork that looked like Tyra Banks. I'm pretty sure it was her. www.wilobenet.com

Restaurante Botin:

I had to check this place out! I found it while flipping through a magazine in my hotel room. Because our schedule was pretty packed, the only time we had to eat here was on our last day. It was worth it! It's the oldest restaurant in the world in the oldest city in the new world (that's what the ad said and I was sold!) This place was too cool. It used to be a bank and was established in the 1700s. I had heard that the Paella (one of my all time fave foods) there was amazing too! So, boom-crack...sign me up. They weren't lying! Their Paella rocked my world!

We also had to order their blood sausage because our friend Robbie in San Francisco loves that stuff. Now it tasted really good, but let's be honest..it looks like a turd. Don't let the looks fool you though...it was delicious. Their sangria was refreshing and the service was fabulous. Tip: If you order the Paella, call ahead or tell them as soon as you get there. It takes about an hour to cook (now you know that's good). Again, if you're ever in PR...it's a must go. We were there for lunch, but I think they have live performances for dinner. www.restaurantebotinpr.com

Whew....so that's my trip and there goes my first blog on this blogger thingy dingy. Thanks Jenni for telling me how easy it was and congrats on the new baby too! Can't wait to meet her!

See ya'll soon and thanks again for stopping by!

Love love,
Kimee
www.kimeebalmilero.com