Crabbed Out.

As I mentioned yesterday, my mom came home with a huge box of fresh crabs. As in, she had just bought it the night before and had steamed it all before flying out of Alaska at 6am the other day. Some of them had cracked shells so some of its juices came spilling out of the box but my ever so efficient husband had it cleaned up in no time. THE FAT! ‘Twas truly amazing. I didn’t have a camera on hand but I promise you there were about 25 crabs in total. Because some shells had cracked, the purple fatty parts were just oozing out. Feast for the eyes, no less! Neighbors across the street from my mom’s place were kinda staring at us so it was but right that we gave them a few pieces. We’re nice neighbors, you see. I hope they enjoyed it because by the time we had dinner, that stuff was soooo sweet and fresh. Popped it into the microwave and it was slurp, slurp, slurp. Didn’t get as PG as I wanted as after a while, so much crab (we cracked open 2 between E and I) gets to be pretty overwhelming. Plus, I don’t enjoy legs at all. I just like the inner part. Mainly because I don’t like to put stress on my teeth and we didn’t have a cracker thingamajig. Sadly, there’s about 10 pieces of crabs sitting in our freezer and it’s just a shame they’re going to sit there. I’m so crabbed out — yes, after last night’s semi-feast. I’m pretty maarte like that, I guess. Once it’s frozen, I no longer desire it. I like them super duper fresh. Arte, I know. Crab cakes? Eh. I don’t have the patience.

No More PPP.

I had to delete all my posts here that had anything to do with Payperpost. Lost a bit of money but I'm just happy that I got my blog back. PPP suspended my account because they know they're not allowed to be there. So to answer your question Abby, no I wasn't banned from too much swearing hahaha (do I swear that much??). So in the grand scheme of things, you know what this means. I'll have to build this site up as I did the other one so I can increase my page rank in order to qualify for some good PPP posts. Sorry, it's the money hungry in me guys. That said, I might be backing off from wordpress and making myself comfortable here in order to do just that. Trying to figure out how to make this place look nicer as the free templates have got to go -- big time. I just wish I was computer literate enough to know how to get things done. Tsk tsk. I also want to put up a blog on my own domain (am I even saying it right?!) but I don't know which to go with (what's expensive and what's not?). It hurts not to know enough about the internet, I tell you. Would you believe I took an HTML class in college, learned how to create my own homepage from scratch (inputting codes or something) and scored an A? How I did that, I have no idea. So it was an introductory course, fine but at least I knew a little HTML. So anyways, if you have any suggestions as to where I should put up a new home without having to use these free domains, let me know. I would love to be enlightened.

My mom is back from Alaska in a few hours. She has my Alaskan king crabs! Yummmmmm-o! My cholesterol is going to shoot way up but that's how it'll have to be for tonight. I am going to feast!

More stories to come.

She Is Definitely My Daughter.

Aha, you thought wrong if you think I'm referring to myself.

It is 9:29am as I type this and Erynne has already had a bowl of cheerios cereal with milk (with seconds that she didn't finish off completely), half of a bbq pork siopao bun, half of a cup of orange juice and now that I'm eating my breakfast of maple and brown sugar oatmeal, she's eating some of that too. She's now walked away with her other half of siopao to watch TV in her room while she continues to eat. Isn't that wild? I love it! Now if she would just gain weight with all the food she eats, I'd ask for nothing more. But I guess in the long run, she's lucky. She can be PG and still be skinny. Lucky girl, tsk tsk.

And So It Happened.

It was only a few days ago through an email from Joy did I hear about Wordpress shutting down websites with paid Payperpost posts. I'd yet to receive "the email" about being given 7 hours to back up my blog. So imagine my surprise a few minutes ago when I saw I couldn't access my Wordpress blog anymore. Where was my supposed email with my 7 hours to pack up and say goodbye? I don't understand. I knew my time would come but I didn't think it would happen today -- and without so much as a warning! Though, thanks in part to Joy, I should have acted accordingly and followed her advice to back up my blog at that moment. Who's the sorry @ss now?

So if you're here because you saw I've been shut down (or will be), welcome. Make yourselves comfy as this is where I'll be hanging out for the meantime. I'll have this place cleaned up in no time. Corny as it sounds, I'm a little sad that I wasn't able to save some of my entries from Wordpress. Nevermind the money I'll have lost from PPP -- so many memories I'd documented there that I've now lost forever :(. What a bummer. Ugh. I so need some proper closure.

Bastards!

Addicted To Blogging.

67%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?
Hala. But it could be worse.

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

Having been born, raised (and made!) in Alaska, it was literally a dream come true for me when I had the opportunity to live in Manila for less than 2 years. My only regret though was that hubby and I didn't travel the country as much as we should have--could have and would have-- had we known we'd be leaving for the States a year and a half into our marriage. Palawan, Cebu, Baguio, Samar -- so many places we had yet to experience! And it's when you're far and away from your surroundings do you start to wish you'd done the things you should have when you were already there. And I highly doubt we'd ever go back to the Philippines to live -- I was so anxious to get out as it was, LOL. But oh, how I've yet to experience every part of my parents' homeland (and err, my husband's!).

My Lakbayan grade is C-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

I've Been Tagged.

And happily so — I seem to have a lot of hate in my life, LOL.

1. Food you hate - peanut butter (but I love kare-kare).

2. Fruits that you hate - i wouldn’t die if i ate it but i wouldn’t mind never eating grapefruit (even though it’s good when you’re dieting).

3. Veggies that you hate - GABI!

4. Celebrities or people that you hate - Liars, fakers, posers, people who have no common sense or an inkling of knowledge about anything, people as rude as me, people as sarcastic as me, pinoys in Manila who have no patience in waiting for people to get off the elevator before they come scrambling in (MAJOR HATE!), pinoys who don’t know the meaning of “wait your turn,” pinoys who try to run to their airport gates because they think the plane is going to leave when in fact, it’ll just sit there for a while, pinoys who don’t know the purpose of a line (refer to “wait your turn”) and then PRETEND they don’t hear anything when you, in fact, are talking right at them to be civilized please (at least I use the word “please”), pinoy telemarketers who don’t know the meaning of “no” and then have the audacity to tell me, “God bless,” because they think I might feel guilty for being a B*&^%…. DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO GO ON? *LOL*

5. Event/Incident/Situation that you hate - oh sorry, I didn’t see this. I listed some above. Joy’s right, blackouts in Manila are one. I try to pretend I’m “cowboy” but as God is my witness, I am beyond uncomfortable when this happens. You can’t blame me — how would you like to feel like a roasting pig? That’s what I thought. I also hate how people function within a bank in Manila — grab a number? Even when no one’s there? And what’s up with signatures? And no, I will not come back after lunch to get my documents, thank you very much — just sign the damn thing! And one last: when I’m paying for stuff at SM department store. Have you noticed how many people are working behind the cash register?! And what is all that scribble they write on the receipts? And please, save a staple and a strip of tape — you can just put my receipt in the bag, thanks. SIMPIFY PEOPLE, SIMPLIFY! Oh, wait, just thought of another one — I hate it when filipino women stay with their cheating partners for whatever reason (be it kids, love, length of time they’ve been together, etc etc). Love yourselves ladies — a man is NOT the end of the world. Jose Rizal already died for your sufferings — one martyr is enough!

6. TV Shows or Movies that you hate - all the talk shows except Oprah. And period movies like Marie Antoinette, Pride & Prejudice, etc.

7. Type of Music that you hate - Rap. Too much t**s and @$$, and the words. I do not want to know what you do with her private parts, please.

8. Household chore that you hate - cleaning the bathroom, hands down.

9. Things you hate about the world - when babies and kids are left to starve or when they’re abandoned. I also don’t understand and like war.

10. Things that you hate about yourself - that I still haven’t gotten rid of my 50 or so postpartum pounds. That’s why hello Weight Watchers tomorrow. I can’t do this alone hahahaha.

I LOVED THIS — thanks Joy :). Okay, it’s time for Cheche, Van, Liv, Jean and Leah to show some hate.

I'm Not Vain.

You Are 23% Vain

Okay, so you're slightly vain from time to time, but you're not superficial at all. You are realistic. You know that looks matter. You just try to make them matter less.

How Vain Are You?

I think the keywords here are “time to time.” I think this is true. Rest assured, I don’t go around looking like $%^&. Come on now, I do have an ounce of girl in me — please remember I still go seal-crazy when I see beautiful shoes and bags (only because clothes don’t fit me like before, LOL), and I am a big, BIG sucker for pretty feet and pedicures. As for makeup, BE is all I need because it’s fast, convenient and I look like I have nothing on at all. For skin, I swear (once again) by Mary Kay. You should already know I don’t comb my hair or fix it as I am literally one of those shower-and-go-type of gals. Give me 20 minutes and I’m ready to go (and yes, that includes my shower, my makeup and getting dressed). So even though E says I’m maarte, I like to think I’ve downgraded a few million levels because well, look at my score, for one. I could care less what people think or say in relation to how I look.

And to be funny, does it mean I’m smart just because I’m not vain? Like too nerdy to care what I look like? Now that’s a turn-on! But then you might think that we should look good for our husbands, if not for anyone else. Agree. But I’d rather have good conversations and have smart things to say at the end of the day than say, wear mascara. And if the man doesn’t like it? Trust.me — this mommy ain’t gonna be cryin!

When One Just Isn't Enough.

Ok, so I never thought I’d say this, but I am truly hooked to my LV Speedy bag. I don’t know what it is but now I just want more. Uh oh. What is up with that? And this is coming from a girl who said she’d never buy or want to have an LV bag because I didn’t see the point — it seemed everyone had them so why should I be another number? Riiiiiiiiiight.

I love my Speedy bag. It can house everything I want and need — for Erynne! Yes, for Erynne. The only thing you’ll see of mine in my bag is my Franklin Covey planner, my wallet and occassionally, my Nano. Everything else would be diapers, blocks of toys that resemble legos, crayons or whatever it is that Erynne decides to grab before we run out of the door and no longer wants to carry.

So I might wear it a little grudge-y than most people (me in my carefree slippers and capris with uncombed hair), so what. A bag is a bag is a bag, no matter how many 2-letter initials are plastered over the bag. But still, there is something addicting about LV bags. I don’t know what it is but I tell you, I’m looking forward to hubby’s next purchase. Hehe!

Yaaaaayyyyyy!

I was already looking forward to the weekend just because. Hubby would be home for a whole 2 days and we were planning on watching a movie as a family tomorrow morning. And then we were talking about squeezing some time in for some (window) shopping (oOoOoOhhhh for what???!). Plus, it’s officially summer and the weather’s been great (but isn’t it always great in California?) — I just had all these reasons to celebrate for some reason.

As if things couldn’t get any better, I get a call this morning from my cousin A. She tried to call last night but I was already in bed before 9pm and around midnight, when E came walking into the bedroom (after falling asleep on the couch in the family room), he mumbled something about A calling and visiting tomorrow. I thought it was a dream! But she confirmed it this morning and yayyyy, she’ll be visiting not just for one day but until Monday night! I’m so excited!!!!! I started squealing like the big fat seal that I am, immediately mumbling off all the stores we could go to and possibly “shop” at. Hahahaha, that got A going with her mini-squeals too…. and ugh, I’m just so hyper for this weekend now. A flies in from Vegas tomorrow around 8am. I feel better than winning a lotto ticket! And remember my friend M comes in on Sunday, right? I’ll try to coordinate with M so that A could join us as well. The more Alaskans, the better. This is going to be a fabulous weekend.

*cackle* I don’t know why but in the very far distance of my mind’s eye, I see 2-letter initials flashing in the background. What? A foreshadow of great things to come? Okay, okay, well maybe just a peek in the store won’t hurt, right? Who knows, A might need a new LV bag. Then maybe, just maybe, I can inherit her Ellipse. Bwahahahhahahaa.

My Favorite Subject.

Ano ang iyong almusal kanina?
Fried egg with fried rice (spinach, tomatoes, Chinese sausage, green onions)

Ikaw ay may itlog — nilagang itlog. Paano mo ito kakainin?
Umm, salt?

Ano ang paborito mong local na junkfood?
Local? I think it’s called Taquitos.

Ikaw ay kinuhang TOP CHEF sa isang engrandeng pagtitipon. Ano ang iyong ihahain sa mga bisita? (Note: Ang mga pagkain na ihahain mo ay ang mga alam mong lutuin. Bawal magsinungaling)
I don’t know how to cook anything sossy. This is coming from a girl who’s happy with a can of Master sardines and red egg with tomatoes and rice. LOL!
Appetizer: Lumpia Shanghai
Soup: Ramen noodles, chicken flavor. HAHAHA — I don’t know how to cook soup.
Main course: Baby back ribs
Dessert: Strawberry shortcake

Kung ikaw ay makakain sa restaurant ngayon din, saang restaurant ka pupunta at bakit?
It’s not so much a resto but a bbque stand somewhere in Proj. 4, QC — people line up for their bbque’s that are to die for.

Saang restaurant mong gusto makapunta, pero di ka lang nakakarating pa?
Definitely Dampa.

May pizza sa harap mo. Ano ang ayaw mong makitang topping sa pizza mo?
Anchovies.

Ano ang madalas mong orderin sa Jollibee?
I hate Jollibee. I’ve probably been in Jollibee a total of 5 times (if that) in my entire life. I’m loyal to McDo’s fried chicken. But I will say this: the fried chicken in Daly City Jollibee tastes 100x better than any Jollibee in PI. Weird, isn’t?

Paano magluto ng Sinigang? Marunong ka ba?
Boil meat in water until tender. Then I add tomatoes, onion and sinigang mix. Season if I must then I add my bokchoi for a few seconds and then serve. Bokchoi must, must, must, must remain crunchy and fresh looking — I will have it no other way.

Ikaw ay may fried chicken sa harap mo. Ano ang dapat niyang kapartner para masarap ang kain?
Heinz ketchup, can’t be any other ketchup. But if I’m in the mood, honey mustard. Besides ketchup, thai style sweet and sour sauce works too.

Kumakain ka ba ng dinuguan? Alam mo ba kung saan ito gawa?
Absolutely. BIL’s dinuguan is one of the best. And yes, of course I know what it’s made from — chocolate :D.

Happy Father's Day!

Don't forget to greet the wonderful men in your life :). Be back later for some stories!

Move Over, Paris!

So she thinks she's a fashionista now. Let her be. Afterall, what do you know at 2?

Tagged.

Yourself: sick, phlegm-y and still fat.

Your Partner: super sweet — he’s been doing the dishes, cleaning up when he gets home and he even brought me flowers yesterday.

Your Hair: a shorter version of Annabelle Rama’s when I don’t fix it.

Your Mother: workaholic superwoman.

Your Father: retired chemist who laughs at his own jokes — so much so one can’t understand the punchline cuz he’s laughing too hard (hey! this sounds like me hahaha).

Your Favorite Item: my LV Speedy

Your Dream Last Night: Olga

Your Favorite Drink: Mt. Dew or Pepsi with ice. I’ve cut back LOTS though.

Your Dream Car: I don’t put much value on cars but if it was free, Volvo SUV is just fine.

Dream Home: Pottery Barn-ish or Restoration Hardware-ish on a tree-lined neighborhood with parents as young as E and I.

The Room You Are In: family room

Your Fear: not seeing my children grow up

Where You Want to be in Ten Years: 3 homes richer, 3 more kids, skinny, still happy and well-travelled.

Who You Hung Out With Last Night: went to bed with Erynne before 9pm.

You’re Not: soft-spoken

One of Your Wish List Items: a bike or another LV bag.

The Last Thing You Did: called the husband to tell him I missed him.

You Are Wearing: shirt and cut up pajama shorts.

Your Favorite Weather: not too much sun

Your Favorite Book: too many to mention

Last Thing You Ate: Filipino-style spaghetti and calamansi juice.

Your Life: unpredictable

Your Mood: blah

Your Best Friend: competitive

What Are You Thinking About Right Now: the Bahamas and when we might be able to go on a cruise.

Your Car: Honda Accord

What Are You Doing At The Moment: listening to the Food Network Channel.

Relationship Status: Happily married to my hunky monkey!

Crap.

That’s how I feel. I’m coming down with something.. I don’t know what but my whole body is tired and aching. Plus I have this cough that’s pretty dry, so it hurts my chest like you wouldn’t believe. I hate being sick. Because then all I want to do is stay in bed. But no can do. I’m so not looking forward to staying at home with the kid tomorrow. She is going to wear me out.

I’m already worn out and she hasn’t bugged me for a while. Yet.

Decisions.

I almost got these in bright red:

And then I was shown these:

Which is a bit more toned down and one E might appreciate more. I LOVE THEM!! The only reason I didn’t buy right then and there was because E was home with the kid (mommy got to spend half of the day by herself!) and I wanted his approval (aww, what a good wife!). But now, I’m so confused because I just found this great site that sells really, really nice glasses — and MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER! Sadly, they don’t have the Burberry pair I want (2nd picture).

Decisions.

Reading Glasses.

Just got back from the eye doctor a few hours ago. My eyes have been acting weird these past few days. I’ve been due for an exam for quite some time (last year, to be exact), but it wasn’t until last night that I couldn’t stand the itchy, stingy, watery eyes and the constant headaches I was getting in the afternoons. I also noticed my eyes seemed strained — to the point where I’d read something, whether on the laptop or a magazine, and I’d have to push the laptop or magazine back a little farther to avoid having to strain my eyes to read the words. Having never experienced this, I got worried. Good thing my doctor had an opening this morning.

Turns out everything’s fine with my eye. No astigmatism (I had a hint of it in ‘05), no redness, and my eye vision has remained the same. I guess after age 30 (if you wear glasses or contacts), your eyesight actually starts to improve. That explains why, according to the doctor, the average laser patient is 32yo. Interesting, isn’t it? For sure, I thought my eyes had gotten worse.

Remember that eye strain I was telling you about? I have to use reading glasses now! I was so surprised. I mean, I already have 4 eyes. And then I still have to top it all off with reading glasses when I read or use the computer? Wow. And boy was there a difference. Imagine wearing a narrow width shoe all your life when really, you’ve been a wide width all along… and then finally getting a hold of a wide width shoe and trying it on. It’s like a whole new way of breathing hahaha! That’s how I felt after he showed me what the reading glasses would do for me. And good thing — it probably explains the headaches I was starting to get in the afternoons. My prescription for both eyes, by the way, are a whole half difference, so naturally one eye is working harder than the other.

I haven’t picked out new frames. But that’d be next on my to do list. I want something cool, funky and loud. And speaking of cool, funky and loud, I’m actually excited to buy a pair of reading glasses — they come in different designs and colors.

First the grays, then the Annabelle Rama hair and now the reading glasses. What’s next?

Oh, let me guess: menopause.

KNOCK. ON. WOOD.

My Favorite Poem.

My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky.

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I grow old,

Or let me die!

The Child is father of the Man;

And I could wish my days to be

Bound each to each by natural piety.

-William Wordsworth

****

Don’t you just love that line, “The Child is father of the Man”? I love that.

It scares me to think about going back to college, much as I want to finish my degree. Everyone is going to be so much younger than me. And I remember how even I thought to myself how older students were such losers for going to college so late. It just wouldn’t be the same. But then again, I’m not there to hang with the coolest crowds or to sit in the cafeteria and make friends or compare notes. I’m not there to be “accepted.” It’d be just a, “I’m in, then I’m out” kind of thing, as I head back to a life where I run a household. At the same time, how empowering to finally grab that gosh darn diploma that serves as… well, nothing really. Everything that matters to me in this world is right here in my home — my husband and daughter.

But still. Still trying to figure out how we could accomplish all the things we — E and I — want to achieve. E would like to go back to school and study computers. And I’m very supportive of that. And hey, if I can finish my college degree, maybe then I could finally, finally move towards my real dream of working with hair. But I must, must finish my college degree. Financial aid, where are you? :D.

My Grays.

I had to get lowlites. Along with the hilites. And the deep conditioning treatment I was telling you about.

I had to ask Lan what lowlites were and why I needed them. She said something like I’d lost some of my natural hair color and plus, I had a few grays that she’d cover with the lowlites application. OMG.

I have grays. I knew I’d seen some poking its way through but I thought maybe I just needed new contacts. But even that’s a lie in itself as my own mom had once volunteered to just snip away a few gray strands that she’d spotted herself a few months ago. There’s no denying it.

I am getting old. O.M.G. I’m only 30 years old. Only. I didn’t see any grays prior to…. being a stay at home mom! Okay, now there’s a little bit of humor here. Is my life as a SAHM that stressful? Haaaaaay.

Anyways, whatever. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed at the salon. So I did my thing and just being there — away from Erynne, away from anything familiar to me — was a wonderful treat. I had so much with Ling and Lan. They asked what I wanted. Their call, I said. Do whatever you want, so long as it is (always) something different from the last time I was there. So I wasn’t too punk this time. Just very Annabelle Rama.

Hahahahaha. But hubby loved it. I wish I could have taken a picture of his reaction when he saw me. He literally did a double take and made me feel like I was the sexiest mama that ever existed. In fact, I tell you what — if I was just skinny enough to the point where he could pick me up and dance me around like that Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze scene where Patrick lifts Jennifer up in their final dance scene at the end of “Dirty Dancing,” I’ll bet hubby would have done it (to me). *cackle*

Then he asked how much it all cost when we sat down with some Taco Bell. Way too much, I said. With the amount that I paid, a lot of my blogging earnings went down the drain and E probably could’ve gotten 2 years worth of haircuts at the local Great Clips. But that’s also because I had a deep conditioning treatment for my wiry hair, I argued. No matter — hubby knows mommies have to love themselves too. In my case, I love myself sometimes a little too much. Bwahahaha.

And yes, I am kidding about Annabelle Rama.

Frumpy No More.

I was able to get an appointment with my colorist and stylist 2 days ago. My head of hair suddenly had no direction at all. Add to the fact that my crazy hair needed some good loving in terms of a deep conditioning treatment. When I brought this up with Ling (she cuts my hair) 2 months ago, she straight out said (ei, she has an oriental accent, take note!), “Honey, there’s nothing with your hair. That’s just how your hair is.” I didn’t slap her because I rather like her attitude. Give it to me straight, don’t sugar coat it and we’ll get along — and I’ll keep you forever (well, show me your skills too, of course). I’d seen her at the salon before but I’d never gone to her until 2 months ago — I was desperate for a new ‘do and thankfully, the minute I called, someone had just cancelled and I was free to come in if I wanted the open slot). She works so fast and you give her ideas (pictures, I should say) of what parts of a style you like and boom, she comes up with a masterpiece. And did I tell you, she uses her cutting shears like she’s been doing it even before she got out of her mother’s womb? She cuts my colorist’s hair and Lan (that’s her name) has always had the funkiest ‘dos ever. A keeper, that Ling lady.

I tell you, being a SAHM, I have let go of myself in more ways than one. Times like this, I love trying to look like a human being again.

Back to Basics.

After much thought (desperation is more like it), I’ve gone back to using Mary Kay’s Timewise system. And let me tell you, it has made all the difference in the universe.

Remember the POLA products? Apparently, those that receive A’s samples end up loving it so much they immediately place orders with her. I don’t find it at all strange that it didn’t work for me, though. My skin’s like sandpaper. In turn, it requires extreme measures.

It’s only been about 5 days since I found a Mary Kay consultant here in our area. A nice lady, that Penny Mika. And all the samples that I requested from her (after she’d delivered my goods), she’d already dropped it off early the next morning — in our mailbox, just as she said. Don’t you just love efficient people?

She gave me both samples for the Timewise soap and the Timewise (tube) facewash for combination/oily skin (I decided to try the soap first, considering I had somewhat of a phobia with the other one). If you recall, I had mentioned MK had done something different to the formulation of their TW facewash (the tube one). Instead of one TW facewash for all skin types, they suddenly had 2 — one for combination/dry and another for combination/oily. I discovered this in 2005 when we returned back into the States, as the MK store somewhere in Quezon City still had the original TW facewash — the one I so loved. And I made the mistake of not buying more (of the original) facewash before coming back to the States. Imagine the disappointment. I actually started to break out more with the new (and supposedly, improved) combination/oily facewash. That ended my ever-faithful relationship with Mary Kay, sad as it was. But woohoo, there’s hope for me yet! The soap — also a new thing for MK (well, for me, at least) — is fantastic! I don’t know what it is, but I promise you the TW soap sucks the oil out of my skin, giving me a hint of tightness I look forward to everytime I wash my face. And the bestest moisturizer in the world — the TW age-fighting moisturizer — LOVE THIS. I don’t know how I ever parted with this stuff; it is one of my ‘must haves’ in life, I kid you not. I’m less oily because of both products — and I know there’s an explanation for this, but I don’t know what. Read a pamphlet, you’ll see.

Again, I’ve only been using TW for about 5 days and my skin’s already clearing up. My pores have gotten smaller — and there is nothing harsh (meaning salicylic acid/benzoyl peroxide, etc.) about the TW soap. Plus, my skin’s already feeling smooth(er). Baby skin, come to mama! LOL. I’m looking forward to their microdermabrasion kit, which I was already hearing good things about when we were still in Manila.

Happy. Really, really happy!

Pasalubongs.

Aling Onching’s coming home tonight! Looking forward to the pasalubongs that we asked my in-laws to get for us me. But Aling Onching may not be reporting for work for a few days — maybe E can pick the stuff up right away :P.

I asked MIL for a few magazines (2 back issues of YES! or Starstudio and 2 recent ones — baduy, I know!) and then I asked BIL to buy me 4 Nivea Lip Care lip stuff. I have so many lying around the house, I don’t want to keep guessing where Erynne might have hid them. E requested for some slimming Chinese tea (I should gulp that stuff down). What I’m definitely looking forward to is this slipper-type mop thing that I found through Wanda’s blog. I was so fascinated by it, I just had to have one. I know, I know.. I could probably find something like this here but where? Besides, for only 80 pesos something, I’d bet if I did found something like this here, the price would be 5 times more than buying it at SM Megamall. There are tons of mops here but I’m maarts, remember? And Wanda’s were so cool, I had to call MIL right away and have her buy a few (my MIL was also so aliw, she had to get a few for herself and my BIL). Thanks to Wanda, now I can shine our floors in style — get some of Erynne’s Pussycat Dolls music on and get myself a good workout. O………..k.

Another thing Aling Onching will be bringing to us are our wedding videos!!! I realize in all this time since we’ve returned from our trip to Manila, I’ve not once talked about our wedding last January. Heck, I didn’t even talk about our whole trip period. One of these days, I want to — and I will. I need to document those memories somewhere because until now *cackle*, I haven’t chosen the 180 pictures to be put in our wedding album. Haha, E’s on my case all the time — but there are just tooooooooooooooooooooooooo many to choose from. Promise, picking the pictures asap is on my to-do list. I’ll get there. I should as even my mom’s been pestering me about it, wondering why it’s taking so long to produce an album. I always end up changing the subject. Definitely looking forward to seeing our edited (and unedited) version of our wedding. Ugh, that’ll mean having to see my fat body on the screen. Lovely :D. I hope Wally made some really fantastic editing on my size (bwahahahaha) or else he is going to be getting a phone call from me. LOL, kidding!

I’ve had a little clip of our wedding AVP for the longest time but I just don’t know how to upload to share with you all. Another thing on my ever gigantic to-do list.

Trip to Carter's.

I LOVE THE CARTERS STORE! Well, I think it’s a little outlet store really. Which probably explains why it’s sale-heaven in there.

What I thought was only going to be a few pieces here and there for Van and Liv actually ended up with me grabbing things for Erynne left and right! And this is something to talk about because I never, ever buy as much stuff for Erynne at any given time as I did today. One because I don’t always find things on sale (that I like) at any one given place. Second, I usually don’t have to buy much for Erynne in terms of clothing because she still has so much stuff. One thing I should mention, I never, EVER buy anything for Erynne at full price. For what? Kids grow waaaaaaayy too fast; I know better. So if it’s on sale (and a sale to me is literally like pennies, the poor kid!), that’s the time I grab things — so one wouldn’t be surprised to find items in her closet or drawers that are 2 sizes bigger than what she currently wears (and it might take a while before she actually gets to use them).

I’m really lucky because people either gift my girl with clothes or she’s still trying to catch up with some of her gifts from her christening (aahhhh, I love smart people — buying bigger things so that she could grow into them). But today, like I said, mommy went a little buck wild. You would too if you only saw the fantastic sales going on. Everything was either 50% or 70% off. Her jeans were the most expensive items I bought (2 for $28) but all other items were in the $5-7 range. My favorite items? Those pajamas in the picture. These 4 2-piece pajama sets were on sale for 70% off! Sale price for each: $5.40! Aren’t they fabulous?! I’m so excited for her to sleep in them *cackle*. I am totally gushing over pajamas, YES!

I got a lot of stuff for Van and a few for Liv’s little girl as well. Yup, I’ve become their little personal shopper :D. And I don’t mind at all because I know how expensive Carters clothing is in Manila. I remember buying a Carters denim dress for Erynne at SM department store when she was about 3 months old — freaking 1500 pesos! And one of the cute dresses I just bought for Van today was about 552 pesos (when converted). Can you imagine? Buying 1 Carters onesie at SM department store is more expensive than the 5-pack onesies I got for $11 (yes, 50% off, thank you very much). Liv says I should make a business of this. I should! We’ll see.

Love, love, LOVE that little store. And it’s great that the quality of their clothes are excellent. I counted over 3 dozen onesies (ei, she was spoiled — the first apo, what do you expect?) when I packed Erynne’s little clothes into a storage box. After tons of washing, they remained soft as ever. You can really rely on Carters to last and last and last… kinda like the Energizer bunny.

Can’t wait to go back!

A Few Notches..

down.

I didn't get to watch the full airing of this year's Miss Universe. Mainly because I forgot about it (even though I had made a mental note to watch it as I did get the reminder from Jean's blog). Good thing there's youtube.com, where I was able to get snippets here and there of the parts that I missed.

2 things I look forward to with Miss Universe. The Q & A portion. And the final announcement of the new Miss Universe. I guess they didn't have the Q & A portion this year, or did they? I haven't seen anything on youtube.com with regards to the Q & A so I'm going to assume it wasn't a part of this year's show. How lame! So what do they base it on? Just beauty and legs (well, the other parts too)? Never mind that they're pretty, can they talk well? Let me hear some of your world views, please.

The final announcement. Now I don't know if I just happened to catch a flawed version of the final announcement but Mario Lopez and Vanessa Minillo did not do me justice at the end. If I recall, they just spit out the winner like some kind of drive thru order! No suspense at all! My god. Where was Dick Clark??? (He has hosted before, hasn't he? I swear he has..). Hell, I'd bet Donald Trump would have done a better job. It just seemed too quick at the end.. like the 2 hosts were almost too eager to get home or something (Vanessa more so). Haay. So in a way, I'm glad I didn't watch the full show cuz I can't imagine how bad Mario and Vanessa were. What happened to that Sheer Coverage lady?! Or say, that hot Venezuelan beauty slash volleyball player chick? Get Stone Philips up there, why don't you!

Something's just not right with Miss Universe. It's gone down a few notches. What is going on, Donald? Even the choice of songs... um, who chose them? Your wife?

Til next year.

Spoiled.

I never realized how great of an invention the dishwasher really was — until I started using ours about 3 weeks ago. I’ve always been the type to wash everything by hand cuz well, that’s what my mom did and I think I actually enjoyed washing dishes by hand. I’d heard about this claim by Consumer Reports years ago that using the dishwasher saves you more money. I never believed it (how?) and I didn’t see how that could be possible what with all that water that’s swishing around. So finally, at my old age, I decided to give it a try and see if we really could save a little more money (or if it comes out the same) if I consistently used the dishwasher once a day for one whole month.

Until it stopped working on me 2 weeks into my little “experiment.” Yes, it stopped and all I was getting was this green light blinking on the “Clean” stage. I was devastated like you would not believe! I’d gotten so used to the luxury of not having to waste time over the sink (spoiled is the word!) and then it stops working on me, just like that. Imagine, only after 2 weeks of using the dishwasher, the affect it had on me was amazing — to the point where the idea of having to do dishes by hand was absurd. I WAS LIVID! (But ei, don’t think I’d never seen one before my little experiment hahaha! We’d always had one growing up but it’d just sit in our kitchen like some kind of Iladro decoration).

But I’m a happy girl now because my dishwasher just got fixed this morning. Yep, with the push of 2 buttons. Now why couldn’t I have figured that out myself? I feel like all the planets are aligned correctly and life can go on being happy. And yes, notice I said “my” dishwasher. I love that thing like it’s nobody’s business.

Ahhhh, it’s so good to have you back dishwasher. I MISSED YOU IT HURT!

What ifs?

Jane got me thinking of what ifs today.

I don’t like to think I have any regrets in life. I’ve always believed everything that happens in life brings you closer to where you ought to be.. or where you’re meant to go. But even still, sometimes a moment will remind me of something really dear to me and I’ll get this tiny stab in my heart and well, my mind drifts to what could have been.

No, I am not talking about some past lover.

Playing the piano. I’ve never mentioned this before but I used to play the piano in my past life. I loved it more than books and short stories. It was the one thing in the world where I could escape and I was (brace yourself for the corniness that lies ahead) one with the music.. the chords.. the melody.. the climax.. the everything. Just thinking about it now almost puts me in an emotional state. I remember just today, while driving, hearing a piano version of “It Might Be You.” My heart hurt and once again, I was reminded of my past life where I could escape to the one place that no one else could be a part of with me — the piano. It pains me even more, presently, when I run my fingers across the keys and my fingers have no reaction — almost as if they’ve reached foreign land. Imagine that feeling — something you lived for, in every moment you were in it/there with it 100%, the way a glove fits your hand and then… when you seek some sort of affirmation that there’s still a connection and sadly, there ends up being none, imagine that. Hubby tells me I could always go back to it but no, he doesn’t understand. It would be so hard to go back to the piano. My fingers don’t sway with the keys like they once did in the past. My eyes don’t see the notes as clearly as before. It is all so foreign to me. I don’t feel the connection at all.

And so my piano just sits. In our living room. And it is the same piano from when I started at 3 or 4 years old. I told my mom she could will everything to my sister so long as I got my piano. It was shipped from Alaska to California. Corny, I told you.

It’s even cornier when I say I miss performing for a crowd. I miss recitals, I miss choosing a piece and presenting it in a version that becomes my own. It’s a special thing when you’re up on stage. The greatest high, especially when the journey is done, and you realize you have a crowd in front of you (with their loud applause) and you’re wondering where the hell they came from — only to be reminded that they were there with you all along. And it’s an even greater high when you perform something you’ve put your soul into and when you look into the crowd for some sort of confirmation they understood your meaning, they’re standing for you. Life doesn’t get any sweeter than that. I could live on stage and in those moments forever.

I am a coward. A coward because I choose not to chase my dream and see where being a pianist might have brought me. A coward because I didn’t stand up for the one thing that was special to me. And an even bigger asshole for ending my relationship with the piano over something so entirely stupid, immature and just plain dumb.

Again, like I said, hubby says I could always go back to playing again. I don’t agree. I’ve lost so much along the way. Let me be a coward and take my pride instead. Besides, I’m only human — and we all must have at least one ‘what if’ in life.

The Wonderful Weekend That Was.

I had so much fun this weekend. Yes, even if we didn’t go out of town. My cousin A called me on Friday morning and told me she was flying in with her cousins for the weekend. It was a spur of the moment trip (those are the best kinds!) and one I’m glad they took cuz it was so good to see them!

Friday
After E got off from work, we went out to dinner with my mom. As usual, we went to my mom’s favorite Asian buffet in Belmont. I swear she can’t ever seem to get enough of that place. And it’s not like it’s out-of-this-world good hahaha. After a late dinner, my mom was still in fighting spirits so we headed off to our local Hillsdale mall. There were some good sales already going on; I didn’t walk out with anything but my mom got a pair of slacks and a silk blouse and another blouse for under $80. Not bad at all, considering her slacks (had she bought it at full price) was already $79.99. A and her cousins overnighted in San Jose as they were going to go clubbing… something E and I are too old for.

Saturday
We headed off to Gilroy for the whole day. Great sidewalk sale! Sadly, we didn’t really drive out of there with much, except for those Rockport boots I posted the other day. I was definitely in the mood to shop but we didn’t hit all the stores. It was really warm that day; maybe that was why. During lunch at this Chinese resto in Gilroy (yummy Mongolian beef!), I finally got the period that I’d been waiting for (I swear I was more than a week delayed!). To think E and I do want to get pregnant, but when the idea almost came true, I think there was some panic hahaha. I was so happy I wanted to scream, LOL.

Meanwhile, A and her cousins spent the day in downtown SF. We were supposed to meet up but we just didn’t get around to that side of town. Looking at their pictures, they looked like they had so much fun. I was so excited for them — almost nostalgic — for the mere fact that here they were, young, free and single on a spur-of-the-moment trip, having great fun in the city. Just brought back memories of the days I was doing the same things. Not that I’m complaining about where I am now.

We ended the night with dinner at Popeye’s. My mom (us included, I’ll admit) absolutely lives for their fried chicken. It totally reminds me of the fried chicken you can find in the Philippines. It’s that yum. The best chicken ever. Even KFC has nothing over Popeye’s.

A and her cousins were set to go clubbing once again — she kept on insisting E and I “would have the best time ever.” Crazy girl, we’re such old farts, what business would we have at a club? I cannot even imagine such an idea at this point of my life. Besides, I’d be too preoccupied with Erynne on my mind. And the idea of loud music and smoke — forget it. I’d rather sleep or have sex.

Sunday
We headed into the city. Parked at Bloomingdale’s (Westfield) and my mom ended up buying a Louis Vuitton bag. I was tempted but I was a good girl and didn’t give in. We had lunch with A and her cousin, who also brought along a friend who lives in Lower Nob Hill. Came to learn their friend (who’s also originally from the same town we’re from in Alaska) is an assistant to a buyer for Margaret O’Leary. How cool is that? Totally reminded me of “The Devil Wears Prada.” Apparently, the friend went to design school right in the city and gets all these wonderful freebie clothes in their boutique. HOW FUN! Haaay, to be 22, young, in the city and doing what you love (clothes!) — can’t get any better than that. Did some more window-shopping within the mall (it was too cold outside!) while the girls watched a movie at the Metreon. Their movie wasn’t over yet by the time we were done at the mall so we headed home. Besides, I wanted to drive back into the city without Erynne so E and I could have a proper dinner with the girls without any interruption. When we got to Lower Nob Hill, I was so fascinated with the fact that people actually use the trollies for real transportation *laugh*. I totally thought the trollies were for tourists only! Hahahaha. Imagine my surprise when I saw people lining up for the trollies near their friend’s apartment — there I discovered trollies were used as a means of transportation even for the locals. It was a total DUH moment. I don’t know what happened but I’m suddenly so in awe of the city now, to the point where I want to experience living there. But the city is no place for a family (at least that’s what I believe). I can’t imagine Erynne walking out of the door and the first thing she sees is the street, instead of say, a lawn and flowers.

Dinner actually ended up being in San Mateo at this yummy Chinese resto we always go to — Golden Wok. It’s practically right down our street and the owners know us because of Erynne. They absolutely love her, so much so that they like to take her and walk her around the resto and give her all sorts of candies and cookies. Erynne literally lights up their world. So when we walked in without the little girl, first thing out of their mouths were, “Where’s Erynne?!” Can a mommy and daddy have a break please? As usual, meal was yummy to the max. However, I was already missing Erynne.

Monday
The girls couldn’t extend their trip so E had to drop them off at the airport around 4am. Love, love my husband for always doing wonderful things like that for me :). And he even let me sleep in past 9am while he tended to Erynne. And who was the one that had to get up at 4 in the morning?! Awww. I decided hubby deserved a date so we ran off to the movies for the 10:45am showing of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Mother effers, they were already sold out! And there I was sitting in the car, telling him there was no way people would be at the theaters so early in the morning. YEAH RIGHT! Drove around for less than an hour to wait for the next showing — bad move. We somehow found ourselves still late and by the time we went to grab our seats, everyone and their mama’s ten brothers and sisters were there! I couldn’t believe it — all this for Johnny Depp!???? So guess where we finally ended up sitting? Now remember we were in the 4th row for Spiderman. Ha! The screen was right in front of us — we were 2nd row to the very front. Sus ginoo! We were a little bitter in the beginning but we enjoyed the movie so much, we didn’t notice the proximity of the screen… and our stiff necks hahahaha. E claims I’ve seen “Pirates 1″ and that together, we watched “Pirates 2.” Now this is quite scary because I can’t seem to remember either one. Isn’t that weird? Could childbirth and all that anaesthesia really take away so much of my memory? Honest, I can remember details from when I was 3 years old but for the life of me, I can’t remember any of the past “Pirates” movies.

After the movie, we headed back to the city. This time, for Gucci. My mom wanted to buy another bag. Holy cow lady! We didn’t mind as the weather was just gorgeous everywhere. Perfect for a nice stroll through Union Square. Gucci was packed with people. Erynne, I swear, was the loudest person there. She was singing and talking her lungs out without a care in the world — and if you’ve been inside of Gucci at Union Square, you’ll know how small it really is. After some time, my mom found the bag she wanted and though I saw some really cute messenger bags, something was telling me I should go back and get the LV Speedy 30 bag. I just had trouble justifying why I’d need an LV bag. What, to stuff more diapers in? On the walk out of Gucci, the old man who was acting as a guard told me Erynne was one articulate girl, saying she was going to be someone brilliant someday — perhaps even the 1st woman President of the United States (can’t, she wasn’t born on US soil). But that was a new one, I thought. People have come up to us before and said Erynne was the next American Idol. And our tax preparer asked us if Erynne was employed. Excuse me??? Apparently, she thought Erynne was some kind of baby model and wanted to make sure we were giving the correct income amount for our household. Umm, o…….k, thanks but no, she’s just our daughter.

Somehow, I found myself back in Bloomingdale’s LV store. Hubby said I never got a proper Mother’s Day gift. So it was either a new digital camera or a bag. Now who’s going to refuse a free LV bag? 10 minutes later, I walked out with a new bag. Hmm, a new bag to put more of Erynne’s junk. LOL.

Love, loved this weekend. I may have only gotten a pair of boots and a bag, but I had an absolute blast.

Bargain Boots.

Got these at Rockport. I’m not the Rockport type of girl but these were too cute to pass up at $19.99. From $90 to $39.99 and then, $19.99! It was a toss up between these and another pair that were a little more equestrian/J. Crew-ish in look. But I choose these instead (well, it was $20 bucks cheaper too) cuz they kinda remind me of J. Jill clothing in the fall. The question now, when would I ever use these boots? My guess is sometime in the fall — Seattle, Alaska? — or when it gets really cold here (but when’s that? It’s nothing but sun over here!).

These boots will be on the shelves for a while but I don’t mind. I’ll pull them out one of these days. I hope.

My Visual DNA.

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No Vacation For Us.

Sigh.

Sigh.

Sigh.

We aren’t going to Seattle as planned.

Grrr.

I am itching down to the bullies to get the heck out of here this Memorial Day weekend. Why aren’t we going anywhere? Because Eric balked at the budget I had set for our 4-day getaway to Seattle. I mean, come on. I go on vacation to splurge and do the whole nice-luxurious-bed-and-sheets-type-of-hotel — not to stay in some skanky old motel or hotel! Whether I’m in a hotel for only 7 hours or 4 days, I will allot most of my budget towards pretty lodging when on vacation. I’ll eat crap but I must, must, must stay in a beautiful hotel. No ifs and/or buts about it. That’s how I travel. And it’s Memorial Day weekend. Are places supposed to be cheap? No!

I’m ranting, I know.. and wasn’t I the one who said we’re trying to save and pay off all our plastic? So there might be some good to not leaving this weekend, sure. But still. What about a 4-hour drive to Santa Barbara and stay in a nice, quaint bed & breakfast near the beach? Something! But remember what I said about planning spontaneously like that? My man would not be very happy. In fact, I even suggested we overnight in the city in “a pretty hotel” and pretend we’re tourists. I gave him a price and even though he was calm and collected, I could tell his eyes were ready to pop out of his mouth. Did he not get the memo that his wife loves, loves, loves beautiful hotels? Let me answer that question for you: Yes, many a times. LOL.

One thing’s for sure. Labor Day weekend falls on my birthday and there is no way in hell we are NOT going to New York City (yes, even for only a 3-day weekend) to watch those damn Broadway shows I hope won’t bore the hell out of me. I’m curious to see what the hype is with Lea Salonga. That and we’ll hopefully be able to book our first timeshare rental right in the middle of New York (and yes, it is a pretty hotel!). It sounds shallow, but hotels make or break any vacation (of mine). What can I do? I’m maarts like that.

It’s only Friday. Where to go, where to go…