Catching Up.

Today I received an email from an old friend. It was really nice being able to catch up on each others' lives.

I realize it's been a really long time since I last posted anything here. I don't really know if there's one thing that kept me from writing. It's more like a combination of things... work, the summer, laziness, lack of creativity...lol ewan ko ba, it seems like whenever I attempt to post, my mind goes somewhere else or I get caught up doing other things and I just never get back to it. So ayun, lack of posting for months is what resulted. So here it goes..

Sad to say, I've totally slacked off on reading as well. My parents lent me two books which they said they enjoyed reading and thought that I might enjoy them too. The books are currently lying on top of my dresser, untouched. Everyday, while I am getting dressed, I look at them and I tell myself, "Today I will start reading..." and then I go to work and come home and forget about it. Instead, I sit in front of my laptop and play games or watch TV. Really sad, isn't it? I've become one of those people consumed by their love of games.. not that anything's wrong with it. I just feel like I should probably be more balanced about my activities.. with no particular activity dominating all others to a point where I'm always doing just one thing. Sayang naman kasi ang brain cells ko. I think it's better for me to expose myself to other, more fruitful hobbies.

The summer is almost over. Meh! I always feel somewhat forlorn going into the fall and winter seasons. It just seems like a really long time until it's summer again. This summer, though, was extremely hot. We've been having temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and with the humidity, it feels even warmer. There were days when I just felt like sitting in the car all day where there's air conditioning. We don't have AC at home so it's been really uncomfortable with the extreme heat. Perhaps you're wondering why we don't have AC... we tried to buy a few units... but they didn't fit our windows so we had to return them. And so here we are.. stuck with our fans for now. We have AC at work but our CEO likes to keep it cooler than what's comfortable. It always feels like we're in the freezer. I've had to bring a scarf or a sweater with me at times just so I don't freeze at my desk. It makes it difficult deciding what to wear to work because it's very hot outside but it's extremely cold in the office.

This summer has also been a busy one for us - socially. We went jet boating at Niagara Falls, water rafting at the Ottawa River and went to Long Point Beach a few times. We also went to some picnics, BBQs, festivals and played tennis and beach volleyball. I'm not particularly good at sports but thankfully, my friends are patient enough to just let me play and enjoy myself. Steve always says, "it's not about winning, it's about having fun".

Work has been hectic, to my surprise. I usually find the summer months quiet with the exception of this year. It seemed like I had a mountain of work in front of me and I was climbing it slowly while pushing a wheel barrel. Not only was I training a lot, but an important member of our team had decided to leave the company and I had no choice but to take over her responsibilities. I'm just glad that most of the big work load's done and I can move on to other tasks. I've been so tired that there were days when I felt like no matter how much sleep I got, I was just as exhausted the next day. I literally felt like I needed to just do nothing but sleep for a week.

Steve and I were invited to two baby showers this past weekend..both on the same day. I gotta tell you, of all the days to have a baby shower, I don't know why they both had to be on the same day. As usual we found ourselves running around like maniacs, getting ready for both showers, picking up presents and preparing dishes and driving to and from places. We were already exhausted before we even arrived to the first shower. I don't know how we survived both on such little sleep. Although we were both beat, I have to say that we did enjoy them. Coincidentally, aside from the fact that they were on the same day, they were also both co-ed showers and were designed more to be BBQs. So Steve got to go with me to both. I don't know if he was necessarily thrilled about it but he went anyway. It was kinda funny how he discreetly excused himself from the room when it was time to open the presents. He casually sneaks out and heads over to the backyard to hang out with all the other husbands. I, on the other hand, look forward to this part of the shower. I love watching new mothers and mothers-to-be open each beautifully wrapped present to find out what cute little thing is waiting inside.

Let's hope the temperature's ease up soon... as I sit here typing, I'm practically melting.

Out of Shape

Gah! How come some people are just so darn photogenic?! I spend hours and hours pouring over all of their pictures because I can't get over how good they look regardless of where they are and what goofy expression they're wearing on their faces. Some people are just effortlessly good-looking and the fact that it shows on their photos just kills me. I know it's not good to be stinkin' jealous but I can't help it! Ang daya naman kasi! I always look weird in my pictures...make-up or no make-up! Others can have their photo taken as soon as they get out of bed and they'd still look really good.

While having dinner with my family last Sunday, JR said, "wow ate, ang dami atang food sa plate mo ah! mauubos mo ba yan?" I looked at the food on my plate and I was surprised because I thought I was being conservative with the amount I put. Apparently I used to eat so much less than what I eat now. That, I think, proves that I'm consuming so much more than I used to. That would explain the extra meat in my middle area. I really need to start watching what I eat and I really need to start learning to exercise. Kulang lang talaga ako sa discipline. Puro reklamo, wala naman akong ginagawa to reverse it.

I admire those people I see jogging on our street early in the morning even when it's really cold outside. It's like they don't feel the bitter cold at all! If it were me, I'd be frozen like a popsicle stick. In fact, the moment I step out the door and feel the cold air, I'd probably walk right back in. Steve always teases me because I don't own a proper pair of running shoes. He says all my shoes are made for matching my clothes but none are good enough for participating in sport or any form of exercise. He says all you need to do is take one look at the pairs of shoes I own and you can pretty much tell I don't exercise... at all. I told him I don't need shoes to go on the Wii Fit anyway.

But I think this time, I really am going to try getting some exercise. I seriously am considering buying a pair of running shoes and I'm thinking of running around our neighborhood during the spring or the summer when the temperature outside is mild. If that doesn't work, I can always use the running shoes and try playing tennis or maybe enrolling in a gym. It would be a lot easier if we lived in a condo that has a gym... that way I don't have to go out. It would be so convenient. We have a gym at work but it's really small and our CEO likes to use it and he doesn't like to share. Plus, it's tough having to go to work early to work out and then staying late at the office to work out. There's just something about being at the office that makes everything seem like such an ordeal. Even when I'm not working, if I'm in the office, it still feels like work. It seems to suck the fun out of exercising. I think that it would feel a bit different if I were in an actual gym where they offer dance classes as well. I think it would give me a different perspective and I can actually enjoy it. Of course, this is all in my head and the reality maybe different than what I perceive it to be. Who knows, maybe the moment I step into a real gym and try it out, I might hate it. Ewan...

I don't want to be stick thin.. but I want to be fit and healthy.

The 2010 Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics held in Vancouver is finally over. Now we can go back to watching our normal TV shows. The only thing is, in some small way, I kinda miss watching the different events. I've never followed the Winter Olympics before so most of the events I've seen were new to me. I used to belittle the Winter Olympics saying that it's not like the Summer Olympics - the real Olympics. But now I realize that the Winter Olympics is no small feat. I am very impressed with the skill that these athletes showed and I'm even more amazed at the type of sports involved like the ski jump and the mogul. I mean, who thinks to themselves to go down a hill at a speed of about 140 kilometers per hour and then fly through the air and then land on their feet?! How do you even learn to do that?! How many falls and bad crashes must one undergo to get to that level? Who invented these extreme sports?!

Although I really shouldn't be very nationalistic, I couldn't help but feel proud for Canada to have won the most amount of Gold medals compared to any country in the world during the Winter Olympics. I think that the Canadian peopel cheering on their athletes really helped push them to do their best and encouraged them to go for gold. I really think that teams that play in their hometown and end up winning is proof that positive encouragement does wonders for people.

The hockey game finals for gold between Canada and the US last Sunday was very intense. Steve and I went over to my parents place to watch it with my family. To say that we were on the edge of our seats is an understatement. With 24 seconds to go, team USA scored their second goal which tied the game. The last thing any Canadian wanted was for the game to go on overtime. We just wanted to win period. Believe it or not, somewhere along the game, I had begun to doze off. I hadn't had enough sleep and my parents' couch is just so darn comfy that I couldn't help closing my eyes despite the loud yelling and cheering. When Sidney Crosby scored the goal that landed us the gold, my entire family yelled at the top of their lungs (which woke me up) and when I opened my eyes, all I could see is my mom, my two brothers and Steve in a group hug jumping up and down in our living room while yelling at the same time. It was super funny! It really was a sight to behold.

I heard that Quebec is bidding to host the Winter Olympics in 2022. I would be close to my 40s by then! But if they do, it would be cool because it's only a 5-hour drive from Toronto so we have a shot at going and seeing the games.

Tidbits

While taking an afternoon nap today, I dreamt I had gone home to the Philippines and was in the car, driving through the neighborhood I grew up in. Although brief, it was such a nice dream. It made me miss home all the more so.

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Steve and I have been following the winter olympics on TV all weekend and I never thought I'd enjoy watching the diffirent events but I found myself cheering on the Canadian athletes. I have to say I'm quite impressed with their skill and I can't help but marvel at the speed these athletes go with their snowboards, skis and skates. Nakakatakot talaga!

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I`ve been so lazy all weekend. I planned on doing some house cleaning but I didn`t accomplish any of my chores. All I wanted to do was chill and sleep. It was nice being able to see my family as well. My mum made tacos for dinner which was absolutely delicious. Tacos and me - we`re good together.

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I find myself tearing up so quickly these days. I cried when I saw the new Tim Horton`s commercial, cried when I was hearing the stories of some of the olympic athletes, and cried while watching a dvd. Goodness, I`m so emotional! Nakakahiya but I can`t help it!

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Steve and I went to the mall on Friday and Saturday evening. I got him a new suit, a dress shirt and a tie as gifts. It was so tempting to just go out and spend money since there were a lot of really good sales. But I held back (with Steve`s help of course!) and for the most part, stayed close to my budget.

Why is it so hard not to shop!!

For My Husband.

This is not our favorite song
But the night's moving right along
May I have your hand, may I have this dance?

I sense that you are amused
But you just bought those brand new shoes
It would such a shame, not to give us the chance

And oh, my love
There is only so many dances
We can take across the night
So while it's just me and you
I thought I might say to you
You put the beautiful in life

I know at times that you feel alone
When I'm here and I'm never home
You said it before, it's the price that you pay

On matters of clarity
It's no secret you carry me
But you disguise thoughts of fall, I will keep you safe

And oh, my love
There's only so many dances
We can take across the night
So while it's just me and you
I thought I might say to you
You put the beautiful in life

And oh, this is not our favorite song
But I wish it go on and on
It's moments like these singers do all they can to stop time

So let me just say to you
Before the DJ changes the tune
You put the beautiful in life
You put the beautiful in life

This Dance
- Five For Fighting

Home-cooked Adobo and Other Things

Steve made chicken adobo for the first time last night and I was really impressed with how good it turned out to be. I've been bugging him to cook some Filipino dishes and so he finally relented. We decided to use a recipe in an Asian cookbook that my cousin had given to us as a wedding gift. I told him I wanted to see if the recipe was any good so that way we know if the cookbook is any good. I told him that if it turned out to be a disaster, we can always use my mom's recipe next time we make it.

I was curious if it was going to taste differently since we used a different brand of vinegar and soy sauce (I'm used to Datu Puti and Silver Swan - lol). We also decided to use only ground pepper instead peppercorns (I dont' really know if that was going to make a difference - as you can probably tell, I can't cook so everything is foreign to me). But alas, it tasted just as good. Steve liked it a lot and he kept saying it was super tasty. I think we will add it to our weeknight dinner rotation.

I should have taken a picture of it but I forgot! It would have been nice to post the end product.

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While listening to my iPod, Lea Salonga's song, "Two Words" came on and I can't help but reminisce about the time we were planning our wedding. I considered walking down the aisle to it at one point. I just love the lyrics and how well she sings it.

In a while, in a word,
Every moment now returns.
For a while, seen or heard,
How each memory softly burns.
Facing you who brings me new tomorrows,
I thank God for yesterdays,
How they led me to this very hour,
How they led me to this place...

Every touch, every smile,
You have given me in care.
Keep in heart, always I'll,
Now be treasuring everywhere.
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I hold this moment true?
No trace of sadness,
Always with gladness...
'I DO...'

Now a song that speaks of now and ever,
Beckons me to someone new,
Unexpected, unexplored, unseen,
Filled with promise coming through.

In a while, in a word,
You and I forever change,
Love so clear, never blurred,
Has me feeling wondrous, strange,
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I face each moment true?
No trace of sadness, always with gladness,
'I DO...'

Never with sadness...
Always with gladness...
'I...DO....'

I eventually decided to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon in D because I felt it was more appropriate for our setting.

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I miss watching music videos. Yesterday morning I heard on the radio that MTV will no longer be called Music Television and it will just be known as simply MTV. They said that it probably meant that MTV will no longer be playing music videos and will instead stick to their other programs and reality shows. That SUCKS! I don't know how others feel about this but I, for one, will be sad. When I was still living in the Philippines, I remember watching music videos all the time! Now we'll have to rely mostly on YouTube.

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I love love love watching Modern Family. OMG it's hilarious! I know some people will disagree with me on this but I actually like it more than the Office (please don't hit me! lol). I don't know, maybe I just haven't watched enough episodes of the Office to really like it? It's not to say I hate the Office... Basta, I like Modern Family more.

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I realize that having a shopping budget prevents me from buying impulsively. Now, before I buy something, I really think about it. I consider how much the item is, if I really need/want it or if I can do without it. Knowing that I only have so much money to spend, I hesitate on spending it right away. Ngayon, if I see something I like in a store, I look around other stores first and if at the end of the day I still want it, then I come back for it. That's how I know I really want it. But if after walking around for a bit, I forget about the item, then that means I didn't really want it that bad. I figured, if it wasn't memorable to begin with, then it's probably not worth spending the money on it.

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It's so nice and sunny outside! Although it's still very cold, it's nice to atleast be able to look out the window and get some sunshine. The last thing we need during the winter months is really cloudy weather. It just makes everyone feel gloomy.

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I borrowed the Wii from my family and I am considering using the Wii Fit again. It's been a really long time since I last used it. I bet when I turn it on, it's going to scold me and tell me I've been very lazy. Better late than never, right?

Holidays in Virginia

I spent the last few months looking forward to our trip to Virginia and I can’t believe it’s all over now. Ang bilis talaga lumipas ng panahon.

The drive to and from Virginia took 12 hours and I managed to stay awake during the entire drive there but I slept during the drive back. We were worried because our car hasn’t been running well lately and we didn’t know if the car would make it. We held our breaths as we drove through the Appalachian Mountains. Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere would have been catastrophic. Thankfully, the car survived the drive and we didn’t experience any car trouble during the entire trip. We even made it back to Toronto just fine and dandy.

It was nice being able to see my relatives again. It’s been a while since we’ve had a big family reunion like it. Although we still weren’t complete (we were missing one family and my dad wasn’t able to come because he had to work), it was still just as enjoyable. I finally got to meet my nephew – Aiden (who’s over a year old) and my new niece – Jacqueline (who’s about 6 months old). I’ve only seen them in pictures and I was really excited to meet them. I was also happy to see my other nephews (Chris and Cjem) and my niece (Charis) who I haven’t seen since May of 2008 (or was it 2007?). I always have to remind myself that Alicia (who is 2 years old) is my cousin and not my niece. It never fails to surprise me to see how fast they’re growing. I swear they grow an inch by the minute. The last time I saw Alicia, she had already started talking but she was so shy that she’d burst into tears whenever someone looked at her. But when we walked in the door at my aunt’s house in Virginia the night we arrived, the first person to greet us was cute, little Alicia with her squeaky little voice. A very high-pitched “Hi Tita” and “Hi Tito”. I couldn’t believe how tall she’s grown and how social she is now. She’s still a bit shy but she’s very cheerful, very friendly and very polite. I can go on and on and on about how adorable the little ones are! Aiden’s charming smile, Jacqueline’s chubby cheeks... so cute!

While we were there, we visited the Smithsonian museums (the Natural History and National Air and Space Museums – both located in Washington DC which was about 20 to 30 minutes away from where my relatives lived). We were quite impressed with the museums... all very big and free! Yup, no admission fees (which was awesome by the way)! I went shopping with my cousins a few times while Steve and my brothers visited the different monuments in Washington DC like the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, etc.

We played a board game one evening which was total chaos because we were all laughing so hard and it was really fun because our aunts and uncles joined the game too. We played a bit of Scrabble too so our lola can join (the other game was too fast and chaotic for her). It was quite cute watching everyone play and just have fun. The entire clan seems to enjoy playing board games. As far as I can remember, we’ve always either played cards or a board game whenever we’d get together for reunions or birthdays or holidays in the Philippines. It was always either a game or watching the Sound of Music. Hahaha

I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad going back to Toronto. Sure I missed home and my routine but it was nice being able to spend time with my relatives. I can’t help but envy how close they live to each other (generally between 15 to 30 minutes apart). They can easily come over to each other’s houses for lunch or dinner or they can meet up and go shopping together if they wanted to.

The trip was a bit exhausting because we slept at 2 am and woke up at 6 am almost every morning the entire time we were there... but I have to say, it was all worth it. I would go back and visit again in a heart beat.

Hey new Dell! Welcome!

My new laptop finally arrived last Friday! Yay!

I must say I love Windows 7 so far. Certainly better than Vista in my opinion! I don’t really know it well enough yet but I like what I see and the little new features that are available. My laptop is a 15.6 widescreen and I ordered it in Cherry Red (which I adore by the way). I would have purchased a better laptop (maybe a Mac or a Sony Vaio) but since the laptop got stolen unexpectedly and we weren’t really planning on buying a new one so soon (wasn’t in our budget), we decided to go with a Dell which is relatively more affordable compared to the other brands. I know most people would cringe (“What?! A Dell??”) but it really is good enough for what I use it for. I don’t really do any sort of programming on it (unless you call changing my blog layout “programming” and neither do I do anything considered to be “heavy” on the machine).

I was pretty thrilled that it was delivered so shortly after we made the order. It would have sucked if we had to wait several weeks for it to arrive. I love having a laptop and since Steve and I both use the computer at night, it really is convenient having 2 computers at home.

Now all I have to do is to make sure I get all my programs installed and find the files I lost. I’ve already asked my dad for a copy of the wedding photos he took with his camera. It’s a good thing he has a back up of some of my files from my former laptop (he reformatted it about a year ago so he made a backup of it then) and so I can just hopefully put it all back in the new one. I am a bit worried though about the songs I purchased through iTunes because aside from my iPod, I don’t really have a backup for it. My brother has a CD that lets me rip songs from the iPod back to a computer but when I spoke to him last night, he said he ran an update for it and now he can’t get it to work. I am hoping we’ll be able to figure out a solution because I would hate to not be able to get the songs out of my iPod and re-purchasing all those songs is just not an option for me.

I wonder what the thieves did to my former laptop. Did they sell it already? If they did, to who? How much did they sell it for? What did they do to my files? They probably deleted all the files and just reformatted the computer but I wonder if they looked at them first before getting rid of it. Don’t they realize that those files were important to me?! How do these people sleep at night (oh wait – it probably doesn’t bother them anymore... Mine was probably not the first laptop they’ve stolen and I’m sure they’re pros considering the manner they opened the car – swift and skilfully I imagine).

Although I am happy that I have new hardware, I still can’t help but feel sad for the one I lost. It had some nice features to it that I would miss, it had all my photos and important files and it was the first big purchase I ever made with my own hard-earned money.

But what can I do... there’s no point in crying over spilt milk.

New Moon - Yay!

As usual, the weekend flew by in a blur.

I finally saw New Moon on Friday night with a couple of girl friends. It was a girl’s night out at the movies while the guys spent their evening with chicken wings, beer and video games.

I personally liked New Moon better than the first movie. I guess having a new director and an increased movie budget helped. The special effects were great! Of course, I still think the books are 100 times better than the movies but I enjoyed watching it nonetheless.

There were some things I found frustrating in both the first and second movies like how exaggerated Edward’s make-up is. I know they’re supposed to be somewhat pale – being vampires and all – but I honestly think there’s too much powder on him (look at Jasper!). I also feel like they didn’t really do him justice in the movie… there’s so much more to him other than his good looks and I feel like they focus too much on the fact that he’s hot rather than his personality, the complex relationship he has with Bella and his internal conflict.

I liked how they developed Jacob’s character in the New Moon movie because you can see why Bella would have conflicted feelings for him and Edward. To be honest, when I was reading the books, I envisioned all the characters looking differently and Jacob wasn’t that hot in my imagination. Admittedly, he’s gorgeous in the movie and I can’t help but swoon when he finally appears on screen with short hair and a buff bod. Don’t worry, I didn’t squeal in the theatres like a schoolgirl although the tweens sitting in the row behind me were beside themselves with sheer delight (it was quite annoying – you’d think it was the first time they saw a hot dude on screen). Despite how loveable Jacob is in the movie, I am and will always be pro Edward.

I liked it when Bella says in the movie, “Please don’t make me choose… because it’s him. It’s always been him.”

Ahhh… I love love love this book!

Farmville Rocks.

I’ve been playing a game on Facebook called Farmville and I am totally addicted to it. It’s amazing how hooked I am to this game considering how boring it must seem to other people. It’s exactly my type of game and I could spend hours on it planting, harvesting and buying different things for my farm. My cousins were the ones who got me to play it and I’ve been playing so much that I’ve pretty much surpassed them in level. Steve says that these days when he finds me sitting in front of the computer, it’s always Farmville that’s on the screen. That and my hotmail. I’ve actually started playing some other farming games on Facebook like Farm Town and Li’l Farm Life but Farmville is still my primary focus and my favourite.

I was so excited this morning when I found out that Zynga (creators of Farmville) has just recently made the farm expansion to 22x22 available plus the ability to gift chicken coops which produce mystery eggs. I have been waiting for this farm expansion for the longest time and it’s finally here! I didn’t even bat an eyelash when I happily spent 250,000 coins for additional farm land. I was also happy to have received a chicken coop from some of my farm neighbours (thank you!). The only problem is, I’ve been experiencing a lot of connection issues with it and it’s really beginning to annoy me. I’ve been trying to send a chicken coop to my neighbours with no success whatsoever. I’ve also been trying to acquire a mystery egg and some fertilizer bonus and again to no avail.

I also found out from the forums (yes, I actually read this too) that apparently if you harvest flowers, there is a chance you might be able to purchase a garden shed. I haven’t been offered one but I definitely want it. It sucks that it’s not available for purchase at the market. I don’t know why they don’t just add it there so everyone can have one. Soooo annoying.

As you can see, I really am hooked on this game.

Tid Bits of the Day

It’s Monday morning and I’m sitting at my desk at work trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do. For some reason I feel lost today. I know I have a call at 11 am to try and resolve an issue a client is having. But other than that, I have no clue if I’m supposed to be doing QA or trying to do some research for my boss. I asked my manager if she needed me to do something for her but she said she doesn’t have anything that she specifically needs me to do so I am free to use my time with whatever projects I have on the go. This is one of the things I like about my job... I have the flexibility to use my time however I want as long as I am able to submit my deliverables.

I think I’m going to do QA today since it really is my primary responsibility right now.

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We had a bright, warm, sunny weekend which is rare for this time of the year. I spent my Saturday morning doing some chores around the house while Steve worked on an assignment for his CGA course. Then, we took my mother-in-law out for lunch at the Danforth. It would have been nice to be able to walk around for a little bit after lunch but we were rushing because we had dinner plans with a friend for 5.30 pm. So we practically had to scoot out of there right after eating.

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I’ve been meaning to clean our bathroom for several days now and I feel bad that I still haven’t done it. I hate having to procrastinate on chores. But I’ve been busy doing other things and by the time I actually have time left to do the bathroom, I’m always so tired. So I tell myself I’ll do it the following day and the same thing happens and I just keep prolonging it. It also doesn’t help that cleaning the bathroom is my least favourite chore to do. But I have to admit I always feel better after I’ve scrubbed it clean all around.

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I finally got my hair coloured and cut again! My gray hairs were beginning to be a distraction. Every time someone talks to me, it’s as if they are trying to figure out why I have so many gray hairs when I’m only 26 years old. They eventually say something like, “Wow, I didn’t realize you had so many gray hairs!” or “How come you have so many gray hairs? You’re so young!” which then prompts me to explain that it’s hereditary and that I’ve had it since I was fourteen. It really isn’t as bad as you think it is... most of my gray hairs are hidden but I still prefer to get my hair coloured every now and then. It’s also a good excuse to get it trimmed since I’m already at the salon. The only problem is, it gets a bit pricey especially since I have long hair.

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I want to go to Ikea.. we were there last week but we went an hour before closing so I didn’t really have enough time to look around and there were a few things I wanted to get. I enjoy shopping at furniture stores and I especially love cute and unique items that are affordable. It’s just finding the time to actually go around and having the money to be able to buy things... is the issue. Ahh money, where are you?

What's up.

We are back on Standard Time which makes it a 13-hour difference between Canada and the Philippines. I don’t know why but I always keep the time difference between Canada and the Philippines whenever we switch time zones. The Philippines seems to be my point of reference... always.

We were lucky last week because it was relatively warm. By saying relatively warm, I mean to say that the temperature stayed somewhere between 5 degrees and 10 degrees. I heard it will be cold again this week which means we’ll have to bundle up... which reminds me, I have to look for my gloves. I can’t remember where I put them (I think it’s somewhere in my dresser). I don’t particularly like wearing gloves unless I really need them but I like to keep them in my purse anyway just in case it gets cold enough for me to want to wear them.

Steve and I had a somewhat busy weekend. On Friday night, we went to Mississauga to check out the Homesense store located at the Heartland Centre. A co-worker gave as a Homesense gift card as a wedding gift and we haven’t used it since so we thought we’d go and see what they have. We’ve heard good things about it from some of our friends but when we checked it out, we weren’t too impressed. It felt like shopping at Winners. Piles and piles of random things that were neither nice nor unique. Maybe we just happened to go to a bad Homesense location. Sabi kasi nila, every location is different. There’s good ones and there’s bad ones. Maybe we went to a bad one. But we also checked out the Homesense store along the Queensway and we didn’t like that one either. Two bad stores in a row?? Parang unlikely.

Anyhow, we had dinner at an Indian restaurant with Steve’s cousin on Saturday night and the food was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! Just remembering how good everything was is making me salivate. I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food but I really like Indian food. Yummy yummy! My favourites include samosas and butter chicken. I also like the chicken biriyani and nan bread. The restaurant we went to is relatively new and I wish they had better signage in front so that more people will see it and more people will eat there and they won’t close. I hate it when we find a good place to eat and then they close after a few months because there’s not enough business.

I am back to my “let’s-furnish-the-apartment” mode. We already have the big items we needed to get and now we just need to paint and decorate the place a little bit to make it cozy. We’ve been concentrating on other priorities so we put it on hold for awhile but now I’m eager to get back to it. I always enjoy shopping for our place (come to think of it, I enjoy any type of shopping really). We’re trying to keep our spending within our budget (it’s super hard!) so we have to be careful with what we spend our money on. So far, I have been really bad with saving. Kawawa naman si Steve, lagi nalang siya ang nagbu-budget.

I received an email from a friend last week about the difference in symptoms between the cold and the H1N1 (swine) flu. I think I may have had the H1N1 and just didn’t know about it. My symptoms were very similar to what was in the email. But I’ve heard so many different things about it that I don’t really know for sure. I should have gone to the doctor and had myself checked when I was sick. Now I won’t know what I had. There’s such a huge demand for the flu shot and I’ve heard that a lot of the health centres have to put a limit on how many they can accept since there’s just an overwhelming demand for it. I’m a little wary about getting it since the swine flu vaccine is so new.

Edward's Perspective

I’ve been reading the Midnight Sun draft from Stephenie Meyer’s website again these past few days. Even though I’ve read it a few times before and even though I know the story inside and out, I still get hooked on it once I start reading the first few lines. I still feel disappointed that the draft stops at 264 pages and that Stephenie has decided to put it on hold indefinitely. I understand why she would be upset about the draft being leaked on the internet but I wouldn’t have even known about the leakage if she had not posted anything about it on her website together with the draft. So a draft was leaked... she did mention that there were several versions of the draft... but because there was no confirmation of which version is true and accurate and since it isn’t finished, she could have continued writing it and fans like me would still be waiting for the real thing to be published so we could eagerly get our hands on a copy and read it. Sometimes I even wonder why she bothered showing some people the draft to her book which led to the leak.

I loved reading the book from Isabella Swan's perspective but I would equally enjoy reading the entire story again from Edward's perspective. To learn the reasons behind his gestures and facial expressions. To gain more insight on his character. It would be nice too to look at Bella from his angle when you're not as privy to her thoughts.

I realize I’m being selfish about the whole thing. I’m just really disappointed that there is a huge possibility she might never finish writing it and hence, I will never get to read it. It just feels so unfair to be denied that privilege.

Nakakainis talaga!

I saw...

... this on Post Secret today:

-----Email Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 8:50 PM
Frank-
I am typing this to you at the library because I cannot afford a postcard and stamp. My family and I are living in a self-storage unit illegally. It's getting so cold at night. I want them to know I'm sorry, it's my fault, but I can't say it.

I couldn't help but feel sad knowing that there are people out there who don't even have the most basic necessities. It's so easy to take for granted the things we have and we often forget that there are others who don't even have food to eat, water to drink or have a house to sleep in.

Flu

I’m just at the tail-end of the flu and I was finally able to go to work today. It’s literally been a week and thank goodness it was the Thanksgiving weekend so we had the Monday off for the holiday. At least that didn’t count towards my sick days. The past few days had been filled with on-and-off fevers, headaches, soreness, coughing, a few tears and lots of Advil. I’ve consumed more Advil in the last week than I have altogether within the 5 years I’ve been in the country. It’s totally ridiculous.

I can’t remember the last time I had the cough. I always get the cold but very rarely do I actually get the cough. It’s been so long that I can’t even remember what it felt like until recently. I think having the cold is much better than having the cough. My throat and abs hurt from coughing too much. Even when I’m sleeping I wake up because I’m coughing. My poor Steve had to sleep through all that coughing. It’s funny though because every time I cough, he would wake up, look at me and then fall back to sleep. Half the time, he doesn’t even remember waking up.

Although it was nice having a valid excuse not to go to work, it got a bit boring staying at home all the time. I just want to feel normal again. Healthy and no coughing.

Paint

I saw The Proposal last night and I loved it! I heard it was good but I missed it at the theatres so I only saw it last night on DVD. I have a huge crush on Ryan Reynolds now.. dang he’s hot! Steve’s pretending he’s jealous which I find quite adorable.

We are thinking of painting our apartment starting with the living room. The problem is, we can’t seem to find the right paint color. About a month ago, we picked up a couple of paint samples so we can try them on a wall in our living room. We realized that neither of them looked good with our furniture so we decided to go paint-shopping a second time. This time, instead of just buying paint samples, we decided to just go ahead and buy 2 gallons of paint. BIG MISTAKE!! We painted a section of the wall with it and it was UGLY!! It doesn’t even look like the paint sample on the picture! We were sooo disappointed. So we’ve decided to put our “paint project” on-hold until we are ready to go paint-shopping again. I find it a bit challenging choosing paint because it looks different on the paint swatch and it’s different when you put it on the wall. Plus, lighting affects it a lot so you just don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I don’t know how other people do it! It seems so much easier for them than it is for me! I am amazed at how some people can just pick a color, go home, paint the walls and voila! It’s perfect.

I was toying around with the idea of hiring someone to paint our place but after checking out the paint services on the Home Depot website, I’m having second thoughts about even inquiring. It says on their website that you basically book an appointment for a consultant to come over, do an assessment of your place and then they give you suggestions on what needs to be done and then I’m assuming provide you with a quote after. The whole thing just sounds expensive so maybe that idea’s out the window. I was just hoping we could pick out the paint color and let the professionals do the job. But I was hoping the professionals would do it for an affordable rate.

I’d love to have some fresh paint on our walls to make the room cosier... it’s just a matter of actually getting the work done. It just sounds so tedious!

The Time Traveler's Wife

I finally saw the Time Traveller’s Wife two weeks ago with Steve and my sister-in-law. I thought it was great! Very well done and stayed close to the book. Obviously there were some scenes in the book that didn’t make it to the big screen but nothing that you’d miss. I loved the cast (I think Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana were awesome for their roles) and the chemistry was believable to me.

I often get disappointed with books turned into movies because I always feel like it’s not even half as good as the book itself. But I wasn’t disappointed with this one. I really, really enjoyed watching it. I even cried twice! I thought I’d be immune to it, knowing the story already and everything. But man, it was good.

I am going to buy the DVD when it comes out. It’s def going to be a part of my Sappy DVD collection.

A Few Updates.

Back to work after the Labor Day weekend and I’m playing catch-up with my Farmville and my blog-reading. I’ve been so pre-occupied with playing Farmville that I haven’t posted anything new here since. My cousins have been talking about it so much that I decided to try it out. That probably wasn’t such a good idea because now I’m hooked on it and I can’t stop playing the darn thing. It’s the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I go on before jumping into bed at night. It’s absolutely ridiculous but I find it so entertaining. My brothers tease me for playing games that are somewhat childish but it’s these simple games that I love the most.

Work’s beginning to pick up so I’ve had a few hectic work days. Nothing too crazy although I was pretty frazzled one morning last week. I had run out of patience and it was phone call after phone call after phone call. I really should be used to it by now but I was just out of it that morning.

Steve and I went to Naigara Falls for the long weekend with his cousins. We stayed at a hotel with a water park so his nieces and nephews could play in the water. Steve was just as excited as the kids were. It was quite adorable actually. He couldn’t wait to pack and go. We forgot to bring toothpaste in the process. It was a good trip... we spend our Sunday afternoon at the water park then had dinner at a restaurant close-by. The next day, we had breakfast near the falls then headed to Buffalo to do some shopping. I’ve never been across the border so it was a new experience. We didn’t go around much and only stayed in Buffalo for a few hours. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (food was great and the cheesecake was just FABulous!) and we are definitely coming back for more.

The long weekend turned out to be expensive but we both had fun. Shopping in Buffalo is definitely something we’d have to do again. I didn’t take a lot of pictures... there wasn’t much to see where we went.

I’m already counting the days till the next long weekend.

A Case of Verbal Diarrhea

I feel so sleepy and I have a training session starting in half an hour. I am not looking forward to it at all. I knew it was a bad idea to go out for gyros at 10:30 pm last night but it was a last minute invitation from a bunch of friends to celebrate one of the guy’s big mile stone. So even though Steve and I were already getting ready for bed when we got the phone call, we decided to go anyway. I didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before either so all I feel like doing right now is jumping into bed and just sleeping.

Our CEO and his wife just had a baby – their firstborn – so Steve and I decided to get them a present. I had just finished wrapping it the other night, complete with ribbons and all, when I realized that I had actually wrapped the card with the present. So dumb of me. The plan was to leave the gift on his desk but since stupid me decided to wrap the gift with the card inside, now I have to personally hand him the gift and explain that the card is wrapped inside. Ugh!! I can only imagine what he is going to think of it. I can’t even wrap a present properly.

I am considering having a physical check-up one of these days. I suspect that I have low blood because I keep getting bruises, I am always tired and I get dizzy really easily. Every time I mention these symptoms to anyone, the response I often get is the “are you pregnant?” inquiry. I know I’m not but people always give me that quizzical, are-you-hiding-something-from-me look. Like I would hide that kind of happy news! Crazy!

Being a newly-wed, I always get asked “how’s married life?” and I always reply with either “It’s good, pretty much the same as when we were dating except we see each other all the time..” or “It’s okay... it’s good.” Let me tell you, apparently replying with the latter is not good. I think the expected reply is “It’s GREAT! I LOVE being Married!” where you proceed to jump up and down gleefully and clap your hands like an excited little girl. Hehehehe! Just kidding. Seriously though, I don’t know what people expect to hear but when I say that being married is okay and that it’s good, they look like they’re expecting more. But in Filipino, when someone asks, “kamusta ka naman?” and you answer with “okay naman” it’s usually a good thing. I guess when using the same expression in English where your reply is a mere “okay”, it’s worrisome. Truth is, I love being married. Yes, there are things that didn’t change from when we were dating and there are things that are new and require some getting used to and there are things that are worse and things that are better. But that’s married life.

The other question I get asked often is whether I like kids and if we’re going to have some. I love kids and yes I would love to have some. Then before I can continue, someone will interrupt and say, “I think you should wait before having them.... it’s a lot of responsibility... wait till you are ready, are stable, when you no longer want to party,...” yada yada yada... it always annoys me... just because I said that I love kids and would love to have some doesn’t necessarily mean I’m trying to get pregnant now. Sometimes I think it’s a trick question you know? It’s like there’s no safe way of answering it without getting some form of lecture or advice. I think next time, I will begin by saying, “We’re waiting to have kids for now but yes I would love to have one when we are ready...” The funny thing is, I know that the closer I get to thirty, the more pressure we’ll be getting to have kids. I’m telling you, you’re either too young to have them or you’re getting too old and you should be thinking of trying to have one. It’s like when you’re engaged and you hear people saying you’re too young to get married or when you’re not in a relationship and you hear people asking you why and then telling you that you’re getting older so you should be thinking of settling down soon. It’s as if you could will your future spouse to come at the right time when people feel you should get married. “Um, do you mind coming into my life when I’m 26 years old and then we can date for about 2 years and then we can marry by the time I’m 28 because that would just be perfect.”

Aaannnyyyhow, I’ve had mixed feelings about the weather lately. I’ve always said how big of a fan I am of warm weather and how I’d rather be hot than be freezing. But it’s been so humid and hot these past few days that it has made sleeping at night a bit uncomfortable. We don’t have airconditionig in our place so it does get really muggy really easily. As a suggestion (if anyone could actually suggest weather and temperature conditions), I would prefer to have hot days and cool nights. Not cold – just cool”er”. That way, it would make sleeping a bit more pleasant.

We were invited to a BBQ this weekend and have been asked to bring meatballs for at least 100 people. So we’re probably going to be spending our Saturday afternoon up to our elbows in ground beef, flour, eggs, mint, onions and breadcrumbs. I’ve never made 100 meatballs before so it should be quite an adventure. I hope we don’t show up for the event smelling like cooking oil!

A Sad Passing...

I had to work during the Civic Holiday so I get tomorrow off instead. Yay! I’ve been meaning to do some errands and catch up on a few things so I’m pretty happy about getting the day off. The only downside is that Steve doesn’t get it off with me so he’ll be stuck at work the entire day. Bummer.

While on MSN the other day, I came across the sad news of Cory Aquino passing away. I am always stunned when I hear about such a prominent and influential individual passing away. I was surprised when Francis M. and Michael Jackson died and I got that exact same shock when I found out about Cory. I can’t help but feel that they were taken away too soon. I remember my dad telling us about the EDSA revolution. I was only a few months shy of being a three-year old at the time and my brother, JR, barely a year old when it occurred. As no one knew how the revolution was going to turn out or what it would mean for the Filipino people, my dad was apparently very worried that it might mean hoarding of goods and supplies and shortage of food. He was particularly worried about the possibility of the shortage of milk – being a dad to two very young children. So he had taken all the money he had with him to the grocery store and bought all the baby formula he could afford. My parents had bought enough baby formula to fill up a small cabinet. They wanted to be sure that if anything should happen, we wouldn’t go starving. Yes, it’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things but I love knowing that my parents always put us first in every situation. It’s one of the many sacrifices they’ve done for our benefit which is why I love my parents very much.

I saw an eighteen-minute snippet of Kris Aquino’s speech during the funeral ceremony and I couldn’t help but get a bit emotional. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a parent. I don’t even want to think of it.

I look forward to a time when death will be no more.

As Revelation 21:4 says:

And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.