Cheering Myself

Our weather had gone bonkers around here. It's sweater weather again this week. A thick fog bank parked itself in our coast and has no inclination of going anywhere until this weekend some say, and so we have a cool stretch of a few days. Nope I am not complaining. After all, it was only a week or so ago when we had that mini heatwave so even though we had to bring out the sweaters again from the drawers, I care not if that meant no heatwave.

However, the gloomy and yes drizzly summer days so far have given rise to some gloomy disposition on my part. Add the fact that I have been feeling run down, mentally and emotionally (post-surgical)and in dire need of a little get-away - one that isn't coming for another month or so. I just cannot go on without a little break.

So while I contemplate on where I could take a day trip somewhere, let me post some flower images that I know would pick up my mood.







Now I feel so much better.

Things To Do

I was cleaning out my desk today and found this piece of paper with the heading THINGS TO DO. Here are what's under the heading:

~ Refill kitty litter

~ Put the kitty food inside the house

~ Refill the bird seed food for outside birds

~ DVR all my shows

~ Make/post reminders for Ernie

~ Ask brother to pick up mail

~ Post our phone numbers and other information on the refrigerator

~ Pack

~ Buy food for house sitters

~ Leave laptop

~ Fix guest room

My regular housesitter and nephew Ernie requests that I leave the laptop. I have PC but he doesn't want to use that. Good thing, my hubs has one too and that's what we bring on trips to upload our photos, just in case something happens I have a back-up copy of the images already taken :)

However, I cannot remember when the note was written or for what trip it was for. Yet, the note me me smile. Ah the joys and excitement of planning for a trip :)

A First For Me

Tuesday last week after work a group of us - 10 in total - armed with Travel Zoo dining vouchers carpooled in 2 cars and faced the maddening commute to the city to dine at E&O Trading Co. Along the way one of us called the restaurant to tell them that we were running late, but we were already on the bridge and if they could hold the reservations for us.  I thought that was too much, it was a Tuesday night after all and the whole region is wet.  Who would go out to dine under such circumstances?

Apparently a lot of people go out on rainy Tuesdays to eat out in the city as the restaurant was full!

The dinner was full of laughter and good food and fun company.  Good food did I say?  It was great eating was had by all.  Our voucher (thanks to TravelZoo) allowed us to have one pomegranite margarita, 2 appetizers and one entree.  And since there were 10 of us, we shared in all the food.  We were full.  Without Travel Zoo vouchers, our grand total for dinner was $1001.32.  With Travel Zoo we paid $48 per person including the voucher and the tax and the 18% gratuity.  Not bad.  Will go back there someday.  Menu is here in case you wanted to see.

Anyway after we got seated, handed the menu and got our drinks ordered, here came the waitress.  And guess what?  She spilled the pomegranite margarita all over my right side of the body.  I was wearing a thin cotton light mint green shirt that was part of my NYC trip souvenir (shh, I got it for $4.99)  and the shirt became green and red spotted shirt :(. 

I was too stunned to do anything.  The waitress was sorry.  I on the other hand was quite nonchalant about the whole thing.  After all, shit happens right?  Unfortunately that night, it happened to me.  The shirt dried before the appetizers came in, it was a thin cotton material after all.  I was only worried that the shirt was ruined, it is after all my fave one  - I wore it in Europe. 

But the minute we got home, I sprayed some stain remover and soaked it in color free bleach detergent.  The stain just disappeared so I'm happy  now.

Have you had any similar experiences while dining out?

America, America

The upcoming Fourth of July is reminding me once again that I haven't celebrated any Philippine Independence Day celebrations for a long time.  Not because there isn't any celebrations going around in my neck of the woods, it just doesn't figure in my TO DO list anymore.  Usually the celebrations are in San Fran and would require entrance fee.  It would also mean crowded streets and parking woes.  I just didn't want to be bothered, that's all.

Sometimes I question my patriotism.  How does one manifest this virtue?  Do I have to subscribe to TFC to get the latest news about my motherland? 

My case is different from others.  First and foremost with the exception of a nephew and his family, I don't have any "family" left back home.  I do have cousins and nieces and nephews and I guess a few aunts and uncles as well, but they are extended family and we were never very close to begin with.

So I don't have to fill a balikbayan box and send it to someone.  I don't have to skype anyone for news or to share problems with. 

As a matter of fact, as far as I know, when I moved here years ago, I packed in my luggage everything that was important to me - letters, photos, mementos.  I had a feeling when I was leaving that there was no turning back. Mostly because I was the "last one" to move here.

For the most part, I like my life here in America.  My family is here and my job is here.  I seriously wonder if I could ever get a good-paying job back home.  I had a job when I left for America, not financially satisfying but in many many ways very rewarding.

I adored my co-workers - they are lovely human beings.  The nature of my job wasn't boring nor extremely challenging, and the students were endlessly entertaining.   It made me realize that this part of the job is what caused many teachers to forget about themselves and end up being spinsters.  Nope I wasn't a teacher.

What I missed back home are my friends - my high school friends, college pals, co-workers, and neighbors/childhood friends.  That's what is seriously lacking in my life right now, connection to these friends. 

Anyway, I have fully embraced all that America has offered me.  I don't know if I'm living the American life,  but my cupboard is filled with international delights, not just American.

I most especially enjoy the beauty that is California. Looking out in the bay everyday is a joyful thing. 

Just like any other posts, I started with a goal and ended up somewhere far from the goal.  I need to take writing classes, seriously!

Happy Fourth of July America!

It's Over!

Finally the long-awaited church fundraiser is over. It was held last Saturday from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

No more planning meetings, no more editing, no more researching. It's over! A sigh of relief was released in unison.

The truth is it appeared to have been a success. Why did I say that without certainty? It's because the monies were not tallied yet as of this writing, but seeing the people's happy faces that Saturday night, it was a powerful community bonding event.

I have never felt like a part of this community despite living here for 18 years until I joined this church.

Anyway I was on cashiering duty that night. We had silent auction in addition to all the chocolate tasting. When the tables close the items on the tables will be moved to us. There were two ladies arranging the items in the back and they send it to us when the winners come to claim their items.

I was a monster at using the credit card machine. Kidding. I got trained 30 minutes before opening on how to use the credit card machine. I swiped and swiped the cards. It's fun not to be using my own card to swipe.

However, we bid on a pair of Thomas Kincaid paintings, which we won. All in all it was a fun evening. I had a great time. I even managed to abandon my shyness and engage people in animated conversation about our community. Can you imagine me chatting easily with people? Must be God helping me overcome my shyness.

So what's next? Summer is still here despite the weather cooling off a bit. It's the perfect summer weather if you'd ask me.

Since we were busy with church all weekend, I didn't do any chores and next weekend is a long weekend, but I'm gonna be taking it easy. I'll have an outpatient surgery on Friday and was advised on my preop to take it easy all through the weekend. So I'll probably get a little movie marathon going and cuddling with my cats.

BTW, I watched ECLIPSE again the other day and do you agree with me Twilight fanatics that those three main characters can't act?

Prayers

My friend's husband passed away on Father's Day. I read her post on FB. I have been feeling sad and low since I read her post. My heart sank. If you see the photos of their family on FB you knew they were at the peak of their life. Two teenage kids, a girl and a boy, and the lovely couple who look more like in their 20s than in their 40s.

A couple months ago, I think, she commented on her sister's wall that her husband is back home after bouts of chemo. I immediately sent her a note that I'd pray for her husband's recovery.

It happened so soon from where I am. I don't know what happened, how long the battle with the big C had been. But I'm just sad.

Today, I read her post asking for more prayers in the following months as she is feeling his absence every single day :(

Summer Time

It's the first day of summer around these parts and it's hot. So fitting I think. Today makes me want to reminisce some summer pasts.

Growing up, summer meant:

• long daylight hours make for longer play time
• waiting for the dirty ice cream vendor @ 4 pm
• running after the fishball vendor
• waking up to my mother's yakking about how late the hours is and how high the sun has been
• carrying mom's basket while she goes marketing
• shatung, patintero, tumbang preso
• Cathecism
• excursion to the beach
• annual pilgrimmage to Our Lady of Manaoag
• Holy Week services + procession in hot conditions

We didn't go anywhere when I was growing up.  We had to endure the heat and "boringness" of the 2 months at home.  No one in my neighborhood went away for vacation either.  Everyone was home helping out with chores and after lunch we all play at Peia's yard. They have a big yard and it has no plants in it.  It was perfect for playing. We could play sports there, like soccer or baseball if we wanted to or knew how to. 

They have a big gigantic acacia tree in front of the house with large trunk that could shield us from the sun's rays.  It was perfect. 

I cannot believe how nostalgic I am of that acacia tree now that I started to write this. I hope it's still there. I know Peia and family moved out since they didn't own the land. 

I've spent many summers in my family's home, which btw has suffered major damage during the quake of 91 or 90?  And it's begging to be taken down/demolished.  It will be soon.  Out of the many summers, one could easily stand out. It was the summer where either I was finished with Grade 5 or Grade 6, that part I couldn't remember.

But it was the summer where almost all the neighborhood kids banded together, girls and boys, and played.  We never all played before nor after that summer.  So that was what made that summer special.

I remember we played shatung a lot. I was masterful at that game.  We also played patientero.  And when the summer was ending, I organized a disco at my front yard.  Could you believe that?  It was a spur of the moment decision.

I sprung the request to my mom at around 3 pm and by 5 pm we have the stereo playing loud music and kids dancing in our yard.  We had no food but we danced the evening away.  I still remember my verve at asking permission for this boy, about 4 years my junior, from his sister because his folks were not in the house at that time. I can't recall why I have to since I know this boy stays out later than the 5 pm party time, but I still did.  And the funny thing is his sister is only about 4 years older than I am!

Another thing that I remember about that day was my friend's mom came to the yard and asked my mom what was the party about?  And my mom told her the kids wanted to dance :)

We sure did dance the summer away!