life as we make it

i havent done my memes in a while.  but my friend mich’s blog a month ago (yeah, yeah, im so behind on my reading!) got me infected all over again…

1.  What bill do you hate paying the most?
those that still dont have online payment

2.  Where’s the best place to eat for a romantic dinner?
i am not one to enjoy romatic dinners, much to Tom’s chagrin!.

3.  Last time you puked from drinking?In Mexico! Its not too unusual for me to throw-up (its my detox heheh), but the one in mx was embarassingly remarkable.

4.  Have you ever gotten drunk in a bar?
I dont think so.

5.  Name your first grade teacher.
Mrs. Julie Sindac

6.  What are you doing right now?
Researching on places to go this weekend. Its sunny and dry… best time to be out. So its either the beach or camping for me

7.  What did you want to be when you were growing up?b
To be a doctor, until I actually had to choose my course for college exam.

8.  How many colleges did you attend?
2 (undergrad & grad)

9.  Why did you get the shirt you’re wearing right now?
It is a freebie from cingular, cotton and loose, perfect for sleeping..

10. If you could go anywhere and take someone with you, where would you go?Spain

11.   First thought when you woke up this morning.
Hit the snooze.

12.   Last thought before going to sleep last night.
Put the TV on sleep and turn-off the light.

13.   Favorite Style of underwear?
boyshorts

14.   What errand or chore do you despise?
Sorting/putting away the groceries and folding the laundry. this must be a girl-thing

15.   Breakfast this morning?

Oatmeal. (this is unusual, i usually have a bigger one… kinda like bacon, egg, toast..)

16.   When did you start feeling old?
I never reall think about it

17.   What do you get everytime you go to Costco?
We’re BJs members: big box of oatmeal and caesar salad dressing

18. Beach or lake?

i think the beach, but in new england, i dip my foot for 5 minutes and im done! way cold

19.   Favorite guilty pleasure.
McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese

20.   Do you always wear sunnies and what brand do you have?
What the heck are sunnies? Sunblock lotion? Shiseido for the face, Coppertone for body

So there! Well, pass on the virus…

July 4 was on a Friday, so it could have been a long holiday weekend perfect for an out-of-state vacation or a road trip. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan for either. Worse yet, the New England weather wasn’t cooperating. Thunderstorms and scattered rain showers were forecasted for the entire weekend. Despite that, Tom and I vowed to make the most out of it and it turned out to be a great one.

Day 1: July 3. Last year, we tumbled upon a really great fireworks display in Portsmouth, NH. So this year, we vowed to go back.  With storms moving behind us, we drove up north hoping to just wing it. We had rain jackets on with matching umbrellas and flip-flops (its good for trudging thru rain water!) The storm stopped just  in time, but the fireworks was cancelled. Well, it still turned out to be a goodnight for a good dinner, a good drink, and a good stroll in the Portsmouth downtown. (best of all, I finally found a bar that serves Lynchburg Lemonade! Reminds me of my yuppie days hangin’ out at Cable Car in Makati).

Day 2: July 4! Its America’s birthday, and we did what most Americans do— watch the parade and head out for a BBQ.  But on top of the burgers and dogs, my dear Filipino friends made the spread more interesting by bringing Bibingka, buko-pandan, and lumpiang sariwa (not too American, but it worked!)

Day 3: July 5. It was the perfect day to bum around the house! And since I had an extra day on the weekend, I didn’t feel like I am wasting the day away by taking an afternoon nap, and so I did!  I can’t even remember the last time.  Of course, after the renewed energy, I felt compelled to not let the weekend go by without seeing some fireworks!  We knew of the perfect venue: Pepperell, MA , the town I used to live in, population of 12,000 Day 4: July 6. Of the three days, Sunday was supposed to be the best day for the beach. What better way to end the holidays than a day in York Beach.

(arghhh) but had great fireworks!

 

lately, i have been so busy
at work that days seem to fly by so fast and i’m starting to feel like
i am going to miss out on the summer. i haven’t even had the chance to
do my to-go-to list and summer already begins this saturday. the point
is, i have this panicky feeling that i am going to lose so much time
stocking up on my endorphins (i call it my happy hormones, but it
really isnt, just in case someone misinterprets my babble)

well,
since i am here idling (not exactly true, since i am really busy
checking my email which i havent opened in a week, and now deleting my
spam-filled inbox!!!) i might as well make my game plan. and since
i dont jog, or eat chocolates or do acupuncture, all of which are big
stimulants, i’d better think fast…

1) need to soak up the sunshine. nope
i dont do the sun-bathing thing that every american is gaga about!  but
since i am cooped up at work and cant get much sun anyway, the only time
to enjoy it is late in the day– sit in the patio and watch people walk
their dogs or id walk around the yard and pick the dead "flowers".
(soooo, homebody! what happened to me???)

2) learn how to make jalapeno poppers.
i  never liked hot, spicy food, but recently i am acquiring a liking
for it, you know, buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers, and even
pepperoncini. i just recently learned that it releases endorphins! real
cool.

3) visit yale.

4) go to the museum of modern art in ny

5) town hop:
newton center, wells (maine), dover (nh), york beach, burlington (vt)
– anything in new england for the summer, no need to go farther than that

6) watch a play (Blueman Group should be ok)

7) go to the flea market (its where i get my bargain books!)!

go camping (nothing elaborate, a tent, a couple of chairs, hotdogs, burgers and chips!)

i
realize the weekends are only a handful and i am sure i wont get to do
it all. so the last on the list is .. actually #1. relax and soak up
the sun however i can.

What better way to start the warmer season than a trip back to Cabo!  I never liked going back to the same vacation place twice, especially so soon, but Los Cabos appealed to my senses… blue skies, rugged desert terrain, and cool dry nights. Of course, not to mention, the unlimited food and drinks!!

and so, this time our trip back to cabo was joined in by a "couple" of friends, which made it much more fun.

 

well, photos tell it all…check out more photos in multiply. enjoy!

Some habits are hard to break… for years and years, when i went out with my friends (in the PI, of course) it was always to try out a new restaurant or to go back to one that really sticks.  Well, I guess people like us are what make the eating business thrive in the Philippines.  In the same token, there’s always something new to try out.  How I miss the millions of choices!

Well I wasn’t about to let cold weather and fewer choices stop me from exploring. 

Turo-turo in Mass.  So far (literally) the only Filipino restaurant in Massachusetts is about an hour drive from us (in Quincy, MA). But, it was worth the drive. The small, carinderia-style gig only seats maybe about 25 but most the Filipino dish you would crave for, you can get: caldereta, afritada, pancit, sisig, sarsiadong gg, lumpia, lechon kawali, etc..etc.Tsk.tsk .If  we only live close by, there wouldnt be any need to cook.  Congratulations to Nik and Jervin for the good job they did on the resto!

Cafe Madrid. We are lucky to be living in a town where you can find  almost every kind of dish you can think of.  Japanese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian,  AND NOW Spanish!!  For starters, the cafe was tastefully decorated and have salsa music and dancing at night.  But my real reason for going? They serve paella, empanada, leche flan and san mig!!  

Santarpio’s. For our 5th Year Wedding Annniversary, Tom surprisingly took me to an authentic Boston restaurant (if you can even call it that)—Santarpio’s Pizza in East Boston. 

Aligned with the old brown stone buildings in East Boston, it was a small hole in a wall restaurant no better than a sub-shop.  The line out the door was a good sign, but a bad situation when the temperature outside was 29F.  Quirky, the servers are in shorts! The inside was warm and toasty, and the loud noise was hearty.  After we got seated, our 70 year old server asked us if we want menus.  Sounded weird,  but we did get one. I guess we really didnt need to. No sense looking at the menu, because there’s only Pizza and Sausage, to order.   I am not crazy about  pizza but it was the best one I had.   And the sausage served with italian bread and pepperincino.. yummmy… 

It was such a treat going to a 105-year old restaurant very much part of the city itself (plus Tom used to go there with his dad when he was barely a teenager, aint that special?)

tom and i would have wanted to be in warm sunny place this past President’s Day - long weekend, but the airlines and hotels are making a killing so  we opted for a road trip to mystic, ct, instead.

only a  couple of degrees warmer than boston, but i finally got to see the infamous location of the mystic pizza movie! Remember the 1988 Julia Roberts movie? (the first i’ve seen her in)

like any other road trip we did, we just soaked in the sights and the old home town feeling of any new england town.  the first order of the day was to eat lunch at the commendable S&P Oyster Company were I had the sumptuous seafood ambrosia (baked seafood medley stuffed with lobster (or crab?) meat.. yummmm!

After lunch, Tom had a few photos with Mystic’s antiquated drawbridge! which is still operational!

Mystic is also well-known for its seaport museum/village which housed the Charles Morgan (not a person but a huge whaling ship which sailed for 100 years!)   We didnt get in, so we took pictures of the glorious sunset instead…

Incidentally, Mystic is a few minutes away from Foxwoods!  Just when we decided to spend the night in the area, we were lucky enough to find the only available room left in the entire Mystic-Foxwoods area,  at the EconoLodge…(the only other option being the $299.00 room at the HiIltop). 

So we decided that we will make a donation that night to the  Indian Reservation.  The entire place was packed. The Buffet Restaurant had lines until 12 midnight. After a small dinner at The Noodle Bar, we headed to the slots!

We decided that if we make winnings, we’ll head out to the bar and spend it on drinks. Lo and behold, after every $15 or so of winnings, we cashed out and headed to the bar. It seemed it was our lucky night because we ended up having 3 rounds of drinks!  Plus we went home with more!

Hilarious!  Our trip ended up almost all expense-paid courtesy of foxwoods…

The groundhog came up the surface and allegedly saw its shadow, so winter is coming to an end….(wohooo!!!?? i could not resist taking a photo of the stuffed groundhog at the MoS)

Well, I am actually not one of those people who hate winter. Winter has its “moments”…

… like being able to wear boots—of all kinds, tall boots, ankle boots, suede, leather, nubuck (even plastic)

…like layering up with all kinds of sweaters, jackets, coats, parkas, hats and gloves

…being able to shop with justification!!! (because the longevity of boots is only a year, you have to get a new one!!!)

…like the sight of fresh flurries on leafless branches of tress …like the chance to stay in your pajamas the whole day and read because you have an excuse not to go out.

But then again, the end of winter means no more single digit temperatures (in Fahrenheit, mind you) and 12-inch snow storms. That’s something to cheer about. (Of course, I could have a totally different perspective, since I don’t have to shovel or snow blow the driveway, don’t have to brush off snow from my car, and I don’t drive to work).

Living in and knowing nothing else but the staid weather of a tropical country, I took for granted the presence of bright sunshine and the ability to wear flip-flops, tank tops and shorts all year round. Now I find myself finding reasons for the seasons (yuck, this sounds like a line in a song?..duh??!). Suffice it to say, I truly welcome the opportunity to use winter as an excuse to hibernate. It is nice to not crowd my life with the thought of “so much to do, so little time” for the short (or long) 4 months that winter is around.

So spring is fast approaching, and with it the slushy melting snow on the ground, cloudy and gloomy skies and pouring rains. There’s really nothing to like about it except for the few degrees it adds to the temperature and a few minutes of extra sunlight.

oh well, seasons come and seasons go…

courtesy of my friend Nonita…so here’s more about me

1. Were you named after anyone                            

Yes, my two great grandmothers

2. When was the last time you cried?

Last week? I am weeper!

3. Do you like your handwriting

I guess so.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat?

Liempo!

5. Do you have kids?

No

6. If you were another person would you be friends with you?

Id have to think about it really hard (hehhe)

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

No. I am a shooter.

8. Do you still have your tonsils

Yes

9.   Would you bungee jump?

When I was 25, I knew I would.

10.  What is your favorite cereal?

Don’t eat it!

11.  Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

No

12.  Do you think you are strong?

In most cases

13.  What is your favorite ice cream?

Mocha, Ube and Quezo Real; since all are not available in the

US

; I don’t eat ice cream! (good for me!)

14 what is the first thing you notice about people?

The way they talk

15.  Red or pink?

Red

16.  What is the least favorite thing about yourself?

my short torso

17.  Who do you miss the most?

Family back home

18.  Do you want everyone to send this back to you?

It would be nice

19.  What color pants and shoes are you wearing?

Denim and gray sneaks

20.  What was the last thing you ate?

Ham and Cheese omelette; hash brown, bacon and toast

21.  What are you listening to right now?

Silence! Love it.

22.  If you where a crayon, what color would you be?

Yellow

23.  Favorite smells?

Citrus and  Rose

24.  Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

Post Office Staff

25.  Do you like the person who sent this to you?

Yes

26.  Favorite sports to watch 

Baseball – red sox,  of course

27.  Hair color?

They say its dark brown

28.  Eye color?

Dark brown

29.  Do you wear contacts?

Yes

30  Favorite food?

Comfort food – Longsilog!

31.  Scary movies or happy endings?

I am sappy – Happy Ending

32.  Last movie you watched?

Bucket List

33.  What color shirt are you  wearing?

Red

34.  Summer or winter?

Summer, but winter has its moments

35.  Hugs or kisses?

Hugs

36.  Favorite dessert?

Polvoron! Brownies and Cheesecake

37.  Most likely to respond?

Can’t say…

38. Least likely to respond?

39.  What book are you reading now?

Sandra Brown’s Chill Factor (ill be on to the next in a couple of hours!

40.  What is on your mouse pad?

Don’t use one

41.  What did you watch on tv last night?

Hmmm… news

42.  Favorite sound?

Around this time, the humming of the furnace.

43.  Rolling stones or beatles?

Beatles, I guess for lack of an opinion

44.  What is the farthest you have been from home?

Manila would always be home, so I guess I’m farthest from it right now

45.  Do you have a special talent?

Unfortunately, no. I am a jack of all trades

46.  Where were you born?

Quezon City

,

Philippines

47.  Whose answers are you looking forward to getting back?

Hopefully everyone!

i have been commuting (literally taking the train) to boston for more than a year now. i still can’t decide whether i love it or hate it. one thing for sure, the train ride is such an interesting and unique experience.

after riding with different people day after day, i can’t help but classify them.

the suburban moms.  they come in groups, 3 or 4 women boarding the train from the same station. either they live the same neighborhood, know each other from and around town  or work together. From the time they board the train, they chat non-stop, for about 40 mins. They occupy the seats at the front of the car, the 2 rows that face each other. so if you want to sleep on your way in. don’t ever sit on the first 5 rows.  If i had been paying attention all these time, i would have known the story of their lives now.

the newspaper readers. these are typically the men who bring in newspapers with them. Usually, its the Boston Globe, so beware, their constant flipping of the paper could really irritate you, especially if they bump your arms.

the asians. nice to sit with. they don’t read newspapers, they don’t chat.  they just sit quietly the entire ride!  And what’s best about them is they are never more than size 4, so there’s plenty of space on the seat.

Size 10 and over. If you’ve ever been on the train, you would know that seats are built for small people.  So being in America, there is always the 70% chance you will be sitting next to a size 10 or bigger.  So be ready to give up a little bitof your space. Not fun!

Cellphone chatters. Hard to miss. They get on the train, with cellphones glued to their ears. Most of the time they chat away the entire ride. They should sit next to the suburban moms.

Coffee drinkers. the smell of dunkin donuts wafting in the air is clue enough!  They can’t do much else. they have to balance the coffee on their hands in addition to their purses (if a woman) + tote bags + whatever else they are bringing to the city.

And then there’s the rest of us, who get on, sit quietly with our books, listen to music with the ipod on our ears, catch a 30-minute snoooze, and zone out in our own world.

thanks to my hyper-techie sister, i learned something new today. I didn’t know that “meme” is even word, apparently it is.  Feel free to google it, and read about its convoluted definition. Wow, world of the web…

anyway, in my mind, it’s a glorified slam-book. it reminds me of those thick ring-bound books passed around to get filled-out with friends’ “favorite color, favorite food, pet peeve…crush”

1.  What bill do you hate paying the most?
hate them all!!! (bwahaha)

2.  Where’s the best place to eat for a romantic dinner?
I can’t think of one. I’d probably want a room service style in a 5-star hotel, ala Pretty Woman.

3.  Last time you puked from drinking?
uhm, hate to say it, but I am a doozy! I can barf anytime, anywhere… so it could have been 2 weeks ago? After a couple of margarita drinks…Tom thinks it’s a talent

4.  Have you ever gotten drunk in a bar?
Yup, but proud to say I am always fit enough to drive home!

5.  Name your first grade teacher.
Mrs. Julie Sindac, (she has a different last name now, I think, but still my unforgettable teacher).

6.  What are you doing right now?
Before I got so engrossed in this meme, I am actually “productively” looking for designs for my dress for my sister’s wedding!  (wahhh panic attack)

7.  What did you want to be when you were growing up?
To be a doctor! I truly wanted to be one.

8.  How many colleges did you attend?
1

9.  Why did you get the shirt you’re wearing right now?
I didn’t. Its Tom’s old hanes shirt!

10. If you could go anywhere and take someone with you, where would you go?
The far-away dream land is Italy, France, Greece and Spain.  Tom and I have been “planning” to for a while.  But, somewhere warm would be nice right now.  Its freezing where I am!

11.   First thought when you woke up this morning.
Hit the snooze!

12.   Last thought before going to sleep last night.
I’m hungry.

13.   Favorite Style of underwear?
boyshorts!

14.   What errand or chore do you despise?
Food shopping and laundry!!! (as opposed to my sis whotruly hates cleaning the bathroom, it’s my favorite chore!)

15.   Breakfast this morning?
Waffles.

16.   When did you start feeling old?
Hmm. My last birthday!

17.   What do you get everytime you go to Costco?
Not a Costco member, but a BJ’s.  6-pack toothpaste, a huge tub of oatmeal. 4-pack Lysol toilet bowl and shower cleaner!

18.  Beach or Lake?

                Beach.  But lately the lake, you would too if the only beach you have faces the Atlantic  Ocean. And the water is 50F even in the summer.

19.   Favorite guilty pleasure.
Dunkin Donuts Glazed Stick..

20.   Do you always wear sunnies and what brand do you have?
What the heck are sunnies!