No, It's Not Winter Yet

I woke up grumpy this morning, grumpy from spending almost half the night on the phone with a friend in major crisis and it didn't help that my car was covered with frost even if it was already 8:45 a.m. I figured the ice crystals would have melted by then because the sun was already up, but no. My car stayed frozen and I had to sit there for 5 minutes and wait for the ice to melt.

God, why is it so freakin cold!? And it's not even winter yet!

Damn, I need a double shot espresso so I could start working.

Later.

My Christmas Tree

I finally found one that I really, really liked. My heart was set on a Noble Fir but when I saw this one, I knew it's the perfect tree for my place. It's a Fraser Fir, which has firm branches like a Noble Fir, so I could hang ornaments that are heavier than usual.

Hopefully tomorrow, my sweetheart and I will get a chance to decorate it. I can't wait!

A New TV!

I got my new TV! D is coming over a little later to set everything up for me. I can't wait! I already hooked up the DVD player using the front jacks. Hehehe

Gotta watch my movie.

Later.

After-Thanksgiving Sale

So after 2 hours of walking around Circuit City trying to make up my mind which TV should I get, I finally decided, what the heck, let's just go for the Sony. I ended up spending $500 over my budget but I am satisfied with my purchase so it's all good.

I have to admit that the picture quality of the 34" Panasonic Wide Screen HDTV is comparable to the Sony 34" Wega but I knew I would have more peace of mind if I went for the Sony which was highly recommened by my sweetheart.

Well the reason it took me so long to decide was because I left my ATM card at home which I planned to use in purchasing my new TV. For some reason, after I bought a phone card online, I forgot to put it back in my wallet. When I was about to pay for the Sony, I looked in my wallet and no, my ATM card wasn't there. So I told the sales clerk to hold my transaction so I could browse around the store some more. The truth is, I was having second thoughts on buying the TV already, taking the "missing ATM card" from my wallet as a sign that I wasn't supposed to be buying a new TV. But then I thought to myself, "If I wasn't supposed to buy this TV, why did God gave me a parking spot right by the side entrance of the store." Now, you know what I am talking about if you've ever tried to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. It's almost impossible to find a parking spot, and 1 in a million chance of finding a spot right by the door.

With 2 opposing signs, I decided to quit the insanity and the indecision and paid for the Sony Wega with my credit card.

I'm glad D helped me pick a new TV stand later today because that damn thing is so heavy. It would have been too heavy for me to bring it up the stairs. He also helped me put it together (wink.) No, that was a lie. Hehehe. He put it together himself and I helped by handing him those little screws and whatnots.

Now, the stand is sitting there without the TV but by 12 noon tomorrow, I will have a new TV sitting in my living room. :) They better deliver it on time.

Thanksgiving Day

He is the reason I am happy and thankful today... because I have never been this happy, this content and I have never been loved like this ever before.

Thank you for the gift of YOU, babe.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday Errands

I had to take my car back to the shop today. For some reason, my steering wheel shakes and my brakes vibrate when I am going high speed. Luckily, when I got it back, it seem to be working perfectly.

I spent most of my day shopping around for a TV stand. I need a TV stand for a new TV I plan to buy on Friday because Friday is After-Thanksgiving Day Sale. It's the biggest shopping day in the US and people go crazy over the great deals stores have to offer. I have never really participated in this After-Thanksgiving Day Sale craze but I think this time I will. I'd do anything to get a great deal on a nice TV.

Actually, one of the electronics store (Good Guys) here had a pre-thanksgiving sale and they dubbed it Midnight Madness. I almost bought a 34" Wide Screen TV but I didn't have my sweetheart's input. It was a Philips TV and the other night, we both decided that I should get the Panasonic 34" Wide Screen HDTV. It was heck of a good deal but I was hung up on the Panasonic's crystal clear picture. So I decided I'd just wait until Friday, hit the store at 6 a.m., right when they open (hehehe) so I can make sure that I get the item that I really want.

The problem is, when I went to Best Buy with Rhoda, and the Panasonic was sitting right by the SOny Wega, the Sony TV seemed to produce sharper picture than the Panasonic. It was the other way around when me and my sweetheart went. Now I am torn. But see, the Panasonic is $300 cheaper than the Sony so I guess it would be worth it to just buy it.

We'll see what kind of deal I get on Friday. I'm crossing my fingers for a good one.

Christmas Tree Farm

I can't wait to go get my tree! Hmmm, I love the fresh pine scent of newly cut Christmas trees. This picture was taken at a Christmas Tree Farm in Santa Cruz, CA.

Love and Romance

My sweetheart and I spent a few hours together tonight, filling my home with love and romance. I may not list every single thing we did, some of them you really don't wanna know, but damn, I felt so loved, so beautiful, so sexy and so special. The truth is, he always makes me feel that way. But it sure feel like it's getting more awesome with each passing day.

Here's a song I had in my heart last night, a song I have for him:

Lying here with you / Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see / The smile upon your face
These are the moments / I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments / I'll remember all my life
I found all I've waited for / And I could not ask for more
Looking in your eyes /Seeing all I need
Everything you are / Is everything to me
These are the moments / I know heaven must exist
These are the moments / I know all I need is this
I have all I've waited for / And I could not ask for more
I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
Every prayer has been answered
Every dream I have's come true
And right here in this moment
Is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me

I love you sweetheart. More. Always...

*song by Edwin McCain

A Day With Nature

Rhoda and I spent most of the day at the Muir Woods National Monument, just a 30-minute drive from where I live. We did a short hike among the last old growth redwood forest in San Francisco Bay Area. These redwoods which are tallest in the world can only be found along the coast of Washington, Oregon and California.

It was a beautiful hike. The air was cool, the sound of the creek was relaxing and the scent of the forest was envigorating. I wish we had more time to explore more of the trails but we plan to go back, soon. Maybe tomorrow. It's just 30 minutes away so it shouldn't be too hard to just get up and go one morning.

On our way back, we decided to take a quick sidetrip to Mt. Tamalpais State Park. We took a lot of pictures with the whole bay as the backdrop. We were so lucky it wasn't foggy at all. Sky was clear and visibility was almost endless. The view was spectacular. We decided to head back down to the Bay when we noticed that the sun was just setting. I parked my car on a cliffside so we both could marvel at the setting sun. It was beautiful. It's one of the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. I wish I could post a pic right now but we used Rhoda's sister's camera so unfortunately, I have to wait til Rhoda burns me a CD of all the pictures we took. I will post the sunset pictures here as soon as I get them.

The hike left us very hungry so we went to a Thai restaurant on University Ave. in Berkeley. Dinner was good although it was a bit expensive. As we were getting back on the freeway, I noticed that the Embarcadero lights had been turned on for the Holiday season. I got so excited so we decided to go to the City. It was so cold and windy but we went anyway, stopping by Treasure Island to get some cool shots of the Bay Bridge, Embarcadero Lights and the Ferry Building. The view from Treasure Island was awesome. Too bad we couldn't stand outside for too long because of the cold wind.

It was so cold and windy as we headed back home but a cup of hot mocha gave our day a very relaxing ending.

"Closer To Home"

I finally got my DVD copy of Closer to Home after almost a month of waiting. I even pre-ordered it 3 weeks before it was released but I guess Filipino companies here are no different from the ones in the Philippines.

I am very disappointed with how the story was written. Although I would say that cinematography was very artistic. The film maker was able to portray the reality of rural poverty in the Philippines. Yes, in that sense he was successful - the setting was very real, a house made of grass and bamboo, carabaos and plows, the factory, they were all good representations of Philippine reality.

But once the story shifted to Dalisay's life in New York, the story also shifted into the life of her fiancee. The camera veered away from Dalisay's life although I believe that the film maker's intention was to depict the reality of urban poverty in New York City.

I wish that the movie would have focused more on Dalisay and her woes in New York City and how she overcame them. Instead, it focused on the pathetic life of her fiancee. The movie ended without leaving any impression in me except that it sucked and it wasn't really worth watching it.

I apologized to those who are planning to buy/watch this movie. This rant wasn't meant to be a spoiler.

Obituary

Here's my favorite quote from the movie Serendipity. It's excerpted from Jonathan Trager's (played by John Cusack) "obituary" written by his friend...

"Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. But rather, it is a tapestry of events that culminate into an exquisite, sublime plan... If we are to live life in harmony with the universe we must all possess a powerful faith, of what the ancients used to call fatum; what we currently refer to as DESTINY."

Yahooo!

I got my cable service hooked up today! Finally! Yay! I have about 200 channels including The Filipino Channel (TFC). It looks like I'd be spending some time with my TV now. I use to spend only a few hours with my TV but now, I think I'll be spending more time watching shows than I ever have in my whole life. Hehehe. I can't wait 'til my sweetheart hooks up his TIVO box.

So since I got a Cable Box in addition to my receiver, dvd player and vcr, I am going to need a new entertainment center. So I went to Best Buy and yes, Walmart (cringing at the sound of it - maybe next time I'll write about why I chose not to shop at Walmart) to check out their stocks. I actually found one that I liked and it's also reasonably priced. But I have to checked with D first what he thinks about it.

That's about it for today. I can' t write that much right now. I want to go watch The Filipino Channel. :)

Til next time.

Ketchup Bottles

Yep, I am ranting about the stupid Jufran Banana Ketchup bottle. Why can't they use squeezable plastic bottles instead of the stupid bottle made of glass. It's almost impossible get the stuff out of it!

Earlier today, I was driving down Highway 13 when I turned my blinker on and this stupid guy in his Acura won't let me aqueeze in. So I cut him off then he honk at me! I was so mad I flipped him off. What part of "my blinker is on, let me in" didn't he get!?

Yep, looks like my blog entry today is just a bunch of rants. Oh here's one "rave." I spent half of the day with my sweetheart. We had breakfast together and spent some time at home, and just enjoyed each other. Literally enjoyed each other. (Wink.)

Too bad I had to go to work for an appointment I have with one my clients - a client I was pretty much sure would never show up. And I was right. He did not show up so I spent the rest of my day catching up on my notes and other paperwork.

I'm off tomorrow so that's something to look forward to. I will be spending sometime with D, my sweetheart, before he leaves for LA and I hope I get a chance to see a demo of his new recording thingamajiggers.

Ordinary Tuesday

I woke up late again, didn't have enough time to even make my bed, had to hit the road, traffic was okay but I was still late for 10 minutes. First caller of the day was one of my most difficult client. Due to confidentiality agreement, I cannot discuss the nature of whatever we discussed but it was intense and it was a damn good opening salvo for my workday (with sarcasm).

Thank God my sweetheart called right after I was done with my client. I needed to hear his voice. Now, that gave my morning a good jumpstart.

I also started planning a Thanksgiving Weekend trip with my Ate Rhoda. I hope she doesn't get mad when she reads this. She doesn't want me to call her Ate. Of course I always assure her she looks a lot younger than she really is. :) We planned on driving to the Grand Canyon. But it looks like we might have a change of itenerary. We might just hit Los Angeles, San Diego and Mexico. I told Ate Rhoda she gets to pick the destination. Why? Because I'm nice. No, I'm kidding. It's because her birthday is coming up soon. And yes, because I am just being nice. I'm kidding Ate Rhoda.

After work, I hit the gym and worked out for an hour. Boy, did that feel good! The truth is, I didn't really plan to workout for an hour. I was just shooting for 40 minutes but thanks to my club's Personal Entertainment Zones. I can pick any channel I want to watch since I have a personal TV screen on the elliptical machine. I got engrossed with one Seinfield episode and FOX's The Rebel Billionaire. I still don't have cable service here at home so I thought it wouldn't hurt to sweat it out for another 20 minutes so I can watch an interesting TV show.

Got a phone call from my sweetheart while I was browsing at Blockbuster desperately looking for Before Sunrise. He said his daughter is not quite feeling well but he said he wanted to call me before he'll read her a bedtime story. He is also going on a trip LA on Thursday and won't be back until Sunday.

Yep, pretty ordinary Tuesday.

The Joy of Living on My Own

I walked into my apartment earlier, flipped the switch and suddenly, I was overwhelmed with this feeling of joy and contentment. I turned my rock fountain on, dimmed the lights and popped open a bottle of wine which I am happily sipping right now as I am writing this.

I look around this place and I see happiness, love, and comfort all over it. It's not that big of a place. It's only a one-bedroom apartment with a little porch in the back. But the love of my life did everything to make this place a home, a place where I can take refuge, away from the cares of this world.

When I met D, this place was bare. Okay, I'm going to be honest, it was a pig sty. But if you look at it now, my sweetheart turned it into a wonderful home. It was a gift, a surprise he did for my birthday. I felt kind of guilty, because I know he spent a lot of time, energy and money to make my apartment a home and all I gave him on his birthday was a shirt and a hoodie. But I promise I'll think of a better gift next time.

I love this place. Every single thing here, the celtic mirrors he put on my walls, the curtains he made, the dimmers he installed, the fountain, the lamp.... everything. And he topped it off with an awesome surround sound system that plays soothing music that I could relax to at the end of the day.

I have to admit, sometimes, I feel sad, just because it's my first time to be really on my own, without family or roommates around. But my sweetheart keeps reminding me that the truth is, I am never alone. That he is there for me no matter what. And yes, I "see" him here. I feel him here. And I feel his love around me, not just because he filled this place with beautiful things but mostly because here, he has showed me how much he loves me. We created beautiful memories here that made this place lovelier than the way it was.

And right here in this place, he made me feel the intensity of what we have, something really strong that neither time nor circumstance can destroy.

I love this place. I love my man. I love this life.

Of Cable and TIVO's

I just ordered Cable service today with The Filipino Channel (TFC)! Woohooo! Hopefully they will be able to hook it up by Thursday. My sweetheart said he'll let me have his spare TIVO box so I can have TIVO service at home. With TIVO service, I will be able to record all those sappy soap opera from the Philippines as well as "Maalaala Mo Kaya" and watch it anytime I want. Okay, not that I would really watch Filipino soap opera but I think it would be nice to reconnect with my homeland again. It would be so coolto be able to talk about the latest Filipino craze next time I go home. I can't wait for my TFC!

Always Amazes Me

He never stops amazing me. The other day, I mentioned to him that my CD Drive is broken. When he came by he gave me a new Drive for my computer and installed it himself. I never asked him to do it for me but he did.

Of course there are other things he does that amazes and blows me away but those are the things that I refrain from discussing in details lest this blog is being read by my dearest mother (which I doubt - well, I hope she's not one of my fans hehehe).

He also knows me very well, from head to toe, inside and out. And the good thing is, he loves me anyhow.

Oh, and one more thing, it amazes how he knows I'm PMS'ing and he deals with it with so much understanding and patience. Oh and with humor too. Of course nothing gives me the license to give him a hard time when I'm PMS'ing. But trust me, I am working on it.

Promise, babe, I am working on it. :)

Dark Clouds and Rainbows

I woke up to the soothing sound of early morning November rain. And so I laid there on my bed, under warm covers, hugging my pillow and thinking how much love there is in my life. I used to wake up sad when it's raining outside. But now that I've found the love of my life, I wake up everyday feeling happy and contented. It no longer matters whether it's warm and sunny or cold and dreary outside.

Dark cl0uds loomed from the East as I drove on 88O to picked up some lansones from the Filipino store in Newark. I picked up a friend and on our way back to her house, dark, ominous clouds covered the eastern sky. They were so dark they almost looked scary.

And as I looked at the dark clouds I thought of a long-lost friend who found me on friendster today. Her friendster message sounded gloomier than all those dark clouds combined. I grew up with this girl but the truth is, we've never been that close. But there she was on Friendster, looking for me and she said she wished we could be best friends - like the way I was with her cousin.

She said there had been too many changes in her life - a baby, a recent break-up, single motherhood, unemployment. But she's thankful for each breath and that with each breath she struggles to find the strength to keep on living.

I glanced at those dark clouds again as the setting sun casted it's glowing rays on them and a beautiful rainbow formed against it. Yes, a colorful rainbow against ugly, black clouds. It was a stark but beautiful contrast.

So I crossed my finger for my friend that she may find that beautiful contrast during the most difficult moment of her life. May she realize that the reason we can appreciate the beauty of life is because we have seen the bad.

Equipment Thingamajiggers

I am trying to come up with something substantial, something apart from my daily ramblings but I guess this blog will always be about life as it is for me.

I just got back from Blockbuster. I decided to go rent Before Sunrise since Before Sunset is already out. But I think someone had to do some movie cramming just like me because it was out. So I decided to get something else.

Earlier today, I went to the Apple Store with my sweetheart. He purchased a new computer for all the cool recording stuff he is doing. We also went to Guitar Center to to buy a Digi 002 Rack. It's this thingamajigger that Recording Engineers use to enhance the quality of the song/voice/music when a band or a singer sucks. Hehehe. So I made a proposal to my sweetheart: that I would bring a Tagalog karaoke CD, and he will record it while I sing. Then he will mix and master it so I would sound good in it. Wooohooo. Then I could make copies of it and send it to all my friends. Now I just need to pick a song. C'mon, help me out here. My first choice is "Luha" by Aegis! How pathetic is that! Hahaha. See I told ya, I need some help. :(

Any suggestions?

Over and Over Again

I read and reread all my sweetheart's emails to me from the past and god, it just made me fall in love over and over again. It's so nice to feel those butterflies flutter in my tummy again as I read his sweet and oh-so-romantic emails. He has a way with words that captures my heart everytime I read them!

Here's an excerpt:

"I love the way you make me feel - everytime we are together and every moment we are apart. To me you are all I need right now, and then some. We better think of a great encore - because this is awesome!"

Reprinted WITHOUT permission from the original author, my sweetheart. Hehehe I hope he doesn't mind. :)

Good Company

Stanford U

It's always fun to be in good company!

Rolly, Jen, Jo, Ehleey, Me and Bolivs in Stanford University right after a big lunch at Amarin Thai.

Kababaihan (Women)

I met with two of my friends tonight, a new friend (Rhoda) and an old one (Jo). We ate ice cream and sipped capuccino and chatted. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate. Just three women sharing thoughts on how fun life really is. We talked about everything - boyfriends, roadtrips, work, families, holidays, you name it.

I think as we grow older (and wiser), all that matters is the company. Thanks Jo and Rhoda! I had fun - although I feel guilty for consuming more calories than I'm supposed to. Damn Coldstone!

Age Trivia

I found this online today:

You said your birthday is * / **/ 1976 which means you are 28 years old and about:

56 years 3 months younger than Pope John Paul II, age 84
42 years 9 months younger than Larry King, age 70
36 years 7 months younger than Ted Koppel, age 64
30 years 2 months younger than George W. Bush, age 58
26 years 4 months younger than Jay Leno, age 54
22 years 7 months younger than Oprah Winfrey, age 50
20 years 10 months younger than Bill Gates, age 49
16 years 0 months younger than Cal Ripken Jr., age 44
10 years 2 months younger than Mike Tyson, age 38
7 years 6 months younger than Jennifer Aniston, age 35
6 years 1 month younger than Jennifer Lopez, age 34
0 years 8 months younger than Tiger Woods, age 28
5 years 10 months older than Prince William, age 22

and that you were:

25 years old at the time of the 9-11 attack on America
23 years old on the first day of Y2K
21 years old when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash
18 years old at the time of Oklahoma City bombing
17 years old when O. J. Simpson was charged with murder
16 years old at the time of the 93 bombing of the World Trade Center
14 years old when Operation Desert Storm began
13 years old during the fall of the Berlin Wall
9 years old when the space shuttle Challenger exploded
7 years old when Apple introduced the Macintosh
6 years old during Sally Ride's travel in space
4 years old when Pres. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr.
3 years old at the time the Iran hostage crisis began


and when these movies were released in the U.S. your age was:

Animal House: 1
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 3
ET: 5
The Terminator: 8
Top Gun: 9
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: 11
Steel Magnolias: 13
Home Alone: 14
Wayne's World: 15
Jurassic Park: 16
Forrest Gump: 17
Fargo: 19
Saving Private Ryan: 21
Toy Story 2: 23

and that you were:

13 years old when Seinfeld was first televised
15 years old in the month Home Improvement began
18 years old at the time the TV series Friends began
20 years old when Everybody Loves Raymond first aired
22 years old when Who Wants To Be A Millionaire began in the US

Not that anybody would care. Hehehe

Forgiven

I made a stupid mistake, thoughtless and disresptful, and it almost costed me this wonderful relationship.

But I have been forgiven. Because the love that we share is real. Because this love is one-of-a-kind - one that only happens once in a lifetime.

Love as a Refuge

It was unexpected, just like tremors that shake the earth, it came upon me without warning. I was left standing there not knowing what was gonna happen next. Now I am just sitting here, full of regrets, wishing I could undo things. But I can't... and this makes waiting even harder... waiting for whatever is going to happen next.

But I learned to rest in love. And I thought if I have lost him forever, at least I know in my heart that I loved him without holding back. I am taking refuge in love for I am almost without hope. I am trusting in its strength, knowing that I have given all the love in my heart without reservations. I feel so sure that love is on my side and together we will fight for this beautiful thing called life.

--------

Open Letter To Him

Thank you for being so understanding. Thank you for being patient with me through this learning process that I am going through. I really appreciate it. I'm glad that I am learning more about us and the special kind of acceptance, understanding and happiness we bring each other.

There's nothing that I am more thankful of in my life than the gift of you, for being simply who you are and how you are with me. I love the way you make me feel babe, all the time. I go to bed at night with you (in my CD player - heheh) literally singing to me as I drift into sleep. And it makes me feel good that there is someone out there as wonderful as you who loves me and accepts me for who I am.

Babe, you're everything I've ever hoped for.

And God knows, I love you best.

Just a Quote

I found this quote today:

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end." - Author Unknown