You know what comes close to being given a car as a gift? It’s having Charter Digital in your own home?  I am a TV and movie buff and when I learned that with Charter Digital you can access On Demand free of charge I knew I have to have that too.

With Charter Digital you can choose from 6,000 movies and shows to watch and at your own convenience at that! Yes, that’s absolutely right! No more rushing home or wasting time waiting just to watch your favorite TV shows. Imagine getting that plus being able to watch your favorite shows like Heroes, 30 Rock, The Office free!

I admit, ever since we had our internet connection I have been watching less and less of TV. It’s because with the internet everything is right there when you want it. Now that they have done it on TV I might leave my laptop sooner than the usual just to be able to watch all the shows I love.

Z would, no doubt, love this too. He can watch his all time favorite show, Spongebob, whenever he feels like watching it. Or when I need a little peace and quiet I can just put Spongebob on to entertain him.

You can learn more at charter.net/ondemand and can get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page.

We just got a break from all the typhoons this Undas weekend but now Tropical Depression Tino is on it’s way to the Philippines. A tropical depression is not yet a typhoon but one of its beginning stages. It is characterized by an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms. Unlike the much stronger typhoon, the tropical depression doesn’t have the characteristic “eye” and spiral shape but it’s still a low pressure area and thus is called, a depression.

As of 2 am of November 3, 2009 here is PAGASA’s update on Tropical Depression Tino.

At 2:00 a.m., today, Tropical Depression “TINO” was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 150 kms East Northeast of Casiguran, Aurora (17.0°N, 123.5°E) with maximum winds of 55 kph near the center. It is forecast to move West Southwest at 11 kph.

Here is the satellite image of Tropical Depression Tina also from PAGASA:

Satellite Image Tropical Depression Tino

Probable Path of Tropical Depression Tino

Tropical Depression Tino is located 150 kms East Northeast of Casiguran, Aurora as of 4 am of November 3rd, with a maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near center, and is expected to move at West Southwest at 11 kph.

It’s probable path, still according to PAGASA, is as follows:

Wednesday morning:
in the vicinity of Baguio City
Thursday morning:
200 kms West of Dagupan City
Friday morning:
460 kms West Southwest of Dagupan City

These areas are now in Public Storm Signal No. 1:

Isabela
Mt Province
Ifugao
Benguet
Nueva Vizcaya
Quirino
La Union
Pangasinan
Nueva Ecija
Aurora

For more updates on Tropical Depression Tino you can visit PAGASA’s website.

A few weeks ago we attended a birthday party at Saisaki, Dad’s, and Kamayan. It was the longest birthday party we’ve ever attended. If a Jollibee or McDonald’s party last two hours long this party went on for, I think, four hours! It was complete with a magician and a personal appearance of not one, but two mascots – Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The fun just went on and on for the kid. Z, who’s normally shy had to overcome his shyness because the host just gives away too many goodies that he didn’t want to miss out. If he normally didn’t want to have his face painted, well he tried it here for the first time.

Daddy, Z, and Lightning McQueen

If before he didn’t want to sit in front with the other children, he tried it here too! Hurray for Z!

Z and Lord Renz

By the way, the kid seated besides him Z’s tito and my younger brother.  But if there’s one thing that Z didn’t do was dance to the music of Nobody.

Oh, how I wish we could afford a party like that for Z. It’s a party not just for the kids but the adults loved it as well. With the sumptuous lechon de leche included in the buffet, who wouldn’t love it? Nopictures of the buffet though because our camera’s battery died on us.

I would love a party like this for Z. Maybe not today but when we get rich in the future!

Click here for more updates on Bagyong Santi (Typhoon Mirinae).

We have been monitoring the news and I’m getting scared by the minute. According to PAGASA, Bagyong Santi is going hit Rizal and NCR directly. With the ground still saturated and the dams still full of water from the previous storms I know that this puts us in a dangerous position. At this point, any normal typhoon can bring flooding to the Metro but this is no ordinary typhoon. Some are even comparing it to Milenyo and I distinctly remember Milenyo. That was really one of the scariest typhoons I experienced.

This is the satellite image released by wunderground.com as of 3am today.

Satellite Image of Bagyong Santi (Mirinae)

I’m no expert but that certainly looks big and ominous, isn’t it? I just hope Bagyong Santi (Mirinae) passes by as quickly as possible to avoid more damage to us. It certainly won’t be missed by anyone here.

Click here for more updates on Bagyong Santi (Typhoon Mirinae).

Bagyong Santi |Typhoon Santi | Typhoon Mirinae Update: Click here for the latest update.

So now it’s official, Typhoon Mirinae has entered the Philippine area of responsibility as of last night and is now called Bagyong Santi.  Here’s what I got from PAGASA’s website:

At 4:00 p.m. today, the center of Typhoon (MIRINAE) was located based on satellite and surface data at 1,390 km East of Central Luzon (16.2°N, 136.7°E) with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is forecast to move West at 22 kph.

I know all we care about is whether we get affected or not so here is the map of Santi’s probable path, also from PAGASA:

Bagyong Santi

According to PAGASA’s website, as of October 28th, 10 pm Santi is already at 1,210 East of Casiguran, Aurora and is moving West at 24 kph. It has a maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of 170 kph and will make a landfall at Casiguran, Aurora possibly on Friday evening

Thursday evening:
710 km East of Casiguran, Aurora
Friday evening:
250 km East of Casiguran, Aurora
Saturday evening:
50 km East of Dagupan City or
30 km South of Baguio City

Now, for those of you wondering if Santi will cause flooding again I found this. Right now it says that Metro Manila sub-basin is in Normal Condition. If you click “Normal Condition” in their website it will lead you to more details, see below:

METRO MANILA SUB-BASIN

Hydrological Forecast

Issued at 6:00 AM, 28 October 2009

(Valid Until the next issuance at 6:00 am tomorrow)

Observed Rainfall:

NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAIN WAS RECORDED OVER THE SUB-BASIN DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS.

Forecast Rainfall:

ISOLATED RAINSHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

Expected Hydrological Response:

RIVER WATER LEVELS WITHIN THE AREA TO REMAIN IN NORMAL CONDITION WITHIN THE FORECAST PERIOD.

As you can see this will be updated every 6 am everyday.

How I wish they don’t have to update it and it will remain in normal condition throughout! But since it looks like Santi shows no signs of disappearing I have only one wish. Please, let Bagyong Santi be just like the rest of the other typhoons in the past – normal.

Typhoon Mirinae (Santi)
Oh no, I had a gut feeling a storm would hit us this Halloween and I was right. As of 2 am today, PAGASA has already issued a weather advisory regarding Typhoon Mirinae, which will be called Santi once it hits the Philippines.

At 2:00 a.m. today, the center of Tropical Storm {0921} with an international name of “MIRINAE” was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 1,640 km East of Northern Luzon (16.0°N, 139.8°E) with maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph. It is forecast to move West Northwest at 28 kph.

If the above doesn’t make sense to you, maybe the picture below will.

Typhoon Santi's Probably Path

I’m no weather expert but that map of Santi’s probable path looks like it will hit Metro Manila this weekend. I knew I shouldn’t have bought the ticket for Jollibee’s Halloween Party this Saturday! That’s P150 down the drain. Anyway, forget that ticket I know people in Manila are scared and also paranoid because Ondoy just left us devastated a month ago. But maybe there’s still hope. This typhoon might have been named Santi for a reason. Let’s just pray to Bro it will be as kind as Santino. LOL!

Typhoon Mirinae (Santi), you’re definitely not welcome here! boo!

Hi, everyone! I hope you take notice because what I’m going to blog about is really worth your time and effort. I have been blogging for more than a year but this is the first time I have joined a contest this big. How big? To the tune of $200! Yes, that’s how much you can win by joining Fedhz’ Blogversary/Bday Contest! And the best news of all, it isn’t really hard to win at all.
You can head over here to check out the mechanics yourself. The best part about this contest (aside from the insanely huge prize) is the fact that you can win not just by some random stroke of luck but by a little creativity and effort on your part. That means that the more effort you put in the contest the better your chances at winning. I don’t know about you but my for me that’s a lot better than just crossing your fingers and wishing you would win.
So what are you waiting for? Join Fedhz’ Blogversary/Bday Contest and get a chance to win these prizes:

1st prize: $200

2nd prize: $50

3rd Prize: $20

And if you decide to join, do make me favor and make me your referral. After all, I need all the points I can get.

Halloween is just around the corner! I almost forgot about it because I was busy keeping track of the storms casually passing by our country. It didn’t occur to me that Z will get to experience trick or treating this year because I just assumed that there would be another storm on October 31st.
But anyway, whether there’ll be a storm or not it seems Z would really get to experience a Halloween party for the second time. We were at Jollibee this afternoon, just Z and I. S was sleeping and while he slept we crept out and went to the nearest Jollibee. It was almost 4 pm and we couldn’t have picked a better time to go out. It was breezy outside and it was such a good day to walk. In fact, it was such a nice day to walk that we walked half the way to Jollibee. When we got there we ordered Z’s usual food – chicken, fries, and coke. As you all know, there is no such value meal at any fastfood that have those three but try as we hard to explain it to Z it seems he couldn’t get it or doesn’t want to accept it. So whenever we eat out, one of us (either me or S) has to order a burger meal so that Z can have his fries.
So we were there and we actually had fun eating out just the two of us. It’s rare that we go out without his dad – wait, I think this was the first time we went out to eat. So when it was time for us to go I casually glanced at the counter and noticed their Halloween design. It turned out they would have a Halloween party on Oct. 31st and anybody can join as long as you’re willing to pay P150. Chicken meal and loot bag is already included plus of course, the most important thing of all – Jollibee’s personal appearance. I’m sure Z would love his Halloween experience for 2009. I’m sure the P150.00 will be worth it once I see Z’s face light up when he sees that adorable bee mascot.

When Z was about two years old, I was obsessed with choosing the right infant formula for him. During our weekly grocery shopping I would stay for several minutes in the milk section reading the nutritional information on the milk cans and comparing each and everyone. I was determined to buy the best milk formula that offered the highest nutritional content even though it’s price is so expensive that it’s already equivalent to half a week of the family’s meal budget. But I didn’t care how expensive it was, I had to buy my son the best.
Now, two years later I can say I am a bit wiser when it comes to shopping for milk. I know how labels can be misleading and it makes more sense to feed my son fruits and vegetables so he can get the required nutrients. For his milk needs, I usually buy the cheapest at the supermarket and that is usually the store brand formula. Although I am now saving a lot, I know that I still get the best value for my money because milk, no matter how heavily it was marketed or promoted which leads to it’s higher cost, it’s still just milk. My son would not benefit more if it’s more expensive and our family wouldn’t benefit either. I make sure he gets all the nutrition he needs by giving him a balanced diet which include not just milk but also fruits, vegetables, and meat.

Finally, we have our electricity back! We thought we couldn’t survive a few days without electricity but we did – yey! The heat and the boredom was the hardest, not to mention the fact that we have to go to the market every day to buy our food needs because we can’t store food anymore without the refrigerator.  Z survived the heat at night by sleeping at the sala where there is enough ventilation. He refused to sleep in our room because our bed is already too small for the three of us so he and Ate Bam slept in our extra queen sized foam. Hopefully, the storm episode is now behind us and I can buy Bunk Beds so Z can have his very own bed.

It’s now Wednesday,  two days after Bagyong Ondoy left. I am at my husband’s office somewhere in Eastwood. Here, life is normal. People are wearing nice clean clothes, plenty of moving vehicles are on the road, the buildings have electricity and internet, and most important of all there are plenty of food everywhere.

But from where we came from the scene couldn’t be so different. When we left our apartment, our jeans were rolled up to escape the muddy road that we had to walk on, the houses we passed by were dark because there was no electricity, damaged furniture and appliances on huge piles outside, people are walking with no slippers, cars were covered with mud and parked seemingly abandoned by the road, the sound of rescue helicopters were a normal sight.

Yes, we were in the midst of the disaster that was Ondoy. But unlike the others who suffered unbelievable damage we only lost our doorbell and out water motor to pump our water. It’s because we live in the third floor. It’s sometimes inconvenient but we couldn’t be any more grateful than we are right now to be living where we are currently living. I had a good feeling the first time I saw our current apartment. Never mind that it has a narrow passageway and doesn’t have a garage of its own. It was comfortable inside and now, it saved us from the huge flood that left almost all of Metro Manila underwater for two days. I have only gratitude in my heart because we were all at home safe and sound the time it happened. It was S’s restday, no school for Z, and it was Bam’s sem break. We really had no worries at first. We were confident the water will not reach us. S and I were talking if floods ever reach the second floor of a building much less the third floor. I kept racking my brain for videos of flood waters that I have watched on TV from the past. All I kept seeing was in the floods the roof of the houses were still visible (I presumed those were one-story houses) so I was at first confident we will be safe. Then by 5 pm the water kept on rising and S kept on saying how fast it was rising and that just a few inches more it will totally submerge the first floor. It was still raining non-stop with no sign of weakening. Then I suddenly remembered that I have seen on TV people hanging on for their dear life on top of trees. Why were they hanging on trees I thought and then it hit me, it’s because all of their houses were already underwater – the roof and all! That was when I became really scared.
Anyway, we all knew what happened after that. It stopped raining about 8 pm and the water receded the next day. We had no electricity for 11 days but we came out unscathed.

Last weekend was spent at Trinoma. It was the second time we went there. S has a voice workshop somewhere in QC so he dropped us off at the mall to pass the time.

Burger King

Lunch was at Burger King. We ordered hamburgers for us, the one that came with a  free sundae. Everything was great and even Z was in the mood to pose for some pictures.

Me and My Baby

Daddy

As you can see we were quite happy and enjoyed eating there well, until I saw a hair inside my burger. It’s gross, I know and we called their attention and they had it replaced sure but I lost my appetite after that. So now, Burger King is crossed out on our list whenever we ask, “Where are we going to eat for lunch?”

After lunch we wanted to go to SM North before S leaves us but it was such a long walk that we decided to go to Landmark instead which is conveniently inside Trinoma. As soon as S left we went to check out toys. Didn’t buy him any at first because he has so many toys already! I think we must have spent an hour and a half  just looking at the toys. Then realizing that I have to shop for my things I told Z it was his time to accompany me. Good boy Z didn’t whine that much as long as he found a chair to sit on while I try on shoes and clothes. Poor guy attendant, I had to send him back five times before I was able to decide what shoes I want.

Then it was time to meet S at our meeting place. We saw monsters walking around and teasing people which made Z’s eyes grow wide. But even my eyes grew big when I saw a 14 feet man walking on stilts. He must have been this tall and he was walking amongst a sea of people.

I think he was this tall

I was thinking maybe it wasn’t that safe to do that with that many people around him people. I should know I had some experience riding on a stilt myself when I was a little girl so I am an expert. The only difference was mine was this tall.

My version of stilts

Sure enough as if proving my point, a little girl ran after him and pushed him. My heart almost jumped out of my body and I was one of the people who shouted in shock. Fortunately for him (and for my heart) he was able to regain his balance just in time.

So that was the end of an “uneventful” day for us. S came back and declared we go back to the toy store to get his precious one the toy he deserved for being a good boy. We rode a taxi going home and its battery died on us on the way.

What are your middle names?
Mine is Arenos and his is Montajes.

How long have you been together?
Seven years as a couple this September 21, 2009.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Just a week.

Who asked whom out?

He was so insistent that we go out that I wasn’t able to say no. Is that correct, dear?

How old are each of you?
We’re just one year apart – 28 and 29.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
His siblings but still not that often.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
What situation? Just the housework I think.

Did you go to the same school?
No.

Are you from the same home town?
No.

Who is smarter?
Definitely he’s a lot smarter although he couldn’t believe I was able to beat him on one of the interview exams we took together.

Who is the most sensitive?
We both are.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Anywhere with good pizza and cheeseburgers.

Who has the craziest exes?
He does!

Who has the worst temper?
Of course I have.

Who does the cooking?
Unfortunately, that would be me.

Who is the neat-freak?
I’m afraid to say no one!

Who is more stubborn?
I am stubborn and closed minded and I’m not proud of it. hehe

Who hogs the bed?
He does! grrr…

Who wakes up earlier?
I sleep at night while he sleeps during the day. On weekends that would be him sneaking out of bed at 3am to play his guitar.

Who is more jealous?
He doesn’t give me a reason to get jealous. He’s guarded 24/7. LOL

How long did it take to get serious?
Right away.

Who eats more?
That would be him.

Who does the laundry?
We both tried it but now thank goodness we have a little help.

Who’s better with the computer?
He’s the one who refused to sleep until the PC was running again.

Who drives when you are together?
That would be the driver because we commute.

Z attended the very first birthday party of his classmate in school last week. He was pretty excited last night after I told him it was going to be Mika’s birthday the following day. I suggested to him that we write her a birthday card. Z protested, “But I don’t know how.” True enough, Z was born in the digital age and I think he has never laid eyes on a birthday card. So after convincing him that I can teach him how he settled on his chair. I pulled out a bond paper and folded it in half. I then instructed him to draw his school and his classmates which he has done many times on the megasketcher before. He was insistent that he did everything – from the drawing to the coloring and finally to the note inside that simply read, “Dear Mika, Happy Birthday! Zyke” I’m kicking myself now for not taking a picture. My little baby’s really grown up now. sigh.

S has been enjoying some months on the day shift when suddenly he was assigned again to the dreadful night shift. Most call center employees can attest that being on the night shift can be a nightmare. More so for those who have insomnia. If it’s hard for them to sleep at night it’s ten times harder for them to try to sleep in broad daylight when everyone around them is abuzz with activities. It has been my husband’s problem for years now.  The worst part was once he finally dozes off one small sound or movement and he’s up in a jiffy thinking he’s already had his full eight hours of sleep when in fact he just closed his eyes five minutes ago. It has been a source of frustration on his end and my heart ached for his suffering.

I have tried everything to make him sleep – from drawing the shades so he won’t be bothered by the bright sunlight to turning the airconditioning on so he won’t be bothered by the heat. I have even tried massages just to relax his body but whenever we tiptoe to the bedroom one tiny creak and  he’s awake and try as he may he couldn’t find his sleep after that.

Then one day, I decided to pull out our extra foam mattress and put it in the middle of our living room. I declared to my little boy that absolutely no one should ever enter daddy’s room while he was sleeping and I meant every word of it. One time, Z even cried buckets of tears just because he left his favorite toy car inside the room.  Still I refused to let him in. We camped in the living room for a couple of nights. It was a sacrifice we had to make.

So what’s the verdict? It was a great success! For the first time in what seemed like years he was able to sleep the full eight hours! It was unbelievable! In fact, I was so ecstatic I even proclaimed it a miracle. We did it again the next day and the next and with the same result. S would complain he would get lonely waking up finding himself alone in bed but I refused to melt. Z had some late nights after that because of he found it too tempting to stay awake with the TV on (we don’t have one in the bedroom) but it was well worth it.

Z's small sacrifice for his daddy

On hindsight, maybe S didn’t have insomnia after all. Maybe he was so used getting so little sleep that it became a habit.  It was a bad habit that went on for years, sadly. You might be wondering what happened next. Are we relegated to sleeping in the living room now? Fortunately, it just took a few days of him getting enough hours of sleep (6-8) that pretty soon his body refused to take anything less. My heart would still skip a beat every time he moves  while sleeping but thankfully, he doesn’t get up like a soldier ready for battle anymore. He dozes right back to dreamland.

So that’s how we defeated insomnia. It might be even too early to declare a victory after all we’re only into the second week but I’m positive we finally did it.

Sorry if I have to chop my posts into parts but I noticed how my posts are so long but infrequent.  So as not to leave too many days with no posts in between it’s better that I do it this way. Here is Part I.

To say that I was shocked to see the megasketcher broken just hours after buying it was an understatement. In fact, I think I was so livid that I shook. You see, in order to erase your drawing you need to pull down a  thingie. Once you pull it down it automatically raises itself up.  At least that’s what it was supposed to do but all of a sudden it refuses to go up. I wanted to throw a tantrum but all I could do was tiptoe quietly to get the screwdriver so I could fix it. Although “no” is not in my hubby’s vocabulary “I told you so” was definitely in it and that was the last thing I wanted to hear.

So I opened it and was met with the most complicated machine setup in a toy. Okay, I was exaggerating.  I think the logic behind it was supposed to be simple but I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. In defeat, I informed my husband. He didn’t say “I told you so” but he laughed which was worst. I was so frustrated that I wanted to go back and return it  that very same day but S told me to relax and promised he’ll take care of it the next day.

In short it was replaced and thank God it’s been months now and its still alive. Z has forgotten it for a while but now he’s so in love with the it. He spends a considerable amount of time drawing, writing, and even telling stories about his drawings.

Z's version of his school

Paper would have been less expensive but I think it’s more exciting for my little one to draw on the megasketcher.  Even I use it as a blackboard when I pretend to be Z’s teacher. It’s certainly better than all the hotwheels sets, transformers, and that dreadful PSP. It encourages Z not only to write and draw but to think. I highly recommend it. Although I dread the day that it will break again but I think it’s definitely worth it. I hope it would be later than sooner though.

Approximately six months ago, we bought Z a MegaSketcher. For those who don’t know what it is, it looks like this:

Megasketcher

It started after reading from another blog, forgive my memory but I forgot whose blog it was, and was amazed how her daughter drew beautiful things courtesy of the Megasketcher.  Her little two-year old daughter’s drawings were a beauty and I was already wondering how I could have benefited from such an amazing toy if I had that as a little girl. “Could I have been the next Michaelangelo?” I wondered. Sorry, I was pushing it, wasn’t I?

To make a long story short, I knew right then and there that  it was something  Z has to have – ASAP. So off we went to the mall. And there it was the Megasketcher. It’s price tag – P800.00. S thought I was out of my mind. I, on the other hand, was adamant he couldn’t see what I was looking at. While he was looking at the price tag I was looking at its endless possibilities. He was looking at a toy while I was looking at a canvass. hihi

It was evident we were not meeting eye-to-eye but one of the perks of marrying a nice guy is he doesn’t have the word “no” in his vocabulary. So instead of saying no he told me, “It’s up to you.” In a flash, I bought the Megasketcher. At home, I was giddy with excitement as I opened it. I told Z it was mine so he’ll take care of it. He said yes and borrowed it. I looked away for a minute and when I glanced back it was already broken.

To be continued…

I gave my husband a gift last Christmas. It was a watch. It was a spur of the moment thing. He just came from work and we were supposed to meet each other at a mall. I bought the watch a few minutes before we met.  We were late and he was of course pissed. He didn’t like waiting. He asked why we were late and silly me, I couldn’t keep from smiling. So out came the watch and he couldn’t believe that I actually bought him something. We don’t give presents to each other so that really was a surprise. He said he really liked it but I made sure we dropped by the store before we went home. In a flash he had it exchanged with another watch. LOL

Now it’s almost Christmas and I wish we bought a different one. His watch’s bracelet is made of leather and it’s already showing signs of wear and tear. I should have bought the one with stainless steel bracelet so it will last longer.

I checked one of the most reputable dealers of Rolex watches, www.bestoftime.com and they sure have such exquisite watches.

I like that one the best and it has some added features like a few diamonds here and there not to mention the two-tone solid gold stainless steel bracelet. It’s original price was $7,500.00 but through their website you can get it for $2,799.95. That’s a pretty good deal for me. If only they could give that kind of discount to clothes and shoes… Unfortunately for hubby, he still has to wait a couple more decades years before I can give him that surprise. In the meantime, we’ll just have to settle on buying a really nice stainless steel bracelet for his watch, minus the gold of course.

I stole this from Kerslyn but then I realized Niko tagged me earlier. Thanks to both of you!

Daddy, this is for you!

1. He’s sitting in front of the tv, what is on the screen?

He’s not a TV watcher.  He’ll be more likely in front of the laptop or his PSP but if he accidentally found himself  turning on the TV he’ll be watching anime like his all-time favorite Naruto.

2. You’re out to eat, what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? 

What salad? He’s a carnivore, definitely no salad for him.

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?

He doesn’t like vegetables.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink, what does he order?

Fries and drinks, hands down. He doesn’t care what it comes with as long as he has his french fries.

5. What shirt size does he have?

Large.

6. What shoe size does he have?

9… Uh,oh he corrected me and said it was actually 11.

7. What’s his favorite type of sandwich?

I think he would love a bacon sandwich since he doesn’t get to eat bacon as often as he wants to.

8. What would he eat everyday if he could?

Definitely, hotdog.

9. What is his favorite cereal? 

Oatmeal.

10. What would he never wear?

A dress!  LOL

11. What is his fave sports team?

This one I don’t know. – He said it’s Boston…  I’m still not sure what that is.

12. Who did he vote for?

He has never voted! I know it’s a shame but we will register for the next election!

13. Who is his bestfriend?

Yours truly!

14. What is something he does that you wish he wouldn’t do?

Playing PSP or any kind of game. For me, it’ s SUCH a waste of his time and talents. I can suggest better things to occupy your time, darling. LOL

15. What is his heritage?

Filipino-Spanish.

16. You bake him a cake, what kind of cake?

Triple chocolate cake!

17. Did he play sports in high school?

No.

18. What could he spend hours doing?

Aside from looking into my eyes…  Seriously, he can stay in front of the PC for hours playing a game but at the present he’s more into playing with his guitar and composing songs but still does it in front of the PC!

19. What is the unique talent that he has? 

Making me feel I’m the most beautiful person he’s ever seen and he’s so good at it that at times I really do believe him! LOL

20. What is his type of coffee? 

He’s more into juice and soda.

Linggo ng Wika

Last Friday was Linggo ng Wika at Z’s school and there was a program held in the subdivision court. I thought I was not familiar with the place so we dropped by his friend, Alexia’s apartment so we can go there together. It turned out Z and I have been there a couple of times already. Read more »

I admit my life is pretty boring and the highlight of my uneventful day could be me picking up my son at school or watching a totally forgettable movie with my husband. It doesn’t bother me most of the time because I can’t deny the fact that I’ve always been a homebody. I’m not exactly thrilled about going out except when I go out and shop for something. But because of internet, I don’t even have to go out to shop anymore. There is a relatively new phenomenon that is called internet shopping and it can engage any woman to spend hours on the internet without the aching feet. I admit I have spent hours on online stores looking for the perfect make-up and have even tried buying a digital camera with great success. I also spend considerable time drooling over things I can’t afford like new cars and the perfect house. Internet shopping is indeed fun and the best part is I can do it at home.

I have no work these past two weeks so I have been offline mostly. It’s really an effort not getting online but I think I’m succeeding. Just last week we have spent an afternoon swimming at Rainforest Park in Pasig again and Z had a blast. I plan to make it a weekly affair mainly because I want Z to really learn how to swim. As for me, I can get the exercise I needed too.

Meanwhile, S has been so busy too – writing songs, recording, uploading his songs, etc. Music is his passion and I can only imagine what it is like to really love something. He’s lucky he knows his passion and good at it too. If only he can make a living just by singing. I know that’s his dream. Hmm, when would it come true?

In our place, the garbage truck arrives once a week. Since we are living in the third floor, that can be a problem. It means every Thursday I have to keep my eyes and ears open and dash downstairs at the first sign of the truck. There are unfortunate times when I miss it completely and we’re stuck with our rotting garbage for the next week. If only they can use a Skip Bin Hire Software so their waste collection process is organized so it will ensure that everyone’s waste is picked up every week. Now, that would be a relief!

This was taken more than a year ago. I lived in the province and I was able to experience lots of things that is not typically done in the metro. One of them is bathing in the rain. I wanted Z to be able to experience that too so one day while watching the rain through our window I just threw caution to the wind and told him that he can take a bath in the rain if he wanted. He was hesitant at first, poor kid he didn’t know how enjoyable it was to be able to take bath in the rain. He thought I was teasing him but I didn’t need to encourage him too long and he was out of door. Too bad the rain was just drizzling by the time he went out, I was hoping he would experience more of a downpour. It didn’t matter, the experience to him was one thing I’m sure he would never forget.

True enough, my hunch was correct when I said bathing in the rain is unthinkable here in Manila. Z recently went to school and he said his teacher asked their class who was able to experience taking a bath in the rain and Z  proudly told me he was the only one who did it!

My mother-in-law  just arrived from Japan. I think before she came home she must have visited a perfume store because she gave all of us our own perfumes.  My husband received a Hugo Boss perfume and he absolutely loves it. I also love it on him. Meanwhile, I received my very own Chanel No. 5. I was speechless when I received it. It was a perfume I was looking for back in my younger days because of the reviews I heard about it. Unfortunately, my friend told me that perfume has long been discontinued. Anyway, it was not true after all. How she knew I was looking for this particular perfume at one point of my life, I do’t know and I was happy to receive it.