new toys

i'm not a gadget freak (according to one article i wrote months back)but if i have the money and i had to buy something other than the basics...i'd go for the techie stuff.

after missy, comes Oly.  oly is my new toy, short for, Olympus.  Oly is the new Olympus µ TOUGH-8000 -- a 12 megapixel, waterproof, shockproof, crushproof and freezeproof digital camera.  Pretty tough for a digicam, this beauty can be drop off a 2m solid ground and still take pictures perfectly.  for more of its features you may check this site.

the main reason why i bought this is because our old baby digicam -- Canon Ixus i5 can't take pictures under the bright sun anymore.  It has a waterproof casing when we purchased it that's why buying an ordinary digicam won't give justice to the tradition.   Sofi and i are both beach-addicts too that's why a waterproof digicam is definitely a good buy.

Mall price is  around P24,000.  I got mine from St. Francis Squre, the tiangge mall right across Megamall from Kimstore for only P14,500.  Though they have a package which that includes memory and casing, I opted to buy the unit only.  It's cheaper and since i have an extra memory from my cell phone I decided not to buy another one.

I got it a few days after we went to Zamba.  It's a pity that I wasn't able to get it before the swim but it's okay.  I'm pretty sure there'll be another one.

Another toy I got after Christmas is  the Myer Desk Lamp.  It's a lamp with a dimmer switch, good for my night reading and homework preparation.  I've been asking Jaims for a night lamp because I can't read in the dark every time I bring home a pocketbook or if i have to write a paper that requires reading a book or magazine.  the only time I get to read a book is when Sofi is asleep and that meant lights off.  With this new toy, I can brighten the room and dim it, too. Got it from SM for P195.00 with orange tag.  Can't wait for school to start again :)

buffalo wings

tis another season of leftovers that's why when kuya told me that we have fried chicken in the refrigerator i thought of recycling it and transforming it to another dish. i intended to cook chicken in lemon butter sauce but when i check the stocks we don't have two of the main ingredients. the dish turned out to be good as Daddy seemed to enjoy his buffalo wings. Sorry i didn't put the exact amount since this was done from scratch and based on trial-and-error theory i don't remember how much i placed.  just do the math :)

Mommy's Buffalo Wings from Scratch
ingredients:

leftover chicken wings (chop into smaller pieces)
cornstarch
tomato sauce
soy sauce
cane vinegar
sugar
pongkan juice
pepper
salt
water

Instructions:
In a pot, put diluted cornstarch and tomato sauce. Let it boil then add the soy sauce and vinegar. Put sugar and pepper according to taste buds' desire. Squeeze the half pongkan and mix. Allow to boil. In a separate pan, re-fry the chicken pieces to add crunch. Add the chicken to our sauce and mix until all the chicken pieces are coated. Boil until sauce is thick.

If you prefer your buffalo wings spicy, add hot sauce before adding the chicken.

Merry Christmas everyone!

cast your burdens

something was bothering me last night. no amount of words can calm my spirit so i decided to take a bath -- a long bath. i let the water run through my face to wash away the tears and of course the dirt i got from outside. I felt fresh and relieved after the bath and this song ran through my mind:

I Can Be...

[gallery]

We went to Robinson's Visa Sale at the Megatent last weekend just to take a peek of what's inside. The Megatent has been there since early this year and I've seen numerous events held there...well not literally though. Since we live next to it, the banners gave us an idea in the past months what's happening inside -- weekend market, church gatherings, crocs sale, etc. It's only this weekend that we were able to check what's inside. I didn't see much on fashion but they toy sale and the handy man sale were more than enough reason for us to stay longer. While Jaims was busy with the handy man stuff, Sofi and I peeked at the toys area. Some are still a bit pricey but some like the pool floaters cost lower. They said they can't assure us if it's still working but what the heck it's just 50 bucks. We also got a toy car for Vinci but the biggest buy was the one for Sofi. She wants to get the xylophone but I figured we can always get them at the mall since its mall price is not that expensive. I was eyeing the Barbie dolls but I’m not sure if she will like them for long. She has Sally and I recently found her lying on the shoe rack. Then I saw the I Can Be...Kelly. Kelly is the baby Barbie, I figured Sofi might be able to relate with her since Kelly is around 5-10 years old. The I Can Be...Kelly is a sports-theme set. There are 4 kelly's inside the set -- a tennis player, karate champion, swimmer and a skater. I got it for P500 which retailed as P999.00 in regular price. It has been a week and the kelly's are neatly kept in a box given by her dad. The box has dividers which served as their beds when Sofi's about to sleep. I overheard her, during Kelly’s first night with us, saying, “Goodnight, toys!” When Sofi wakes up, she brings along the box and plays with her Kelly’s. She also asks me to feed her Kelly while she eats. I hope the little Barbie’s last a long time and that her attention for them lasts, too.

ya-yay tummy!

Last night was a terrible night for Sofi..and me.  Before going up to our room, Sofi said she pooped and that her tummy was hurting.  Thinking that the tummy ache was just something connected to the poop, I brought her up to our room,  washed her and gave her her night-time bath.  After dressing her up, she complained of another tummy ache.  I told her that mommy will put oil so that it won't hurt anymore.  I rubbed oil all over her tummy putting a sign of the cross first before finally spreading it -- just like how mama does it before with us.  She asked for milk afterwards.  a few minutes after she started vomitting the milk she drank.  I ran towards the comfort room to get a "tabo".   But since we were both on bed, it took me a while before i can go to the comfort room and get our "suka-catcher".  The bed was already drenched with vomit when I got back.  I undressed her, washed her again and left her on one side of our room so I can change the beddings.  Jaims was not home when this happened that's why it took me a while to do everything.  I wanted her to sleep already but she wouldn't.  maybe she was scared but most of all because she wasn't feeling right even after vomitting.  She consumed 60z of water and didn't want to take any solid or milk anymore.  She kept on saying, "ya-yay tummy ni Sofi".  I left her on our makeshift bed to fix the beddings and wash the soiled pillows and beddings.  After a while, she vomitted again, this time it was the rice and chicken she ate at 5PM.  Somehow she wasn't able to digest what she ate.  A few more vomitting spiels happened before she finally fell asleep.

This wasn't an ordinary day for Sofi.  She ate rice, soup and chicken for lunch.  And then when we woke up at 5PM, she asked for rice, soup and chicken again.  After this, she asked for milk.  when she was done, she saw mini cakes and finished a pack -- 3 pieces.  During dinner time, she grabbed another chicken and ate them again.  When her dad arrived, she tried getting another chicken but I stopped her already.  I was even happy that she was eating a lot and not asking too much milk, only to find out that she wasn't able to digest it.

Today, I was supposed to bring her to work but while i was dressing up, Sofia fell asleep on our bed.  Gone were my half-day plans, but it's fine with me as long as she's feeling a lot better.

sally

Sofi received an imitation Barbie Doll called Sally on her last birthday.  Since I'm not brand conscious and the doll seemed to make her happy, I made her play with it.  The only qualm I have with Sally was that she's not properly dressed.  Sally wears a very small tube that slips off easily and a super tight fit jeans that shows off the crack of her butt.  The boots she's wearing is a plus -- everything else was a no-no.

Sally and Sofi's first few days were okay but I feel Sofi's uneasiness whenever Sally's tube falls off.  "mommy, labas do-do!", she screams.  I couldn't remember when she stopped playing with Sally.  The last time I saw Sally, her boobs were squished and her tube's velcro tape was already removed.  I placed Sally back to her box, and put it aside.

Early this week, as Sofi was being her usual self...climbing the sofa looking for stuff to mess with, she saw Sally's box.  She pulled it and I saw Sally's warped body.  I was about to say don't play with it anymore but I saw Sofi's face brighten.  Maybe she remembered how much she loved the toy.  I grabbed the box, told her that i'll have sally fixed first then went straight to the kitchen.  I asked dadi if there's anything he can do to return Sally to her normal self.  Dad was able to fix Sally but I didn't want Sofi to keep on saying "mommy, do-do".  We brought Sally upstairs and I attempted to give her a decent top.

Here is Sally now:[gallery]

The shirt she's wearing is an old underwear which I sewed at the top to give her a neck cut.  I sewed the sides and left the bottom hem unsewed.  I was pretty impressed with myself after i have done this shirt.  Sofi was excited while I put the parts together and she kept on insisting that she wants to play with Sally even if I wasn't done with my project.  After finishing the shirt, I gave sally to Sofi and she played with it.

but now Sally's back on the floor...kids...tsk tsk tsk...

superwoman

Jaims left at dawn today for a fishing trip.  In as much as I wanted to argue with him about it, there's nothing I can do.  The man has long been deprived of what he really wanted in the past months.  anyway Sofi and I are left to do the house chores.  This used to be a Saturday event but the long weekend gave me more time to choose when to do the household chores.

i woke up at 7am.  Since Sofi was still asleep, I decided to bring down my first set of laundry and leave it at our washing machine.  since it is fully automatic, i will just come back to put fabric softener at the last part of the cycle.  I went up again, folded the used blankets and freed the room of any clutter.  I was also contemplating on how to remove deodorant stains in our clothes.  the stains accumulated over time making it less wearbale.  i searched the Internet while waiting for Sofi to wake.  There were many ways on how to do it but one easy method I found  was to leave it overnight in a water-vinegar solution.   Since I need an immediate fix, I made a water-vinegar solution and left the clothes for 30 minutes.  I scrubbed the area afterwards with soap.  The affected area became a little better after scrubbing it.   maybe if I do this before dumping everything in the washing machine then I'll have deo-free laundry.

When Sofi woke up, I gave her a bag which contains her necessities...toys and Barbie DVD.  We went down and urged her to eat with me but she wasn't in the mood.  She just laydown on the sofa and watched her Barbie DVD using her lolo's portable player.  After loading my last set of laundry to our washer, I gave Sofi a bath but since she wasn't in the mood she was screaming when i started pouring the cold water over her head.  I had to bring her back to the kitchen, boil water and let her wait.  While waiting for the water to boil, i folded my first set of laundry.

i gave her a fast bath, patted her dry, dressed her up and gave her milk.  When  i checked on her water suppply, I realized that she only has two bottles left.  So i washed her soiled bottles and boiled them.  I went back to my laundry and folded them again.  After everything has been folded and hung.  I fixed her milk box, loaded our laundry back to its bag and dragged her to our room so she can rest.

When we got to our room, I knew she was sleepy but I know that she wouldn't sleep if you impose it on her.  I plugged her Barbie DVD in our computer and told her that I'll just take a bath.  Just before I entered the bathroom she called me and told me that she likes milk.  I can't seem to wipe the grin off my face, I knew that she'll fall asleep the moment she finishes her milk.  And I was right!  She fell asleep while watching Barbie.

I took the opportunity to work on my Statistics assignment, eat lunch, surf the Internet and watched a "muted" TV  show until she woke up and started asking about her Barbie DVD again.

It's 3PM already and there's one more thing that I haven't accomplish today.  To bring her out and eat at McDO.  But the stupid rain prevents us from doing so :(

story telling

[caption id="attachment_273" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="storytelling with the Grade 1 boys"][/caption]

I’m still high from last Thursday’s story telling session. It was the grade 1 boy's Linggo ng Wika celebration and I was invited to share a legend. I was already informed a few weeks ago through a letter but I haven't had the time to talk to Ms. Pablo. I can simply call her and back out since I have no experience in storytelling at all but I didn't. I went to the GS library to look for an alamat that they might like. Among the Moderno Series of Lampara Books I saw are:

• Alamat ng niyog
• Alamat ng mangga
• Alamat ng ampalaya
• Alamat ng butiki
• Alamat ng papaya
• Alamat ng pating

I borrowed a few and browse through them. I was already contemplating on getting the shark story but I was still undecided.

sm advantage

we've had our SM advantage card for almost a year now and i really didn't understand how it works.  all i know is that for each purchase you make, a corresponding point is added under your name.  

i religiously surrender my advantage card on the cashier's cue:

ma'am, may advantage card po kayo?

otherwise, they will tell you to purchase a card from them.  they'll give you a temporary card (SM Advantage Express Membership Kit), use it all up until you realize that it has already expired and the points you've garnered has been forfeited already.  By the way their website says, you have to pay 150 pesos for the membership kit which contains the temp card and some forms to fill up.  You can claim your card with your name printed on it after 14 days.  make sure you claim it personally or if you'll be asking someone to pick it up for you, send an ID.  Trust me they won't give it to you.

anyway, while doing the grocery the other day i found out how the points can be claimed.  i saw an ad near the cash register which says use your SMAC to pay your goods.  Since i was a little short financially, i paid using my remaining GC and the points I garnered from SMAC.  I earned 222 points only!  i wonder how long should i use my card to reach even a thousand.  i used it all up to pay for sofi's milk.  i was so amazed.   i didn't know that the points meant peso value.  i thought this is like the point system which after earning them you can have it trade for a fixture like airpot or TV. 

i'd like to complain about how slow the earning capacity of a SMAC is,  but i realized saving me 222 pesos is quite a big deal already.  Jaims didn't know it too until i have swiped his card.  Now he's crying because he realized he could have use it to buy car shampoo for barney.

am i sick?

yesterday, while at work, i felt dizzy again. though i can still stay up, i knew that when i go home i'm going to puke like hell again. after staying under the sun with my mentees because they were excited to play frisbee, i decided to take my afternoon nap at work (i stopped taking my PM naps ever since Reagan and Emman became my officemates hahaha!). The 45 minute nap helped a little but there was still this faint dizziness lurking. I left the two boys not feeling extremely well. While at the jeepney on my way home, I got shaken and was sweating profusely. opening my eyes worsen the situation as i become dizzier than before. I managed to get home without damaging any man made elements but our toilet bowl experienced the fury. I vomitted everything I ate from 10AM onwards.

exposure trip to the barber shop

sofi and I followed dadi yesterday when he decided to have his hair trimmed at a village barber shop.  Sofi doesn't like having her hair cut nor does she want to see pieces of hair in the floor.  when we got there, dadi was waiting for his turn.  sofi saw the trimmed hair  on the floor and she got agitated again.  She was screaming and shouting NO.  She was even asking me to sweep the floor to get rid of the hair.  When it was Jaims' turn, she grabbed a magazine and started reading.  I didn't have a camera so I took Jaims' phone and took a picture of my baby in her exposure trip.  Took a lot of prodding before i can convince her to sit on the swivel chair.



P.S.
convinced her tonight to have her bangs cut :)

what's next?

jaims and i have been experiencing our share of, as lemony Snicket puts it, "a series of unfortunate events".  We'd like to think it's just a normal phase of life, that things will smoothen out in the end.  after all, recession has been felt in most homes.

our savings are depleting, and it seems that the monthly income is not enough to sustained the daily needs.  we've cut our nonsense spendings, ended our regular afternoon shawarma journey and even slept on our hunger pangs to avoid having midnight snack. 

feng shui can't lure me to reorganize our room, my office table or my forever short hair.  people always tell me  that God has plans for each one of us.  and i'm holding on to this belief.  maybe God wanted us to feel the pain so that we get to appreciate the fruits long after.  maybe God has stop giving jaims small time projects because a big one's ought to come.  He doesn't want jaims to get tired of the small things because He wanted jaims to dwell on the big project he's about to get.

i am no longer praying that i win the lotto or stumble on a big sack of money on my way home.  Today, i prayed that God strengthen my faith on Him and to hold on to the belief that He has plans for my family.  Today, I prayed that this phase do not ruin my relationship with Him and to break my family.  Today, I prayed that I can be strong enough to wait for His Grace even it takes a life time.

teacher sarah

Since our libraries are already integrated and two librarians left from previous school year, i was called to handle the ILSP class for Grade 1.  ILSP classes are info literacy  classes to teach students how to use the library and become better handlers of information.  it wasn't until the latter part of summer that i learned i was going to handle the Grade 1 boys.  The school year hasn't even warmed up and another librarian informed us of her intention to retire early.  We were left with no choice but to take on the Grade 2 class meant for her.

For someone who's been handling high school boys for 4 years, teaching the lower grade level is a challenge.  i feel that teaching them is a lot harder than teaching older boys.  How can I explain to them how to borrow when they don't even know what a call number is?  Do they even know how to write? Can I raise my voice without offending them? Will they throw fits once they get the wrong answer? Am I oblige to give them candies to motivate them to recite?  will they believe me? should i believe them? what will i do if they start crying?

anyways, some of my questions were answered 2 weeks ago.  The Grade 2 boys were extremely active.  They were raising their hands each time i asked, and they seem to have the energy of a nuclear plant.  I had back-to-back classes of Grade 2 boys with 2 sections, meaning, i was handling 2 sections for 80 minutes.  It's a good thing, Reagan and I splitted the load or I might die of exhaustion.  It's scary to have them first thing in the morning while their energies are still surging.  We added activities after each lesson to make sure thay don't die of boredom.  But in some sections the boys can be a little rowdy, they all wanted to recite so they grab the activity cards from the one who was supposed to recite.  It can be riot, if you mind them.  But after the tiring session, i can't help but smile when I see them all excited to have their borrower's card.  There are some boys who would grab a book from their smaller, less powerful, classmates and borrow it themselves.  Some are nice enough to share a book with their classmates.  I feel so fulfillled seeing how this little boys are excited to borrow books and whenever i hear them greeting me.   This quarter I was tasked to be the counter during recess, and it's so fulfilling to hear them call you and greet you.  Some would even stop by and mention that they are borrowing today.

Last week, I had my first session with the Grade 1 boys.  With them, I had to make a giant borrower's card, and giant yellow card, and they have to have a practice sheet to write on before they can borrow.  I have to repeat important details, and I have to be much animated than before.  They're a lot inquisitive than the Grade 2.  I had a few boys insisting on being called (even if I don't have a question) and when you call them they'll tell you a mile long story...not related to the lesson.  I got several questions, some are funny:

Are there classes on Monday? Why shouldn't we have classes? Because it's SONA. There are no announcement yet. (And his predictions came true, Nostradamus, is that you?)

*****
(I was already rushing my lesson because they came late and a boy insisted on being called after flashing the faces of the library staff. 
Teacher, that Emman guy, he is the boyfriend of my Prep teacher.
(The Emman guy doesn't have a girlfriend in our Prep department, there's another Emman though who has wife from the EEd Dept.)

*****
After discussing the rules inside the library, a boy raised his hand.  
Teacher!
Yes, do you have a question?
My ID broke.

*****
I give out sample borrower's card and a book to each boy and I allow them to practice by copying the call number and accession number. A boy called my attention and said,
Are you sure this is just an example?
yes, this is just an example.
Are you sure we won't take these books home?
Teacher said this is just an example, you won't take the books home. You can get another one later.
Good! because Snow White is for girls.

*****
Why are you crying?
My pencil went at the back of the shelf?
I'll just lend you.
I want my pencil (still crying)
What happened? Why did your pencil got stuck there? Who threw it?
he didn't answer.
Did you throw it?
Yes.

*****
While showingthe names and faces of the library staff, the name Noemi appeared and a boy raised his hand. I called him and he said:
"My yaya's name is Noemi."

*****
How can you take care of the books you borrowed?
Boy1: Do not rip the pages.
Boy2:Do not throw the book.
Boy3: Do not FRY the book.

Postscript 08-04-2009
had another class yesterday. part of the lesson is to discuss the sections of the library, one of which is the Teachers' Collection. One boy asked:

Teacher, if I disguised as a teacher will you know that I entered the Teachers' Collection?

bwahahahah!

Sofi's 2nd birthday

It was Sofi's 2nd bday last Friday.  Since I still have to report to work, Jaims and I decided to celebrate her birthday the following day.  We have agreed before that we won't have a special party for her 2nd birthday.  more than the lack of money, we felt that living and leading a simple life is one of the values that we want to instill on her...and yeah the lack of funds is a major reason too...hehehe!  God must have love me soo much that he decided to whisper to our Accounting department to release our salaries earlier.

 After work, I went straight to Robinson's Galleria to buy ingredients and balloons for her home party.  Mama said I just need to buy the sauce and noodles because she already bought the ground pork at the market that morn.  I decided to get her a gift also.  The sketch and erase thingy that works like the magic slate we used to have before.  Jaims fetched me and when we got home, I gave Sofi her gift at once.  I had it wrapped in RG so when she saw me with the box she got so excited she kept saying WOW!

The next day, we woke up at 8 so I can finish my laundry before our mini party begins.  I knew from her schedule that Sofi will sleep by 11AM, so that's when I started pumping air to her balloons.  I never knew blowing air to balloons can be so hard.  I popped 3 while pumping air and a lot followed even when I wasn't touching them.  From the official count of 23, i ended with 10 balloons by the time the party started.

When i was finished with the balloons, I prepared her dress and went back to our room to check on her.  I brought her down and I felt so happy hearing how amazed she was that there were balloons all over our sala.  When she saw her dress she was coaxing me to change her clothes already.  Again, she got so excited that she kept on saying "thank you, mommy! thank you, daddy!"

We left her for a while to buy her cake.  I was planning to buy her a cake at red Ribbon to avoid the hassle of going to Goldilocks but when I got there, I was caught surprised by the price. A small rectangular cake costs 699.00 as compared to Goldilock's 299.00.  The kuripot me decided to just go to Goldilocks.  i got her the 8x12 chocolate cake.  When we got home Sofi saw the box and she was chanting "botday ni Sofi, botdey ni Sofi" repeatedly.  We took several pictures of her blowing her birthday candles.  Honestly, i made her practice a few days before her birthday.  I took a white candle and asked her to blow it.  I knew that on her birthday she'll make it.

We had cake, spaghetti, chicken lollipop, lumpiang shanghai, softdrinks and ice cream.  We invited her Tita (jaims' sister) but they weren't able to come.  her Ninang analyn dropped by to greet her also. So technically it was just us who where present during her birthday.  But she was happy.  I knew from her reaction, her face, her perkiness that she appreciated our little effort to celebrate her special day.  And at that instant I felt like I'm celebrating my own birthday -- her happinness is one great gift.

very long weekend

since it's gonna take a while before i report back to work i've taken the role of a mommy-slash-yaya. Sofi is turning to a one hell of an explorer -- one minute she's under the table and the next thing you knew she's up the shelves. She talks a lot, runs a lot, cries a lot and do all sorts of mommy NO-NOs. but mommy's learning how to control her anger or at least mommy's trying to lengthen her patience.

Today, Sofi made me proud with the three things she did.
1. Sofi wee-wee using her potty trainer for the first time. We have the potty trainer long before she was born. Her cousin used to own it. I tried teaching her how to use it before but she keeps on laughing each time i ask her to wee-wee. This morning, I pulled her diapers and allowed her to play with just her undies on. She went to me and told me that she wants to pee. So I hurriedly clean the potty trainer and gave it to her. On her first attempt, no pee came out, so i went back to my breakfast. She was able to make it on her second. My dad asked if I put water inside the potty. I said no and peeked in. She was able to make it.

2. She took her vitamins with no struggles.  Medicine feeding was the hardest part of her daily routine.  She would cry and pretend to choke and vomit when asked to take her vitamins.  We had to stop giving her vitamins when she turned 1 because the process seemed futile.  Thanks to the tiki-tiki vitamins commercial showcasing a smiling baby while being given tiki-tiki drops, medicine taking is a breeze.

3.  She helped me in baking bibingka.  Though I still have to guide her with the whisk, she was so happy being allowed to help in the preparation of the merienda.  We made an instant bibingka which we got from the cupboard.  The Bibingka was made of a 250g Bibingka mix (similar to a hotcake flour), 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 4tbsp melted butter, 1 cup water and salted egg.  Baked it in a oven toaster for 15 minutes or so.  She was beside me when i popped it out from the oven and she was amazed after seeing how it turned out.

missy

I’m typing this blog entry using MISSY.  Missy is my new toy.  Though I’m not the gadget-freak type, I think that it’s high time I get my own lappytoppy.  Been salivating about this for quite some time though I didn’t like the idea of getting a netbook before.

Netbooks refer to the small version notebooks with screens measuring from 8 to 10inches. They’re as big as regular writing notebook, as light as your husband’s shoes and as functional as your regular PC.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="362" caption="MSI WIND"][/caption]

Netbooks don’t have optical drives -- Can’t play, watch or burn CDs/DVDs.  But I’ve seen its advantage.  It’s light, portable and budget friendly.  There are a lot of available 10” netbooks in the market.  There’s HP mini, the ever famous ASUS eee PC, Lenovo and MSI Wind.  I also encountered Gigabyte and Qube netbooks in the market.  But after weeks of comparing and browsing reviews on the web, MSI Wind emerged as the winner.  I got the MSI Wind 100H LXP8 with the following specs:

• Intel Atom N280 Processor


• 10.2” WSVGA (non-glare type)


• SATA 250 GB


• 2GB DDRII Memory


• 6 cells battery


• No Bluetooth


• Webcam


• Wi-fi ready


• Free XP home

In terms of physical appearance HP mini is a sure winner, availability of accessories is taken over by ASUS but Wind has an almost full-size keyboard.  Its screen size is also a lot bigger than other netbooks.  HP mini becomes way too hot during usage and they say Wind has a tolerable heat.  Anyway since this is an ode to Missy and not another netbook review, I’m stopping here.  Besides Missy has just arrived last Saturday so I can’t say much based from experience.  Give me another month and I’m sure there’s a lot to say about her.  I just hope I get this fully paid before something bad happens to her or at least have the warranty cover the damages if ever.  Top priority is to keep Missy away from Sofi…as she can be one big gadget-freak.

LTO student permit

As my husband-slash-driving instructor recommends, a student driver's permit is required in the process of learning how to drive.  We went yesterday, June 8, 2009 in Pasig LTO situated inside the Kapitolyo grounds.  As promised, fixers were all over the place, shouting and signing "Sir, parehistro po, parehistro?"  And since I have my bodyguard slash husband slash driving instructor with me there was no way these guys can get near me.  We got there at 12 noon and since the gov't has a mandated lunchbreak sched, we just got the requirement list and went out to take lunch first. The list told us to bring the following:

birth certificate from civil registry

Tin Number

Application Form

P 371.63

Make sure you have a photocopy of your birth certificate and your ID bearing your TIN number.  In my case since I am married already, I was asked to submit a marriage certificate.  Good thing, I had it with me.  If you don't have a birth certificate with you...The list also indicates what to submit just in case you dont have your birth certificate with you like a government ID like SSS or GSIS is required or an affidavit of two persons claiming that they know you and you are that person applying for a license.

We got back past 1 pm, and there was already a checkpoint near the LTO office asking for parking fee who weren't there on our first trip.  After a discussion, we ended paying P20.00 with government receipt that looks like it was tampered.  The seats were almost filled.  I went straight to the customer service representative table, where they gave me the application form.  I filled it up, gathered my documents and submitted it to him.  He told me to wait so I squeezed myself amongst the sweaty licensee hopefuls and waited for my turn to be called.  It was quite a long wait but still tolerable.  While waiting, I saw a man in shorts came out of the office, went close to the security guard, handed a balled up paper to him and said something which i figured as thank you.  And for that moment I felt nervous.  I was thinking, the wait might end up to be longer than I think it should.

After a few more minutes, I was called only to find out that I should be submitting a marriage certificate instead of a birth certificate since i'm married already.  I gave my photo copy and submitted my paper back.  Again I waited.  And then my name was announced in the mcrophone and was told to proceed to the photographer.  Yey, Step 2!  It was a small window and from there a webcam was situated atop a CPU unit.  I was told to just look at the webcam, a few seconds after i was instructed to sign in a tablet.  It was funny to see scribbles of names and signatures in the tablet.  Maybe it would be good to assume that not all people know what a tablet is... :)

I went back to my seat and waited for my name to be called again.  Third step is to pay P317.63 to the cashier.  Fifteen minutes after, I was called to window 9 to pay the fee.  Another 15 minutes and I was called to the releasing window. 

Before leaving LTO, I was stripped off with another P20.00 for the plastic ID holder.

UP Thai Canteen

after graduation,  visiting U.P.  almost always surprises me.   of course the feeling of familiarity is  still there but the sight of new buildings and stalls stands out.   What created the most impact on me, aside from not seeing the Isaw stand infront of Ilang-Ilang Residence Hall, was the relocation of the food kiosks along Balara.  The most familiar of which is the UP Thai Canteen.  The spicy seafood viand with beef, chicken and veggie strips is our usual order.  Jaims had fetched me several times when I was still studying there so he too had his share of Thai cravings.

A few weeks back Leng blogged about UP Thai Canteen and that's when I discovered that they opened near our place.  It's called Khao Pad (formerly UP Thai Canteen).  They are now located at Unit 180 Auto Depot, Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City.  The owner was still there, albeit a little thinner than before.  At the ground floor, there's an area for ordering your dishes and a few stools for those who are probably eating out or dining alone.  Upstairs open up to a more spacious area with two air-conditioned units, a television and several tables and chairs which are definitely far from the atmosphere they had back in Balara.  The Thai touch is very evident with the carvings and other Thai culture icons.



We ordered the  seafood viand (2 bowls), spring rolls and 2 rice for merienda (hahahha!) plus Pepsi.  Service is good and still fast, probably because we are the only ones being served during that time :).    It cost us P245.00.  If I were still a student this may not be okay with the budget but since i'm part of the working class, i'd say, the taste compensates the price.  Jaims declared that this add to our list of comfort food.  Now, finding comfort food will be a lot easier.

Khao pad
706.3528
Unit 180 Auto Depot, Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City

organization 101

being a librarian meant my organization skills should be higher than a normal person. though, i'm not the OC type, i always have the urge to fix things and put them where they belong. our room has a built in dresser and underneath was a hole big enough to fit two sitting adults.  i used to just put our stuff one on top of the other. bags over motherboards over printers.  camera over dvd player over albums.  while it's not as organized as books are on shelves, it was the best i can make of it.  it stays that way until jaims' has his shoot and he starts pulling all the stuff he needs.  i only put them back when i could no longer take the sight or when someone starts tripping over the mess.

we've been long planning on buying a clear box to organize the mess but two things stop me from buying

1. price. the big boxes cost P500.00 and above which is not too practical.


2. size. every time we get to the mall we never fail to drop by the furniture/hardware section and look at the boxes.  and one reason, we don't buy is that we don't know what size to choose.

last saturday, while jaims was at the airport, i decided to measure the hole.  the tape reads 33" x 26". i told him, sofi and i will go to the mall when she wakes up...and maybe he could pick us up.  i got my monthly GC the previous week and i know i can get two or more of those boxes.   when jaims arrived, that was the only time we looked for the boxes.  the familia containers were inviting and so are the other brands.  colors, lock features, drawer types, stackable are just some of the reasons why choosing a box is not easy.  i could have opted for the orocans but the price mattered also.  anyway, we saw the brand megabox and the orange tag. orange tag in SM meant the item is on sale.  we already have an idea that this box exists because we saw it in Ace Hardware in MOA.   We were eyeing the 76L Megabox but the size will not maximize the space.  So the vendor pointed to us the 52L megabox.  when he measured it, one part measures 16.5" and the height is 13".  Multiplying 16.5" by 2 meant two boxes can exactly fit in our hole.  Yey!  So we took two boxes (with green covers).  Each box costs P375.00.

We bought another pair in SM Hypermarket the next day because we figured that 4 of those boxes can fit in the hole as if it was tailored to fit in it.

Now, the hole is already whole:)

vacation's over

PC clock reads 10:26PM.  on a regular sunday night, things would have been different -- probably dreaming at this time already.  but today's my last night.  vacation's finally over for me and tomorrow marks the start of another grueling school year.  the last thing i want to happen is be late for work on my first day but i couldn't sleep.  Sofi's asleep already and Jaims went to look for a hardware store to buy something for Barney.  I sneaked out of bed again as soon as he left. 

I was thinking of my accomplishments this summer.  If i made something worthy on an entire  month of no work.  Here's a list of what I have done and should have done.  I'm crossing out those that I have accomplished.

have a grand vacation




do wifey and motherly duties




scout for possible house and lot to be purchased




buy House & Lot




buy car seat cover for Barney




potty train Sofi




include brushing in Sofi's routine




enforce drinking of vitamins for Sofi




de-worm Sofi




get student license/permit




study how to drive




apply for a change of ID in SSS (i did, but PO didn't give me a copy of E4 and the branch I visited no longer process ID printing)




open Sofi a bank account




make money




jog around San Antonio




get a haircut




fix craft supplies




start digital scrapbooking




create travel scrapbook




convince Jaims to re-enroll in SSS




have my digicam repaired




update blog

obviously, i didn't do much this vacation but given that we were able to go out of town made my summer complete.  For the past summers I report back to work feeling tired.  Tomorrow will be different [sana!],,, but just the mere thought of not spending the whole day with Sofi makes me sad. no more conversations such as this:

mommy: what's your name?
sofi: sopi-ya aku
mommy: how old are you?
sofi: to [two]
mommy: ano ka ba, one ka pa lang...how old are you?
sofi: to [two -- sabay tawa]
mommy: one ka pa lang, okey count na tayo! one...
sofi: to, tre [two, three]
mommy: how old are you?
sofi: to, tre [two, three]

I found home

It's been 2 years and 5 months since my last post and i'm only reviving this so you could check my new blog :)

Click here to go there.

OR copy this to your browsers http://ifoundhome.wordpress.com

OR google me: Poor Mom's Blog

OR whatever,,,just go there! see you at my new home :)

wordpress vs blogspot

 

This is my statistics.  The main reason why I'm in wordpress right now and not blogger.   I get excited each time I see my blog getting its fair share of readers.  Last Tuesday (April 27),  I had 12 visitors from all over.    While one can istall a third party stat reader for blogger, this one is an automatic WP feature.   With wordpress, you get to see how the reader got to your blog, what are the search terms they used, how many views they got for the day and if they click any links from your blog.  here's a sample of what i am claiming:

Today, my visibility relied on the tags I used for the post and one link shared at Pinoy exchange. Yesterday, a reader from FisherBoy dropped by in my blog.  People have been finding my blog with the terms Dawal, Zambales, Magic Lagoon and Subic.  I noticed how seasonal this can be.  Last Christmas, readers  found my blog because they've been looking for Crema de Fruta recipe and the girls' cookout article have been raking hits.  Now people have been looking for vacation spots.  I'm sure I will have lesser visitors by June - November but it's fine with me.

I used to have a blogspot but I wasn't able to update it after the wedding which was almost 3 years ago.   I like that Blogger has several themes available.  Search google and more users are creating exciting themes for Blogger.  Wordpress has limited themes and features are sometimes limited to the theme you choose.  I hate it that you have to upgrade an account or upload wordpress to you own host for you to use the special themes.   But wordpress has several widgets you can use to enhance your blog like meebo, custom text, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Twitter updates,platial mapkits,,,etc.  I have yet to explore the last 4 because I don't have them...sayang naman!

Operation: hanap bahay

we've been scouting for a house ever since last year, but this month was really intended for that purpose.  I have called and texted quite a number of sellers but we were only able to view a few.  Either we end up not findingthe house or the vicinity is no longer appealing to us that we don't check the house anymore.  I rely solely on two sources Sulit and Buy and Sell.  If we're lucky enough, some sellers upload pictures of their house in Sulit.  With Buy and Sell, you'll have to contact them and hear the line "see to appreciate".  We've been eyeing Cainta since it's easier to go to work (minus the traffic) but the flood issue always comes in the way.  I remember witnessing a waist-deep flood right in front of the village of  the house we were supposed to see.  Jaims said Taytay is another option.  It can be far but not as far as Antipolo or Fairview or Laguna and Bulacan.  That's why I broadened my search and included Taytay as a prospective place.  I got a few but this one we were eyeing has a picture.  The price is 1.5M but I'm thinking maybe we could bargain.

It's located in Dividend Homes in Taytay.  A 2 storey - 90 sq. m. - house. 

It has two bedrooms, a veranda, 2 t&b, a dirty kitchen/laundry area and the front can serve as garage.  It has a kitchen sink and cabinet too.  Sofi likes the veranda.  While we were upstairs talking to the owner she was pulling my hand towards the veranda.  She liked it that she can see the outside part and not get wet.  The house is near a park/basketball court and the community, Dividend Homes, looks like a peaceful place.  They have a gate along Velasquez St. and there is a security stationed by the gate.   It looks quite better in "person."  It has a homey feel and good enough to raise and start a family.

The reason why I'm blogging this is because I like the house but I don't have money.  We asked them how much was the lowest bargain given to them and they said they didn't give it at 1.3M.  And we couldn't afford to give them even half of it as downpayment.   Jaims said that it should be a lesson to us that if the house cost 1.5M, we shouldn't go and check it anymore because we just end up being sad. 

On my way home, I was telling God to just sell the house right away.  By that we know that the house isn't really for us.  hanap ule...

time deposit

despite the strong rain yesterday i was finally able to go to the bank and opened a time deposit for Sofia.  I already texted my teller-friend, Joannes that i'll opened an account in their branch earlier this week.  Jaims got back at past 10 from a client call and he was too sleepy to even surf.  so while he was asleep i grabbed the opportunity and sent little sofi to sleep, too.  When i was sure that they won't wake up in a while, I packed all the docu needed and went to BDO (Stanford-Shaw branch).

Joannes texted me the following requirements:

2 valid id's




1 1x1 picture




baby's birth certificate




sell all your third currencies because BDO only buys US dollar

I have sold all her foreign currencies (US$, Canadian $ and Yen) last night at SM Marikina.  I used my PRC and company id as two valid IDs, snatched an old 1x1 picture and brought Sofi's birth certificate.   No need to worry about photocopying all the docu since they will do it for you.  Once you get there, proceed to the new accounts section and inquire about their TD.  They will ask you to fill up three forms, 2 forms about yourself and another one about your baby.  Take note that this TD is an ITF (in trust for) for Sofia so if you're opening a TD for yourself alone i'm not sure if you'll be filling up lesser forms.  After which, I inquired about their rates and the person in charge will show you there current rate sheet.

I couldn't remember the other rates except for the range where Sofi's money falls.  For 10,000 - 50,000 range, 30-60-90 days will earned her money 1.625% more and 180 days and above will give her 2.5%.  I tried the 90 days for the meantime.  The bank will automatically roll her money on its maturity date.  I asked her if i could roll it any other day or a few days after the maturity date but she said that if you don't go there on the said date the bank will automatically renew the TD.  I wanted to get a longer maturity term but first times always have drawbacks.  90 days is enough trial period.

Atthe end of our transaction, I was handed this...a Time Deposit Certificate

and oh, i asked her if this can be enrolled in their online banking...and she said NO...damn!

Mrs. Teddy Banks

This is Mrs. Teddy Banks, half-sister ng lahat ng teddy ni sofi (teddy, teddy big, teddy oink-oink, etc.). She's currently recuperating from the wound she incurred from the caesarian operation she had the other day. The operation was done by Doc Elizaga (aka fisherboy, computer techie, Mr. Photograper, Mr. Barber and Daddi).

All the coins we got from Mrs. Banks were traded into bills courtesy of Mama and it amounted to P1600.00 We also dropped a few bills inside which totalled to P4500.00. These plus more bills inside her drawer made her richer than I am right now. Since I have a month to spend, i thought of opening an account for Sofia so all her monetary gifts and savings will earn interest. I figured, sayang naman if it just stays inside the drawer. Although I haven't decided if I will place it in a Time Deposit and roll it until she reaches 18. Or maybe open a kiddie account,  perhaps from Metrobank or BDO then just add more as she grows.

Jaims and I promised not to spend the money she got from her birthday, baptism and Christmases. We borrow money from her, occasionally, but we made sure that she gets paid the same amount we owe her. I think this will be a big help to us when she starts going to school. Since no one can really trust educational plans nowadays. But the question is, where should I place her money? Savings? Time Deposit? Trust Fund? or drawer? :p

waddyathink?

Road Trip: April 2009

Left Manila: April 4, 2009

• Destination 1:  Subic
• Destination 2:  Pundakit, San Antonio, Zambales
• Destination 3:  Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales
• Destination 4: Dagupan City

DAY 1:

We were supposed to leave as early as 6 am because Jaims wanted to catch the track Day at Subic International Raceway.  It was an invitation from the NissanBayan for the MazdaTech people to join them in their trackday.   While the desire to get there was high, the need to stay late in Manila to deliver overdue work was more pressing.  We first met a guy somewhere around Manila to drop off an album then we proceed to St. Luke's to deliver Bien's goodies.  I stayed a little longer to catch up with Mylene who just gave birth to the Peñaranda twins.  The road trip officially started at  11 am.  Traffic was terrible before NLEX since the MRT station was being done.  We had our first stop at Burger King.  Totally got disappointed with the Whopper Jr.  The last time I ate one was during my pregnancy days with Sofi.  And seeing how small a whopper Jr. makes me so sad :(.  Anyway Dadi got his free back massage at Burger King.

Passing to SCTEX was part of the plan.  The newly constructed Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expreesway was a breeze -- plus, we get to do some drifting.  Though Jaims claims  that it was a little boring since there's no traffic to think about.  At 3PM, were able to arrive at the Raceway.  In as much as I wanted to feel the adrenaline rush I just can't join him.  I begged that he drop us off to the nearest lodge, hotel or whatever that is within the budget.  He initially wanted to leave us at All Hands Resort, but from afar one can see how many people are dipping on the shore.  I just want to rest.  So we went up the road and found Crown Peak.  The place looks eery but the sight of the pool made us stay.  We checked in at the Tiara Bldg.  After 30 minutes, I decided to bring sofi down at the pool.  Knowing it will take a while before Daddi comes back.

The pool was clover-shaped with depth ranging from 2.6 ft - 6 ft -- not too cold but not too hot.  It has a slide in the middle, and little tables were scattered around the pool.  The shallowest part of the pool was up to Sofi's neck :)  We got tired waiting for Daddi so I decided to go back to our room and dry Sofi.  Dad came in after 30 minutes.  He was all smiles and he kept on talking how fun it was to drive around the raceway.  that moment I felt he loved me a notch higher for allowing him to drive hehehhe...

We decided to explore Subic for dinner.  Besides he wanted to see if the fishing spot we saw that afternoon was great.  We found Annie's Kitchen near the Subic Bay and decided to take our dinner.  Since we don't have a definite plan, we were extra tight on the budget.   On our way back to the hotel, the mood changed.  We were stopped at the checkpoint because we failed to use seatbelts.  Daddi was given a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt and another ticket for not informing his passenger [ me ] to wear a seatbelt.  Crap!  For the entire day we were so obedient of the Subic traffic rules and just a minute far from the hotel we committed two violations.  Dad was even telling me when we got there that the rules are strictly followed in Subic.  and then this happened.  I remember taking off our seatbelt when we went down to the fishing port.  We completely forgot about it when we went back to our car :(

Day 2:

We went out without eating breakfast.  we planned to find a picnic spot and cook there.  30 minutes on the road and we haven't found a spot.  Locals were directing us towards Camayan, but we don't have a budget for dining out. we just want a spot for our portable stove to do its task.  We went back and drive elsewhere until we got to Morong, Bataan.  We got to a public  beach but they say you have to pay P500 for the cottage.  no way!  We decided to just stroll for while in the beach then go back to Barney.  On our way back, Dad turned left somewhere and we were both surprised how fast we got back to our hotel.  the hour drive was cut to 15 minutes.  Spooky!  Anyway we decided to just go to Malawaan Pier where we stopped over last night.  I cooked hotdog and hot water while the two looked over the pier.  We just had bread, hotdogs, noodles and coffee for breakfast.

We went back to the hotel and since it was still early, i nudged Jaims to swim in the pool and perhaps take some pictures.  Checkout was at 12 but we left around 1PM.  We decided to eat lunch in Subic.  Magic Lagoon.  For a scorching hot afternoon, the place was cozy.  Open-air, roof was made of nipa and a big pay-fishpond was on the side.  Roosters as big as Sofi walked around the grill as if they're part of the decoration.  We spent around P600.00 for a heavy lunch.  I overheard the family behind me that they're also going to Pundaquit.  We were informed beforehand that our resident bankero, Mang Randy, will not be available even after Holy Week.  Anawangin Cove is full of visitors and resorts within the area are fully-booked.  We're just trying our luck.

We got there by 4 and it is really impossible to be island hopping around that time.  The most ideal thing to do was for us to find a place to check in.  I told Jaims to try inquiring in Canoe Beach Resort (our usual resort in Pundaquit), there's no harm in trying.  Luck must be on our side when they told Jaims that the one who booked for that day did not arrive so they are giving the room to us.  Check in is 2PM.  Since it was a Sunday we decided to drop by the Church but when we got there the last mass has just ended.  Since I didn't like the idea of feasting on noodles again, we thought of buying ulam in the carinderia.  Jaims wanted to cook rice but since only two of us will eat[and Sofi, too], I told him to just buy cooked rice for both of us.  The most tiring part of the day was packing the things again when I have just unpacked our stuff a few hours ago.  Jaims thought of checking out early the next day.

Day 3:

the plan was to check out early (checkout is at 10) and proceed to Nagsasa Cove.  Mang Randy referred us to another boatman and didn't recommend Nagsasa.  The cove is an hour away from Pundaquit and it won't be safe for Sofi to travel that long.  he recommended Talisayin Cove.  Talisayin can rival Anawangin with its beauty.  The good thing about it was that tourist hasn't flocked the area yet.  We had the beach all to ourselves...except for a few locals who were drinking coke while singing Happy Birthday.  There was a resort on the left side and a few huts around the area.  We found a small hut in the middle but the owner was nowhere to be found.  Perhaps he went out to hunt for food.  In as much as we hated breaking through one's house, we did.  There was no place to eat and his table was quite inviting.  We had tocino, salted eggs and tomatoes for lunch. We also asked Mang randy to cook rice for us.  As a sign of gratitude we decided to leave some bills on his table after eating.  We got back at Canoe around 1PM and used the public shower room to clean ourselves.  At 3Pm, we're back on the road.

Bolinao, Pangasinan was the next on our list but that would mean driving for another 4 or 5 hours.  To cut the trip short, we decided to find some place along Zambales.  We started scouting for a lodge by 6Pm.  We were aiming for something lower than P1000 since we only intend to spend the night there.  But finding something within that budget seems impossible.  We first went to Dawal and they said it costs 1,200.  We went around and find a few more but as we go farther down, the rate seems more expensive.  When it was almost dark we decided to just go for the place that cost the lowest but they said that as soon as we left, a group checked in.  We went back to Dawal and they said only the P1600.00 room was available.  I went back to Jaims feeling sad but while I was talking to him the receptionist approached us and said that a P1200 room was available.

With the rate and the sight of Potipot, we made up our minds that we will be spending two nights in Dawal and scrap Bolinao.  We had a decent meal in their restaurant and slept like a log on our first night.

day 4:

We had breakfast by the sea.  Cottages are lined alongthe beach front over looking Potipot.  Sofi was busy playing with the sand that we were able to cook breakfast.  Jaims and i decided to just go to Potipot after lunch to save us from the trouble of bringing lots of stuff on the other island.  We spend the rest of the morning scouting for stash in the "bayan". We also looked for an ATM to replenish our finances (there are only 2 ATM there, one ran out of money) and laundry service (Jaims found out that there are no laundry service around the area and only the wives of the tricycle drivers do the washing for others).   We ate in our room since I had to pack our change of clothes, Sofi's toys and the chips for merienda.  Jaims bought a watermelon, too to complete the summer feel.  We had Century Tuna in lechon paksiw sauce and Master Fried Sardines.

We boarded our boat (costs P400) at 1 Pm with our video cam.  Potipot is just 5 minutes away from Dawal which makes travelling faster.  Once we got there, a lady approached us and asked for entrance fee.  Entrance is at P50 per head and Sofi is still free.  While the island is small and visitors were everywhere, the place is not crowded. Tables are available and if you want to spend overnight in the island, cottages are also available for P500 a night.   The sand in Potipot is finer as compared to Talisayin and the place is very shady.  The water is warm and clear but Sofi and I opted not to go far from the shore since part of the sea suddenly goes deep.  There are borderlinesto distinguish which part is safe to swim at.  By 5Pm our boatman fetched us.  We were so burnt and tired that after taking a bath, the three of us slept until 10Pm.  We woke up just to eat dinner then walk a little.  By 12 we went back to our room and snore the night away.

Day 5:

at 7Am, I received a text from mama informing us that they are on their way to Dagupan.  We didn't rush ourselves and spent an hour or so in Dawal's pool. The rest of the time was spent packing our stuffs back to Barney.  It was still quite a long drive so I begged Jaims if we could eat by 12.  We ended up eating at Jollibee.  Nothing beats  Chicken Joy and Jolly Spaghetti as hunger buster.

By 3PM, Daddi, Mommi and Sofi officially ended the Elizaga Road Trip :)

weekend trip

I went to THE ateneo this morning to request for a transcript and there was really no intention of going on a trip. It's just that one thing led to another and next thing we knew we were having a weekend trip. Coming from THE ateneo, i asked dadi if he could drive me to UP. her sister asked me to get UPCAT application form for her daughter and since we're ALMOST there already, we decided to pass by the Office of the University Registrar. I can't remember when I last visited UP. As far as i can remember OUR was somewhere after Home Econ Building. But the road led us to a new building called Office of Admissions. and that's where the OUR is. anyways, UPCAT forms are not yet available until May according to Kuya Guard. With nothing else to do and lunch was almost near, we decided to eat at UP. dadi was craving for bbq stuff. I suggested eating isaw but he said it's too early for the vendors to cook isaw. So we decided to eat at Beach House.

We had 3 bbq, 3 rice, sopas, ensalada, fresh lumpia, coke and mountain dew. It was so good to go back there and reminisce that familiar taste and scent. Although they have become a little pricey, the taste and the size remained the same.  The rice still has the same texture, not hard, not too watery and still served hot.  And the fresh lumpia was overflowing with peanut sauce.   When went back to Barney, we were still savoring that good ol' bbq taste *tsalap* .

dadi was still in the mood to drive and he thought of bringing us to La Mesa Ecopark.  I thought he wasn't serious when he said he'll take us there but when he started driving towards Commonwealth that's when I knew he was serious.  I was excited.  And I hated jaims for not bringing a camera.  That's why we just have to content ourselves with a cellphone cam.  Jaims always say it doesn't really matter whether you're holding a DSLR or just a plain cellphone camera.  It's the photographer who matters.  [or was he just trying to justify his senior moment]

There was a wedding near the lagoon so we were not allowed to go near the vicinity.  Entrance fee to Eco Park costs P50 per head.  Sofi was still FREE.  Our first stop was the Super Ferry Boating Lagoon -- P100 for 30 minutes.  Not bad.  You oar the boat yourself and you're free to roam the 4ft deep lagoon.  For some parts, I volunteered to row the boat and it's a sure way to burn some calories.  It was fun.  From the lagoon, you can see those people who were rappelling down a zip line.  On the other side were concrete barriers, I guess to keep the water from raging when the dam gets filled up.

[caption id="attachment_96" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="boats "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_99" align="alignleft" width="202" caption="terraces"][/caption]

After 30 minutes, we went back up to check more sites.  On our way to the Lopez Picnic Grounds, we hitched on a electric jeepney.  We were so mesmerized by the reporter inside doing her spiels that we weren't able to take a picture of the jeep.  We passed by the swimming pool but didn't bother going inside, may bayad kse -- P80 per head.   We went straight to the Shell Flower Terraces and challenged ourselves to climb it.  This means we have to consider carrying Sofi to and fro just in case she gets tired.  Surprisingly, Sofi was very energetic.  We stopped first at the second level to scan the area and continued with the hike afterwards.  By the third level, Sofi was already tired and you could hear her gasping for air.  But we managed to get to the top.  It's a pity that there was a gate right after the stairs but the dam was still viewable.  the terrace, apparently, was the wall of the dam.  Below the steps were opportunist ice cream vendors who are grabbing the opportunity to market there products to hungry sharks.  I told Jaims to buy two cones only but he said he wanted to get Sofi her own ice cream, so I gave the cone I was holding to Sofi and waited for the vendor to hand me the third cone.  Sofi was already licking the cone when she saw the vendor hand me the new cone.  You know what Sofi did?  She returned the already licked ice cream to me and pulled the new cone from my hand :)

[caption id="attachment_100" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="ice cream monster"][/caption]

While walking we passed by an Orchidarium and a sign that says "This way to Petron Fitness Trail".  My excuse was I needed to go to the CR, but the truth is I was tired already and Jaims did not insist -- I know he was more tired than I am.  We decided to rest for a while at the picnic grounds, buy some water and change Sofi's clothes.  At 2:30PM we decided to end the trip.  Sofi was so tired that She fell asleep right after she drank milk.  She didn't even noticed that I slid her at the back seat so she can stretch comfortably.  By the sound of her snore, we knew she was so tired. 

There are still a lot of sites to see around La Mesa Ecopark.  I know there is a wall climbing site and a butterfly garden but that can wait.  I don't think this is the last time. :)

her name is barney

she ain't pretty and i bet i'm taller.   body's not too curvy, though several bumps are evident.   she can be too noisy at times.  her morena skin has a few scratches but those doesn't stop hubby from admiring her, holding her, buying her some stuff, bringing her out on dates,  giving her a bath...

the affair started a month ago, january 19, 2009 to be exact.  i was at work when she came into the picture.  a week before i had a hunch but didn't entertain.  when i came home that fated afternoon, i saw her there.  Barney.



and i couldn't help but grin :D barney's a Mazda 323 1995 model with a 1.6 engine. We got her from Sulit (an online store).  It took us more than a week to close the deal because the original owner didn't intend to sell her.  It was so hard for him to let go of barney and i can see why.  Just like what I've said barney isn't perfect.  She's manual, pawis-steering, the air-con ain't too cold, something's wrong with her idling (whatever! i don't understand what hubby is talking about), that thingy you use to roll the window down is not affixed.  But we're still crazy about her.

Jaims gets to go around even if I'm not home yet.  He'll simply bring Sofi, stuff all the milk, water, food and toys she needs and presto, Barney becomes the yaya.  On nights that we wanted to eat something, we leave our room unnoticed and get back all filled up.  At times, Daddi will go by himself and get our orders :)  Barney takes us to places that we can't normally go.  On her first night, Barney brought us to Marikina Riverbanks.  Grocery can be bought elsewhere; with the gift checque mania SM becomes the usual grocery stuff.  And if I get so lucky, daddi, Sofi and barney brings me to work and back home.  And barney's first long trip was at Clark, when we went to the 14th Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Sure, she has her flaws.  What can you expect from a second-hand car sold at a very budget-friendly price?! But the thing is we loved Barney so much and i just can't wait for April to come -- road trip!!!  and do you know why we called her barney? :D