The sad defeat of the Sushi queen

Aside from popcorn, I have this weird taste for Sushi/Maki these days. Last week, I had sushi for the whole 5 days. My addiction started with just 4-piece of sushi in one as my appetizer. Then it became, 6...then went up to 9...My colleagues even noticed that! And one of them even dared me to eat the 15-piece sushi bar special menu. At that time, I just said, "No. I can't do it. My stomach's maximum capacity is just the 9-piece order."

But then, today...yet again, I wanted to eat sushi for dinner. So, we went to a sushi bar near our hotel -- Noa Noa Sushi Bar and Restaurant. We agreed that we will just eat an appetizer, (a spinach artichoke dip that is), and 3 sushi menus:

(1) The Mickey Roll - 8 pieces

(2) Eel - 6 pieces

(3) Real Snow Crab - 8 pieces

In total, there were 22 pieces of sushi/maki (the picture was taken after eating the first 6 pieces of sushi), and I needed to eat "15" to accept the challenge. I said, "DEAL!". I was deadly hungry and so I thought this would just be a piece of cake. But I forgot that I've already eaten 80% of the Spinach Artichoke which we ordered for the appetizer.

...and yes, the sushi queen was defeated...

The sushi queen showing off the "2 lonely sushis" (as how my colleague calls it) which caused her sad defeat.

Note: The "2 lonely sushis" were just thrown away by the sushi queen due to extreme sorrow.

My preeee---ciouuusss...

Hahaha..I was looking for a specific message in my friendster account (which is related to one of the tasks I want to accomplish today in my previous post)...when I read this message, sent last Feb 2007:

Hi Lei!

My God , your very sweet smile matches perfectly with your expressive sparkling eye
and that makes you truly beautiful. Im kingzaintz aka king santos, a radio announcer and a newspaper columnist from the Philippines. Text me or call me at 09109337184 or
email me at kingzaintz@yahoo.com.ph so we can send messages more often.
By the way, so you are in UAE right now? If ever there are Filipinas who are having a hard time in getting their Singleness or Birth-Certificate or other documents here in Manila please contact me, I can help them. They deserve to be happy and entitled to a bright future. I have a close access with the NSO.
Hope to hear from your soon My Sweet Precious Lei ---King

Bwahahaha! I don't know the guy and I don't remember reading this email before. Maybe because I was busy with my honeymoon at the time this message was sent. What is more funny is when I showed it to Randy, he immediately said,

"My prreee--ccciiiooouuusss..." (with husky voice and mocking the character in the movie, "Lord of the Rings")...

Hahahahahahahahaha....

Never got the time

I am sooo busy! huhuhu...

I'm actually working from home today. I really miss our home terribly that's why. Tomorrow, I'll be back again in the far far far away land of Indiana! Damn!

Anyways, as I've said I'm really, really busy. We went for a photoshoot last Saturday ...and I can say, that I was able to somehow bring back my mojos in shooting. To tell you honestly, I lost the enthusiasm with this hobby for the past few weeks...because of the recent happenings. That's why I haven't posted any good photos...(Oh God, wake up, Lei...when did you post good photos anyway?). Ok...that is why I haven't posted any photo from practice shooting or whatsoever. But now that my interest in this hobby is now back, I don't have the time to post or arrange them...or even to download them from my CF cards. My CF cards have more than 600 pictures that I haven't saved in my laptop...some of these pictures were still from the L. A. Trip that we had last December...shit! Those are already 4 months old sitting in my CF cards. (Please, don't crash...please!)

Oh well, these are the things I want to do right at this very moment (if only I have the time):

(1) Finish my URFS document (Ok, this is work-related. But I think this would relieve some of my stress.)

(2) Download the pictures from my CF cards. Organize them in my laptop. Post-processing for those not-so-good pictures.

(3) Finish my 6th Sophie Kinsella novel: Shopaholic and Baby.

(4) Finish the item related to my PLAN.

(5) Personal writing that I'd rather not disclose here.

(6) Bloghop

(7) Post the photos to my flickr, friendster, blogspot and multiply accounts.

(8) Shoot more (...I even want to shoot people...as in gusto ko mamaril ng mga tao!)

...Those are just the things I wanna do now...for tomorrow, I have some other things set aside. (sigh)

2 gallons of Caramel please..

I guess we are getting addicted to popcorn.  However, we're now particular with a certain brand of popcorn.  I can even say that I can probably finish the 1 gallon of this in one sitting.  Can't believe it?  Well, this is a must-try for everyone!  I swear, these popcorns are incredulously DELICIOUS!

Just take a glimpse of how mouth-watering these popcorns are:  Garrett

...and I love them more than Taters!

(Oooppsss...my fingers are all messy now...gotta go and wash my hands...oh, my laptop! Yellow all-over!!)

My wedding album

...DEFECTS!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irobot773/sets/72157604629093500/

...story to follow.  Just enjoy viewing the pictures first...anyway, the pictures speak for themselves...

Shake it up!

Did you feel the shake early this morning? Well, I didn’t. I’m actually a light-sleeper and always have been sensitive with earthquakes. But I don’t know what’s with me that I didn’t feel the strong earthquake and was probably having a good time in the Dreamland.

I just learned about the seism when I reached the office and everyone was talking about it. Here’s an excerpt of the news from Wall Street Journal:

WEST SALEM, Illinois -- An earthquake Illinois early Friday, and it appeared to rival the strongest temblor ever recorded in Midwest region.

Associated Press

Rubble from earthquake damage to a building lied strewn along a sidewalk in an old section of Louisville, Ky., Friday.

The quake jolted residents in several nearby states as well, but no injuries or significant property damage were immediately reported.

The quake, measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, hit just before 4:37 a.m. local time (1037 GMT) and was centered six miles from West Salem, Illinois.

"It shook our house where it woke me up," said David Behm of Philo, Illinois. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."

The jolts were felt in a region that included parts of the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Its Web site said earthquakes seldom occur in the area, and that the largest recorded earthquake in the region -- also a magnitude 5.4 -- caused damage in southern Illinois in 1968.

Friday's quake shook buildings in central Chicago and the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and St. Louis, Missouri.

You can read the news here: Wall Street-Earthquake in Illinois

And now, just few minutes ago…I suddenly was held back with what I just felt. My desk was shaking and when I looked on my left, I saw my Oreo box, Tissue box, TicTac, and bottle of lotion (yes, they are neatly piled on top of my desk), all shaking! What the hell?!?!

I then shouted to my colleague, trying to confirm if I just felt an aftershock. Then she also felt the same! Then suddenly, a phone rang…it was my colleague’s wife, reporting that she just felt an aftershock, too! We are here in Indiana…and I just heard that the quake in Illinois was even stronger.

Cluttered mind

I am creating this post to remind me that I should refrain from posting blog entries from now on until I finish my PLAN...

That I should focus myself with my PLAN...

That I should be able to accomplish my PLAN before 2008 ends...

and this also serves as my apology for my upcoming absences here in Multiply...

The art of letting go

We were together for 2 months. I couldn't argue when people say you're like a knight in a shining armor. You're sturdy and I feel like an action star whenever we're together. Even though you have travelled so many miles, you never failed to protect me. You were always there keeping me safe in every turn...every maneuver...everywhere I go.

As much as I want to keep you with me forever, you have to go. Your next rider is waiting for you... there, she's sitting in the waiting area in the black leather seat where I first saw you. She was so delighted when the store rep announced that she'll be having you. I hate to say goodbye...but I have no choice. I also overheard that you'll be going to Iowa with your new driver. Be mighty and proud as you travel...Keep her safe...just like the way you kept me safe for all those times.

This morning, as I walked to the parking lot, I searched for you. But you weren't there. I feel like missing you.

Bye, bye, Camry.

I returned my car to the leasing company last Saturday. As always, the acceptance and letting go was very hard...

when luck replaces misfortune

For "n" times, Randy has been trying (very hard!) to acquire his driver's license. What he only "had" for several weeks and days was just instructional permit. He "was" not allowed to drive without someone with him who has driver's license. Okay, I won't tell anyone how many times he failed the road test...hahaha...baka magalit sakin ang asawa ko. Siya na lang daw ang magbablog nun. After the road test, he would always say, "...misfortune comes in this f*cking world".

But I guess, luck has replaced his misfortune last Saturday. Finally, he got his d/l... you would laugh when you see his picture in his d/l. Parang ang sarap lagyan ng picture ng bubble tag na "SA WAKAS! Bwahahaha!"

And now, since I'm soo busy with *housewife stuff* at home, I asked him to buy a bathroom cleaner from the nearby Jewel Osco. This is the first time that he will drive without me. And guess what? It took him 1 hour to buy stuff...yes, he bought things other than the bathroom cleaner -- he also bought a blender, egg pan, etc... (magshopping ba?!?!) Now, I'm getting concerned with Randy having a driving license...

sleepyhead

I feel sleepy... everyday...every hour... every minute...

It's always a struggle to keep myself awake during the day...

Just today, I had 5 cups of coffee... trying not to fall asleep at work. But my attempt was unsuccessful. I "almost" fell asleep today... after having 5 cups of coffee.

...and I have no reason to believe that someone's growing inside my womb (it's a girl thing, so I'm pretty positive about this)...

...maybe this proves that my work is now really causing mental weariness...

I NEED A NEW PROJECT ASSIGNMENT! I hate being assigned here...

Comfort does not come with the price

I have to admit that I'm really a brand-conscious shopper. Me and my husband have always shared this belief that if it's expensive, there must be something why it's expensive. Whenever we shop, we would always opt for the things which what people call as "branded".

Actually, when I was younger...hmm..probably, aged 8 to 12, I don't mind having clothes, shoes or things which are just bought from "palengke". My sister has always been the one who's overly brand-conscious. Whenever we shop for our christmas clothes, she would whisper to my mother that they would go to a nearby "Guess" shop (her fave brand even when she was still young) right after my mother finish shopping for me in a "palengke" stall. And I wouldn't mind at all... I care less about the brand that time, as long as I have comfortable clothes or things that I want. My logic was "why would I buy a piece of clothing when I could buy 10 pieces of clothing with the same price?"

But things change. These days I often choose "quality over quantity". Whenever we shop, I usually look for the brands. I'm kind of loyal to particular brands for some categories. My reason now is oftentimes, if it's not branded, it has no quality. But now, I've proven that this rule is aptly described as "oftentimes"....but I have to add, "not all the time".

Aside from the facts above about myself, I have to say that I'm also very fond of shoes. (Not to mention that I just realized that I've been buying shoes at least once a week these past few months, oh my god, stop it, Lei!!!). And 2 weeks ago, I bought this particular shoe that I've been eyeing for since we went to LA. I was very happy wearing it. I felt like I was "Rebecca Bloomwood" (yes, the shopaholic lady from Sophie Kinsella's novel series) thinking that people would call me "the girl with the X-brand shoes". And it was true, when I wore it in the office, almost everyone was asking me, "Ms. Lei, is that "X-brand" shoe you're wearing?". And you won't believe that most of these people asking me are guys. And I asked them why they know the shoe brand when it's a female brand, and they answered, "well, every single woman I know is crazy about it...and that includes my wife". :)

So, as I've said, I was too happy wearing it. But just after two days, my feet began aching. But I ignored it. "Who damn cares?!? Everyone's raving about this! Maybe I'm just hallucinating."

So, I pretended that my feet were not aching...that the shoes are perfect for my feet! Come Friday, I wore it again since it's "dress-down" day. By 3:30PM, I headed to my car and was too excited to drive home.

Usually, before I drive home, I change my shoes to my driving shoes. I have specifically bought this pair of shoes which I wear for long drives. But that time, since the new shoes I have are flats, I decided not to change my shoes anymore. Driving from Indiana to Illinois usually takes 3 to 4 hours (that is if I'm not overspeeding, ooopppsss...this requires a separate entry). So, I drove home. Peaceful...happy...peaceful...happy...but wait! I have only driven 20 miles at that time...and I suddenly realized that my feet are sorely aching!!! It was too painful! I decided to slow down and look for my shoes inside the car and probably change while driving. But wait, I have put my driving shoes inside my luggage which is in the trunk! Shit!

I was on a highway and I didn't want to stop just to change shoes. I just ignored the pain and kept on shifting my left foot over my right foot on the pedal whenever I come to a halt.

This happened on Friday...It's Monday already...but it's still hurting...

And here's what I got, "swollen feet"...and this comes with numbing pain that I often wake up in wee hours because of the tingling sensations.

I don't know if it's obvious from the picture but my right foot's fingers are bigger than the ones in my left foot. I have to use the magazine as the background para hindi naman nakakadiri yung picture (I don't like looking at pictures of anyone's feet, even my own). Even until now, I can't sleep because of the pain. Promise! I'm getting concerned already that I might go to the hospital this coming weekend to have this checked. I'm thinking that it could be probably because the shoes I wore have small space for my toes...which was aggravated by the long drive and heavy traffic.

And this is the culprit...

Aren't they cute? (oopps, I forgot that I should hate this pair of shoes. I have the brown pair, by the way). :)

Anyways, that's the lesson I learned. Now, I left the shoes in our apartment. I rested it in its box...and it might probably stay there for a quite a while. (hmm...I hope my feet will heal soon).

Laurels, laurels...

I got this award from Mahryska:

Thanks, Poidy!!! (I actually don't deserve an award coz I know I'm a bad blogger...irregular blogging and nonsense topics, hehehe. But they say, it's bad to refuse an award, so there you go...)

Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like): Thea, my scrappy side, Childstar, abie, aggie, alpha, apple, apols, jacqui, jane, jody, joy, mike, kelly, mich, peachy, dorxie, Butchay, lena, anna, sheryll, pat, gracie, cheche, thet, Heidi 2, Heidi, Maeyo, Mahryska, Lei

I'm now giving this award to: Jenki, and Sarah.

Change me!

I’m not the really the type of shirking jobs by feigning illness. I’m not even habitually absent from work. When I have a deadline, I finish the job on the dot. But when I say I’m not really feeling well, I mean it…I truly mean it.

But I guess, there are just some people around who thinks otherwise. Maybe because they’re guilty of the act they’re accusing me of.

Yes, it’s true that I went to St. Patrick’s day on Saturday. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that I got drunk that day. Was there ever a rule that everyone should drink on that occasion? And the ultimate question, when you’re on sick leave for just one day, does it necessarily mean you’re just faking it?

C’mon! Grow up, people!

(Ika nga ng iba, “Change me!” in Tagalog – “Ibahin nyo ako!”hahaha)

From Filipino to Irish

Happy St. Patrick's day to all! Enjoy the green beer! *Tired* would be an understatement if I would use that to describe what I felt yesterday. We spent our Saturday celebrating the St. Patrick's Day. It's really fun watching the parade and cool outfits of different people. Everyone was wearing green clothes and accessories. There were also some who wore Leprechaun/Elf outfits!

I'll post the photos some other time.

***************************************************************************

I missed the feeling of having a sudden urge for shopping. And since we went to Downtown Chicago yesterday, I felt the old feeling. I had so much fun...picking and buying gifts for our families in the Philippines. The only question is when would I come back home to give these gifts? I personally don't know. I've been planning to go home on May 2008 but just looking at the fare prices, it makes me gulp. With the fare price, I can buy the whole set of furnitures that we need for our home that we still lack. With the fare price, I can buy the 1 year supply of vitamins and medicines of my parents. With the fare price, I can make the downpayment for my father's dream car. With the fare price, I can buy the most expensive lens that I want. With the fare price, I can buy 3 iPhones. With the fare price, I can buy 2 or 3 Louis Vuitton bags or Coach bags. Bottomline, I can buy lots of things with the fare price of ORD-MNL-ORD. But hey, the feeling of seeing your family is priceless, isn't it?

But...I have to add...I also need additional money for pasalubongs and something to spend for Pinas getaways. I wouldn't want to just stay at home on my vacation!

Ponyang...

Actually, my husband hates it when people give names to non-living things, if you know what I mean, hehehe! But then, I can't help it. I have to give name now since I have to identify it from my rented car like for example whenever Randy's asking which car to use.

For 1 month now, I've been renting a car from Enterprise which I use going to/from Indiana-Illinois every week. Before, I usually leave Randy at Illinois where he just takes public transportation going to and from work. But just recently, he was able to get an Instructional Permit. With that, he can drive as long as there's somebody with him who has a valid driver's license. At first, there's no need for us to buy a car at this point, coz he can't drive without me. But then, for him to be able to acquire a valid driver's license, he needs to take a road test for which you must bring your own car or probably a friend's car.

But sad to say, our friends near our place all own stick shift cars...which we both do not know how to drive. So there, we decided to buy our own. It's a 2008 Pontiac G6 which so far is a good make/model. It has also this On-star feature which they gave us free for 1 year. The feature is not only cool but more importantly, delivers safety and protection to the car and users. They also gave us free 30-minute call time so I can call Randy or whoever without having to pull out and dial my phone.

Picture on the left is our own car while on the right is the rented one. I opted not to use "Ponyang" (yep, the name of Kaye Abad in Tabing Ilog aside from "Eds", hehehe!) going to Indiana due to the countless potholes and terrible driving condition. So, I just use the camry going on weekdays, driving more than 350 miles per week (since it's just adopted, I did not assign it any specific name). But I have to admit, I really love my rented car more than Ponyang, maybe? or maybe not...I don't know. But what I know is I easily get attached to things. I find it hard to give up or sell things which I have for a considerable period of time. Would you believe that at once, I rented a car which I had for more than 1 month (my longest time of renting before) and when I returned it, I literally cried and cried! Randy was at first laughing but when I still continued crying, he then started to pacify me. He proved at that time that I really value things as if they are really "living" things. Well, I guess that's one of my weird traits... when I was younger, whenever my cousins would sleep over at our house my parents would describe me as "...wag mo gagalawin gamit nyan, magagalit yan sayo. Pag sa kanya, sa kanya lang." That's probably also why it's not really in my character to borrow things...if I need it, I should have it. Is that bad or good?!?

DST now on!

Last November, I was so happy when the DST went off.  I was able to sleep for additional 1 hour.  But now that the DST has started, I feel the opposite :(

I was terribly tired last night.  We had so many errands yesterday (first from the list is Randy's road test which I'd rather not post about it, hahaha...may magagalit sakin!).  So, aside from "THAT" thing, I went to Enterprise rent-a-car coz I left my eyeglass case when I returned my Camry last week, replaced it with Altima, then just after driving for 4 miles, went back again to Enterprise and get my Camry back, hahaha! (The Altima that I got had a problem with the engine, it has this weird loud sound everytime I go beyond 40mph!).  Then after going to Enterprise, I went back to Randy to fetch him from his road test.  Then after that, we went to the bank to deposit Randy's first paycheck, hehehe (na naligaw kami at napunta kami bigla sa I-294 highway papuntang western suburbs, blame it to the super reliable GPS, sarcastic ako nyan!).  Then after the bank, we were supposed to go to COMED (utility company) to register the apartment under my name.  But then, dahil sa windang ang kasama ko at nasa state of shock kahapon (that I'd rather not tell why, hahaha...parang may clue na siguro kayo), eh mali ang naitype nyang address sa GPS at napabalik kami dun sa pinanggalingan namin imbes na sa COMED! Grrrr....

Finally, we were able to reach the Comed...sa sobrang inis ko eh binigay ko na kay Randy ang manibela para mahimasmasan, hehehe! After Comed, we then went to Schaumburg Pontiac GMC (oooppsss...hehehe.. I was able to buy our own car na...last 2 weeks.  No blog post yet!) to have the keyless entry system installed in our car.  The key that we got is just the manual key.  According to them, we have to pay for the keyless entry system separately...*sigh*.  But no choice, sobrang hassle pag wala, lalo na pag nagssnow, that you need to get in the car the moment you step out of the building.  After that, we then went to Woodfield mall para lalong mahimasmasan ang kasama ko, hahaha..

...And there! So, just remembering the whole day yesterday makes me run out of breath.  Ang kainis pa eh the DST started today...so I had to wake up one hour earlier for the Sunday mass.  I'm soooo tired!!! Buti na lang, I already filed a one day leave for tomorrow...hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Not again

Last year it was my father who was rushed to the hospital. Now it's my mother. My father was rushed to the hospital last year, April 3, 2007 (Dubai date). And this year, March 3, 2008 (US date), my mother was rushed this time. What's with the "3"?

Please pray for her fast and safe recovery. These days have not been good to me and my friends. I have received many prayer favors from many friends for their loved ones...and never thought that I would do the same.

I am supposed to be happy...because of the recent happening that I even haven't blogged about. But I'd rather post this first... please pray...God, please help us once again.

Surprise... for free!

I had a plan...but hesitated to pursue it. Kasi naman palagi na lang ako ang nangsusurprise lang...hmph! But then buti na lang tinuloy ko pa rin, hehehe! So this is what happened.

We stayed in a hotel for our first 3 months here and because of that I registered to a certain hotel point system rewards where I get credited of number of points for each day of stay in that hotel or even to some other hotels which are part of their hotel group. An accumulated number of point can be redeemed for rewards (which you can choose from many options). For those in Dubai, this is similar with "Air Miles".

As of end of January, I already accumulated 70,000+ points which I can redeem for $350 Gift Cards from a wide selection of stores. So, I had an idea then! I was planning to use the GCs to buy my gift to Randy on Vday and his Bday! But it my mistake that I only called to redeem the points, 3 days before the Vday and 6 days before his Bday! The rep told me that it would take 2 to 4 weeks before the GCs will arrive. So I talked to almost all the reps to make it possible to ship the GCs asap! Then, they told me to pay $25 to expedite the shipment, so I paid.

On Feb 13, Randy texted me that there's a UPS note in front of our door telling him to pick up a certain package for me which they left at the leasing office of our apartment because no one's around when they came. So I told myself, "This must be it!". Randy had no idea. He got the package na but I still never told him about it. But then, he opened it, without telling me! (I was still in Indiana at this time and by the way, I chose GCs from Circuit City, a gadget store). I thought medyo may idea na...but then he was thinking pala na bibili ako ng flash with those GCs...so medyo kinabahan sya since flash nga ang gift nya sakin (see my previous post). On Friday night, when I arrived, he surprised me with his gift... but there, I also told him that the GCs are for him...hehehe! I am supposed to buy him PS3 and would just add extra on the total amount. To cut the long story short, we were able the PS3 he's been dying to have:

O diba, nakalibre ako ng gip! hehehe...Thanks to triprewards! Pero hindi pala, I was also forced to buy the TV kasi napag alaman namin na sobrang mahal ng wire na ginagamit nila dito to run the PS3 on laptop screen. Since we still don't have TV and dahil medyo nanlumo si Randy when he knew na hindi nya pa magagamit ang PS3, I had to use yung money na pinagbentahan ng TV namin sa Dubai to buy the new TV...anyway, that's the main use of it, right?!? hehehe...

P.S. Now, I'm again earning points in my triprewards account...hmmm... sana nga redeemable to cash na lang ang points para magamit ko rin to pay the utilities, rent, etc, hahaha...parang naging income ko na ang points :)

My 2008 valentines day

"Marami ang namamatay sa maling akala" -- this phrase hit me after the valentines day. As most of you know, my better half has no sense of surprisal. Sometimes he would even prefer not to celebrate occasions. Well, I can't blame him because they were brought up like that...before, he and his siblings would not even be greeted "happy birthday" in their house. (Wawa naman Randy boy noh?!? hehehe). I've been trying to change him since we became "we". I'm actually the opposite. Almost all the occasions of the year are so special to me...I would throw tantrums before if my parents or my siblings wouldn't greet me "happy birthday" first thing in the morning. And I also love giving surprises!

Last valentines day, Randy and I were away from each other. I was working onsite at Indiana while he was in Illinois. I just usually go home on weekends. So, since we're away, I didn't really expect that he would have something for me or even greet me. In other words, I already gave up changing his impression on occasions. I was even a bit snappy at him last Feb 14. Because everytime I think that I have a husband but no valentine, I get really pissed off. He greeted me "Happy valentines day" on the night of Feb 13. But come Feb 14, nadah! No greetings, no pasaring, as in nothing! So, there...I was really mad deep inside. I have plans to surprise him but always was taken aback to pursue it because of this. In the night of Feb 14 (Thursday), he asked me where his "lotion" is. So I told him, "it's under the bathroom sink".

On Feb 15, I already went home to Illinois. Upon arrival at home, he was again asking where his lotion is! Well, I got really pissed off...I still have in my head that time that nothing unusual happened in my valentines day. So, with burning eyes and face, I stomped to our bathroom, opened the sink closet, and voila! I found this:

I was stunned and went back to the sala with tears drooping from my eyes. And he was smiling intently at me. I told him I will read the message in the card before we sleep. But he insisted that I read it on the spot. So I read it. It has a very touching message...plus an instruction at the bottom. That I need to search for my gift which is just near the sponge bob figure placed on top of the fridge, just in front of the cupboards. This is where I found my gift...inside the cupboard:

It was covered with green wrap and magazine leaves. I was soo eager to open it that I forgot to take a picture of it. But here it is:

It's a Speedlite 430EX!!! I've been wanting to purchase this for so long but always shift my attention to some other things like clothes, bags or shoes, hehehe. I even can remember posting n one of my friendster surveys that this is the one I want to receive for Valentines Day! According to Randy, he was not able to read it (wushuuu!). He also told me that when I was in Indiana, he contacted Edward (my colleague who went back to Dubai from Indiana for his vacation) and asked for my client's address because he's planning to send me flowers. But Edward doesn't know the address, hahaha! It's a very huge facility kasi. And he didn't want naman to send the flowers to the hotel...wala raw appeal, asus!

So, there! As I've said before, my 2008 valentines day has now become my most memorable valentines day! I just wonder if 2009 would beat it.... hmmm...

new haircut! (totoo na to, promise, hehehe!)

Oh well, I've been wanting to do this and finally, I was able to do it last weekend! It was funny coz the hairdresser kept on asking me if I'm really sure that I want to cut my hair really short. Before, the length of my hair was almost close to my waist (that is measuring the longest part of it since I have layered hair). But my hair became really dry because of frequent blow-drying and being too lazy to do the Matrix oil treatment once a week (as prescribed by the "rebonder" -- nang imbento ng term eh no).

And since I really hate seeing the ends of my hair which are soooo as in "uber" dry, I decided to cut them (more than) half off! And these are the pictures of "before" and "after":

BEFORE: AFTER:

Now, what do you think? Sabi ni Randy parang naging "in" daw ang itsura ko, hehehe. (Ah ganon, dati pala mukha akong losyang, yari ka sakin!). I feel more comfortable now with my new hair, parang gumaan ang pakiramdam, hehehe. Feeling ko kasi lahat ng sustansya ko sa katawan, kinukuha ng buhok ko dati :(