Do you live or have lived in Chicago?

I just want to share an email forwarded by my previous client, Joe.

This made me laugh! All of them are true... :)

This is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Chicago...

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you live in Chicago.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Chicago.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Chicago .

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in Chicago.

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of I-80 for the
weekend, you live in Chicago.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Chicago.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you live in Chicago.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Chicago.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in Chicago.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a
snowsuit, you live in Chicago.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in Chicago.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are
filled with snow, you live in Chicago.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter
and road construction, you live in Chicago.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in Chicago.

If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly', you live in Chicago.

If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your Chicago friends & others, you live, or have lived, in Chicago.

Prison break is ending? Oh no!

That's it. No more "Friday Movie Nights" for me and my husband. Prison break is moving its telecast on Fridays. Actually, despite that Friday is a movie night for me and my husband (and a friend), there are still some advantages:

(1) We can save money, of course! hahaha..."no more movie nights" only means $20-less expenses! (Oh, we can still watch movies on Saturdays, right?!? Oh well, let's just dump the idea!)

(2) Since my next project will just be 3-day out of state assignment (Tue-Thurs), I can watch PB with my husband which I really want to happen. Before, when it was still being shown on Monday nights, for every commercial, I need to call my husband and we discuss the happenings, exchange views, blah blah then hung up again once the show comes back.

Let me just repost my entry in Friendster bulletin:

Ri-freaking-diculous. First we get the announcement that Prison Break will be returning on April 17th, then we get the annoucement that it's moving to Fridays. Everyone will tell you that Friday nights are the kiss of death for TV shows, so I'm kind of pissed that Fox can't even let the show remain on Mondays for the remainder of its run.

Oh yeah, and we have received official confirmation that Prison Break is ending. Don't start crying. We all knew this day was coming. But it's hard.....I know..... Here's what Fox (who I'm not pleased with right now) has to say:

The greatest escape on television comes to an end after four suspenseful seasons when PRISON BREAK returns for the series' final episodes beginning Friday, April 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Following a series of double-crosses, the brothers now find themselves racing to retrieve SCYLLA, which unbeknownst to them has landed in the possession of their estranged mother and Company operative Christina (Kathleen Quinlan).

Source: Prisonbreak Fan Profile and FOX

And yes... have I mentioned that PB is soon to end?!? Nice.

Wake up!

My blog has been sleeping for a very long time. Pardon for the absences. There were so many things that have been running around my mind and I have been contemplating to blog about each of them.

What really has been keeping me busy? Well, "a lot of things" should keep the answer in its simplest term. What are these things?...a list would probably suffice:

(1) My project in Indiana has ended. Umm, my role in the project, that is...but not necessarily "the project". I stayed in that client for 10 months! (Even longer than my stay in my previous company.) So, when I packed up my things, cleared my desk -- a feeling of resignation dawned on me. Strange! Will I still go back to the client? That, I don't know as of now. But all I can say is I learned a lot of things during my stay in that client...and gained friendships too!

(2) We just stayed in our apartment on the night of Thanksgiving. Unlike last year, where we bravely faced the biting cold weather in the wee hours for our shopping trip, we just went to Kohl's and Chicago Premium Outlet in the morning after Thanksgiving. Of course, I lied when I said to myself that I won't be buying any stuff... that I will just content myself in checking out things. Of all the things I got, I soo love my Fifty Four Fossil Rachel '70s saddle bag (blue)! About the rest of the items I shopped, my voluntary promotion of human welfare has evolved -- "philanthropy" in other words. I did some last-minute gift shopping for friends in Pinas. (Did I mention that the husband, too, was a certified liar?)

(3) My balikbayan boxes have finally arrived in our house in Binan, Laguna. I have been checking the website of the cargo company for the past week, worrying that we wouldn't be able to receive the package just in time for Christmas. Since this was the first time that we shipped a package from US, I was worried that it would take a long time before the package reaches the Southern Luzon region. In Dubai, we trusted Makati Express in shipping our boxes -- no negative feedbacks. So, when we came here, after scouting for pinoy cargo companies, we settled in using "forex". And I made the right choice. They delivered the package in less than the estimated time of 35-40 days (32 days, to be exact). They also let you track the package using their website (just like UPS/Fedex). And once the package has been received by your recipient, they take a picture of the package together with your recipient...funny! But this is to prove that the package was in good state when it was received.

(4) We'll be flying to Manila on Wednesday. Unlike before, we can't feel the excitement this time. We have finished a fraction of the things we need to do before leaving. Our bags are half-packed... I hope, by tomorrow, I will start feeling the excitement.

(5) I have booked and paid the hotel where we will be staying in Baguio, together with the whole family. This will be my nth visit to Baguio, but will be my parents' 1st time. I just hope that everything will turn out great.

(6) I've been procrastinating again and haven't finished my *plan* -- that by the way, I promised to finish by the end of 2008 (if you try to back read to my 2008 new year entry)!

So, that's about it for the update!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Who, me?

It’s been a while…it’s been a while.

Busy? Nah. Other priorities? Yes.

But time has come for me to blog…rather, rant.

I’m still here with my old client. Poor me? Nah. I’m leaving this client in 2 weeks’ time and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for my next assignment. Oh well, that’s not something to worry about this time… I’m still about to go for vacation. (Yeah, baby!)

What happened today ruined my lunch and my whole afternoon. Hmm… let me rephrase that – What happened today made me feel so bad. Yes, that sounds more right.

At 11:53 AM, we (together with my colleagues), headed to Building 5 to have our lunch in the cafeteria, just like what we usually do. My client has this concessionaire rendering catering services. And I have this discount coupon wherein for every food exceeding $4.79 that I buy from them, I get one punch on the coupon. And my 11^th lunch/punch should be discounted by $4.79.

So, this noon, I brought my coupon and my credit card to the pay station with my tray of food. Upon receiving my credit card and coupon, the cashier immediately swiped my card to the register (I have to add, without even an opportunity for me to talk). As she was about to punch my coupon, I told her that it’s full already…that I should have a discounted lunch. So, she called her colleague (I think, the Supervisor) and asked the other person to reverse the previous *swipe*. As they were waiting for the register to do its thing, I kept on hearing her saying to the Supervisor that “Usually, they tell me beforehand that the coupon is full…blah…blah…blah”. At this moment, I was about to explode but due to the number of people waiting in line, I just decided to hold my temper. As I headed out of the pay station, I was shaking my head while looking at her.

What made me feel so bad is why did she need to blame me for her own fault? I really don’t like people who try to escape from their fault by making excuses and putting the blame on other people! Why can’t you be responsible for your actions? Your procedure should be to look first at the coupon card before swiping the credit card! And if I tell you that the coupon card is *full*, when it’s not, are you not going to verify it? So, next time, I can just probably tell the cashier that it’s full already, so I can get a discounted lunch – even though my card is short of 3 punches to get a discounted lunch!

I was so disappointed and felt so bad at that moment that as soon as I laid down my tray on our table, I couldn’t help but kept on jabbering with my colleagues! (Pasalamat at hindi pa ako sa Tagalog tumatalak nyan…kundi, maririndi ang buong cafeteria!).

She’s actually a nice cashier until this afternoon. From now on, I will no longer use that coupon card. What’s the big deal…I still get my meals reimbursed. I was just trying to claim what I’m entitled to and somehow give my client some savings.

I was about to write a letter to Eurest Dining Services to complain about this but up to now, I’m still thinking about it. (As a background, one Mexican resto around here fired one of their guys recently. And my colleagues think that that was because I complained about that specific guy not so long ago.). I don’t want to make a big deal out of it especially in these times of economic breakdown. I’m just disappointed. That’s all.

Feel Good (and smell good) Tip for the day: "Zinc"

"Make sure you are getting the USDA recommended daily allowance (RDA) of zinc. Yup, that's right, a zinc deficiency can lead to foot odor, as well as general body odor AND bad breath! So, make sure zinc is included in your multi vitamin, or get a seperate zinc supplement."

Me and my technology

Admittedly, I can proclaim myself as a technology slave. Is there something bad about it? Perhaps, yes. But with the different breakthroughs nowadays, one can never have too many gadgets or devices to make their lives easier. But as much as I heavily depend on technology, there are still little things that I prefer to do the ‘manual’ way:

(1) I don’t use dishwasher. In our apartment, we have this big dishwasher that I never use. I even don’t allow my husband to use it. Why? Because after my husband used it one time, I still could see the food leftovers on the floor of the washer, even how small they are. I figured afterwards that the washer needs to be cleaned right after using it to avoid the bad smell of the leftovers. My argument: What’s the point of using the washer for cleaning dishes when afterwards; I also need to clean the washer? I suppose, cleaning the dishes is very much easier than cleaning a stinky dishwasher.

(2) I prefer “tangible” books than e-books. When I read books, I want to hold the book and not strain my eye with too much light from the celphone or computer screen. Plus, I can manually write/comment on the good phrases in the book.

(3) I would choose “fan (pamaypay)” over electric fan/airconditioning machine. I easily get cold. And I would prefer natural air rather than the air produced from these machines.

(4) Even though my celphone has this capability to record our grocery needs, I still use my white board/black marker on our fridge door to note down the things we need to buy for our next grocery.

(5) I still use diaries to record my meetings. I just love my handwriting, I guess, hahaha... :)

And I do believe that no matter how ‘high tech’ we become, we should somehow still know how to survive in cases of technology breakdowns (but don’t ever ask me to drive manually, because I can’t and I don’t plan to learn about it).

Related to this, for the past weeks, I’ve been experiencing some trouble with my celphone. While browsing, it would sometimes just freeze and would not respond to any key strokes. There was even a time that I think my phone just experienced a blackout. The whole screen was completely black. I tried calling my number from the landline and my phone was ringing (and vibrating) but I couldn’t see the screen.

After I was able to retrieve my screen back, what I did was I checked the number of my apps in my screen (by counting the number of non-default icons), and I realized that I already have 30 add-ons!!! Wow! I didn’t imagine that I have this much…and I don’t use most of these apps. Well, I better start deleting some of these apps to somehow disburden my phone.

As I plan to do this, I received an email from Apple announcing the software update to 2.1. Well, I hope this, too would help in reducing my technology breakdowns! Added features for this software update is indicated in this flyer:

What I like most:

..the added option of wiping out data in the phone after 10 unsuccessful passcode attempts.

Apple alert

Yesterday, as I was comfortably lying in my bed while watching TV, my phone suddenly rang for a text message. Well, it was a text message from Apple saying that they just announced an exchange program for the ultracompact USB power adapter that came with my iPhone 3G.

Apparently, they just discovered a defect in the metal prongs of the chargers of iPhone 3G sold in US, Japan, Mexico, and other Latin America countries.

If you are an owner of an iPhone 3G that was sold in countries mentioned above, visit this link to know how to get yours replaced: http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/

I don’t actually use this charger because I find the iPhone 2G charger more compact and stylish, so I’m still using my old charger...while, the husband (who got the hand-me-down iPhone 2G) is just using the USB cord and dock to connect his iPhone to his computer (which does charge the battery of the phone). Nevertheless, I will still get my charger replaced come October 10.

I don’t want to be bitchy but at least Apple voluntarily announced the replacement program just like what they always do. Anyway, you still get the best customer service whatever the problem is in your apple product. And that’s one of the many things you’re paying for.

Enjoy your technology (by Cali Lewis)!!!

I'm Platinum!

I received this email message few days back --

Yes! I'm now "Platinum"! That means, I get double points and elite status in all my stays. Last night was my first night of stay as a Platinum member in Holiday Inn. So, I had a cup of coffee and newspaper delivered to my room -- awww...soo nice! Plus -- it's so heart-warming to see your name posted in the front lobby under the "Platinum" category.

If only Ramada has a ladder system of membership, I should have Triple Platinum by now. As a flashback, I stayed in Ramada for several months (which is the main reason why I was able to buy PS3 in Feb -- by using my hotel points to get a gift card from Circuit City). But because of this very bad experience with them (they just lost my very important package from Dubai -- where I had to call the hotel manager from his home!!!), I decided to transfer to Holiday Inn last July.

I became a Gold member after just 1 week (I think)...which didn't excite me at all. But this one, oh definitely!

I'm excited for my double (sometimes triple) points! Woohoo!!!

Well, I'm thinking of using my points for a free stay in Hotel Intercon with my family when I get home to Philippines... in shallah!

Heroes vs. Prison Break

September 22, 2008 - the long wait is over!

Everyone is now counting down -- for the comeback of "Heroes" (Villains). This is one of the many TV series that I've been following and watching since it started.

And now that it has come back for the next season, I can't express the excitement.... until I saw the timings and schedules of NBC.

Again, Heroes and Prison break are showing at the same timing!!! Darn! That means I need to choose between the two (unless, NBC and FOX are considerate enough to have alternating commercial breaks).

I think I'd choose Prison break for now... anyway, torrent is just always there... forgive me, Peter Petrelli... (mas matimbang sa puso ko si Scofield, haha!).

Enjoy the new seasons of our beloved TV series!!!

(P.S. Since everyone is raving about Gossip Girl, I forced myself to watch the first few episodes of GG yesterday. Note: I actually tried liking this series for several times, but I don't know why the story flow doesn't excite my curiosity. Let's see if I could finish another set of episodes of GG.)

Can't wait for the next season of Desperate Housewives this Fall, too!

Apple really rocks!

I just blogged here that I got a free battery replacement from Apple for my macbook...for the sake of "customer satisfaction".  And in that entry I also mentioned that my iPod vid also needs a new battery.  So, today, husband went again to the Apple store and brought my iPod for battery replacement.  

As a background, we already brought this in one Apple store but they just suggested I should just replace it with a new one or better yet, buy an iPod touch (which btw I think is ridiculous... it's like buying another iPhone).  I just want to have my iPod repaired because it's an "iPod".  It should serve its purpose... gets?  I don't want to use my iPhone as an iPod because I have a separate iPod... (gets nyo ba? Medyo magulo, pero gusto ko lang pakinabangan kung anong binili ko...kung ano talaga ang silbi nya..ayokong itapon na lang ang iPod dahil lang sa sira sya).

So, in high hopes, we decided to bring the iPod to another Apple store (to where I also brought my macbook).  So, husband told the "Genius" (this is how they call the reps in the Genius bar in Apple stores) that we ordered a replacement battery for an iPod video 80 gb and we were told that the battery is now ready.  And then, the genius said, "So, you're picking up your new ipod."  And then, husband said, "No...no.  I'm just here for a new battery."  But then, the genius replied, "Yes. That's how we do it.  We just replace your iPod with a new one instead of replacing the battery, because it's more cost-effective for us to just replace the unit.  But you'll just be paying the cost of the battery."

Apple, YOU ROCK!

Bwahahaha! So, now I have a brand new (with plastic and all) iPod video 80GB White.  Same as my old one but without scratches.... and without MUSIC and VIDEO and PODCASTS... :(

...and that's the drawback, all my music, videos, podcasts and other favorites are now gone.  Oh well, husband is also doing that aspect - rebuilding the lost data from my old one to the new one.

Husband, YOU ROCK!

...hahaha!  

Power interruption

As much as I want to blog, eh medyo may katamaran ako magblog today and medyo jam-packed din ang sched. So, share ko na lang ang chat message ko sa isang friend ko.

Pag sinwerte nga naman...

Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:23:58 PM): hehehe
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:24:18 PM): lam mo ba, flor, nakalibre ako ng battery sa mac ko, hahaah!
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:24:58 PM): pumunta kasi ako sa apple nung sunday para patingnan nga ang mac ko. tapos sabi, palitan na raw ang battery. pero out of stock daw. tawag daw ako makalipas ang ilang days.
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:25:10 PM): tumawag ako kahapon. sabi nila, meron na raw battery available.
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:25:21 PM): tapos pinapunta ko si randy sa apple kanina.
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:25:41 PM): sabi sa kanya, wala pa raw. nagalit si randy. kasi sabi nya, tumakas lang sya sa trabaho para sa battery tapos sasabihin wala.
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:25:46 PM): tapos alam mo nangyari?
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:26:08 PM): binigay na lang sa kanya yung battery nung isang macbook na display dun! hahaha...bagong bago pa rin ang battery....
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:26:21 PM): hindi na pinabayaran para raw sa customer satisfaction
Lei Villanera (8/27/2008 6:26:24 PM): ayos!

So, ayun nga, nakalibre ako ng battery for my laptop. Swerte rin dahil ang mahal pa naman... $129. Tomorrow, yung iPod vid ko naman ang papalitan ng battery (oo, lahat ng apple products ko ay sabay sabay naubusan ng battery. It makes sense naman dahil halos sabaw sabaw ko rin sila binili). Sana makalibre ulit si Randy boy, hehehe... nagpapractice na nga sya kung pano ang style nya tomorrow magalit... Ayos!

Can somebody donate some fats?

We were shopping yesterday at Magnificent Mile but no matter what outfit I try to put together, the image in the mirror doesn't satisfy.

...and I figured out where the problem lies...

I'm too skinny!!! (Not to mention that lots of people are saying so...). Whenever I look at the mirror, I look at myself as being 'malnourished' or 'anorexic'.

So, can somebody recommend good vitamins for boosting appetite? I tried looking at the GNC website but I can't find any. Most of the vitamins for this purpose are for KIDS! Darn!

Disclaimer: I can't devote so much time to gym...so I need to also have some artificial ways to gain weight. Gym is already off the list.

Chicago 2016

This is not an excuse for being aloof for the past weeks/months. But to make up for my absences, I'm sharing to you this website (which is just in time for the ongoing Beijing Olympics).

Just some pieces of FAQ:

Q:What is the Chicago 2016 Bid Committee?
A: The Chicago 2016 Bid Committee ("Chicago 2016") is a 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to seek the privilege of hosting the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Chicago. Chicago 2016's Board comprises business, civic, athletic, cultural and academic leaders representing Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region. Its honorary chairmen are Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Patrick Ryan serves as chairman and CEO.

Q:Where will the Olympic events be held?
A: Washington Park will be the site of the Olympic Stadium, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and the track & field events.

The stadium will be an 80,000-seat temporary facility that will be converted, post-Games, into a 5,000-capacity venue (with expansion capability), well-suited to host local, national and international athletics events. It may also be used as an amphitheater capable of hosting cultural events that are so important to this city.

Chicago 2016 is currently working on site plans for the additional events, which will include McCormick Place as the host of 11 competition venues.

Q:Who else is competing for the 2016 Olympic Games?
A: Now that Chicago has been selected as the U.S. Bid City, the competition for the 2016 Games Host City enters the international phase.

International cities competing for the 2016 Olympic Games were officially announced on September 14, 2007, and include: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Madrid, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Tokyo, Japan; Baku, Azerbaijan; Doha, Qatar; and Chicago, IL, USA.

Q:Is traffic and transportation a concern?
A: Chicago's extensive rail, transit, and motorways infrastructure, combined with the world-class O'Hare and Midway International airports, make Chicago one of the most accessible cities for local residents and International visitors.

While we are still in the early stages of planning, smooth transportation for athletes, spectators and the citizens of Chicago going about daily lives is one of the Chicago 2016's highest priorities. Detailed plans will be available in the future.Website: Chicago 2016

...interesting. But oh well...who cares?!? Only God knows where I would be in 2016. Let's just set this aside from now.

Chicago 2016

This is not an excuse for being aloof for the past weeks/months. But to make up for my absences, I'm sharing to you this website (which is just in time for the ongoing Beijing Olympics).

Just some pieces of FAQ:

Q:What is the Chicago 2016 Bid Committee?
A: The Chicago 2016 Bid Committee ("Chicago 2016") is a 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to seek the privilege of hosting the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Chicago. Chicago 2016's Board comprises business, civic, athletic, cultural and academic leaders representing Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region. Its honorary chairmen are Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Patrick Ryan serves as chairman and CEO.

Q:Where will the Olympic events be held?
A: Washington Park will be the site of the Olympic Stadium, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and the track & field events.

The stadium will be an 80,000-seat temporary facility that will be converted, post-Games, into a 5,000-capacity venue (with expansion capability), well-suited to host local, national and international athletics events. It may also be used as an amphitheater capable of hosting cultural events that are so important to this city.

Chicago 2016 is currently working on site plans for the additional events, which will include McCormick Place as the host of 11 competition venues.

Q:Who else is competing for the 2016 Olympic Games?
A: Now that Chicago has been selected as the U.S. Bid City, the competition for the 2016 Games Host City enters the international phase.

International cities competing for the 2016 Olympic Games were officially announced on September 14, 2007, and include: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Madrid, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Tokyo, Japan; Baku, Azerbaijan; Doha, Qatar; and Chicago, IL, USA.

Q:Is traffic and transportation a concern?
A: Chicago's extensive rail, transit, and motorways infrastructure, combined with the world-class O'Hare and Midway International airports, make Chicago one of the most accessible cities for local residents and International visitors.

While we are still in the early stages of planning, smooth transportation for athletes, spectators and the citizens of Chicago going about daily lives is one of the Chicago 2016's highest priorities. Detailed plans will be available in the future.Website: Chicago 2016

...interesting. But oh well...who cares?!? Only God knows where I would be in 2016. Let's just set this aside from now.

...I still gave in. So what?

I lied.  It WAS very unlikely that I would give in. I know, I know...I promised myself not to be persuaded by this.  But.... but... oh crap!  The husband needs a phone line and I got approved in the credit check (I've been waiting for this for a long time... to be treated as a real US person...not a ghost US person.  Well, all new comers have to go through this).  

I made the reservation...and now waiting for it to arrive.  Excited! :) (and the husband, too!)

Chicago Spire

Last week, as I have blogged about, we went to the Brickworld where they showcased the different structures made out of Lego bricks.  One thing that astonished me were the different buildings.  One of them is the Chicago Spire.  Few people know this particular building and I kept on hearing in the exhibit people murmuring, "What's that building?  I've never seen that in Chicago."  

But due to the demands of my husband's field of expertise, he showed me this website months ago...

http://www.thechicagospire.com/location/documentary/

Amazing...huh?!?

Are you iReady with iPhone 3G?

Check this link:

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/23890

Pipila ka pa ba? Duh!

Katang!

Ok...katang (-ahan) na kung katang!

Yesterday, I checked out from my hotel (As for those who don't know, I stay in Indiana from Monday afternoon til Friday morning since my client is located there). Since I had a laptop trolley, shoulder bag and an extra large luggage (pasencia, paranoid ako kaya kahit one week lang ako eh palaging extra large ang luggage ko), I decided to put first my laptop trolley and shoulder bag inside the car. After putting them in, I went back to the hotel to get my luggage and back to the car. Okay...this is where my main story begins...

I had my car key in my left hand and my right hand was trying to push my luggage towards my car in the parking lot. My hand slipped and I accidentally pushed the 'doors open' of my key. So I heard the sound of my doors signifying that they were opened. But then, I have this habit to keep the doors closed when I'm putting something inside the trunk (pasencia, paranoid ulit...baka sakaling may salisi gang at may sumakay sa kotse habang may niloload ako sa trunk...alam nyo yon, yung napapanood sa movies kapag may habulan..katulad sa movie na WANTED...uyy...plugging! My rate for that movie by the way is 3 out of 5.). So I pressed the 'doors close' button of my key. I opened the trunk. Since my luggage was too heavy, I had to put down the car keys in the trunk to free up both my hands. I lifted my luggage and loaded it inside the trunk.

Usually, before I close the trunk cover, I would check if I have all the things I need...like I would check if I already have the keys with me...if my mobile is not left inside the luggage...all those stuff. But then, these days, I've been very busy with work-related things. I'm having huge problems with my client and project so there's always lots of things going on in my head...I can't even sleep at night because of these troubles.

So...back to the story... as I've said, I loaded my luggage inside the trunk and closed it. At the exact moment that I heard my trunk went 'thug!'...I uttered,

"Uh...oh...where - is - my - key-?" Yes. I uttered it in a very slow manner. I checked my doors. They're all closed.

Then I began to shake. My hands and feet were trembling as I gushed towards the hotel lobby. I asked for help from the hotel manager and I was lucky that he's so helpful that he dialed the number of the company that could help me. So, there...yes, I sought help from the ever-reliable 'Triple A'. I had to wait for 1 hour before they arrived. But I really appreciate the concern from their reps...in my 1 hour of waiting, they would often call and check on me if I'm still okay and remind me to stay in a safe place that I could see my car. Triple A is famous for servicing road accidents and other vehicle-related stuff...so their service always comes with a 'calming-down-the-customer' procedure..he-he-he! Well, at that time, I really needed that. I was hyperventilating as I have an 8:15am conference call which by the way, I was not able to attend to because all my things are inside the car. I don't even have my mobile phone or even my purse. I was literally empty-handed.

At 8:20 (the time they told me that the service would arrive is 8:27, so they're still on time), the service came. They had this small deflated balloon bag that they tried to insert thru the door...pumped it with air to inflate it and to have a small space open for the door...and for them to insert the metal rod inside the car. The metal rod has a hook at its end and they used that in pulling the unlock button of the door at the driver's side. At the sound of 'click', I immediately opened the door and my car began, 'beep...beep...beep...beep..beep'...I immediately pushed the trunk release button and got my key from the trunk and pressed the 'doors open' to stop the loud beeping sound. Whew! Thank God!

Lesson learned? 'Wag masyadong paranoid...wag mangarap na nasa movie ka.'

"Komedyante"

Nung ako'y musmos pa at nangangarap ng mapapangasawa, malimit kong sabihin na "sana ang mapangasawa ko...gwapo...matangkad...maputi...matalino...mayaman..." Ngayong may-asawa na ako, ni hindi sumagi sa isip ko na ikumpara sya sa mga pamantayan na dati rati ay malimit kong banggitin. Siguro yun ang tinatawag na "tunay at dalisay" na pag-ibig. Wala kang tinitingnan...wala kang pamantayan...basta mahal mo sya.

Pero sa mga taon, buwan, araw, oras at segundong nagdaan ay tila napansin ko na ang asawa ko ay may pagka-komedyante. Napaka popular nya sa mga tinatawag nating "one-liners". Sa dami ng mga nasambit nya sa nagdaang mga araw ay mangilan-ngilan na lang ang aking natatandaan sa oras na to. Nais ko sanang ibahagi ang ilan sa mga ito:

(1) Naghahanda pa lamang kami nuon sa aming nalalapit na kasal. Nag-inarte ako dahil parati na lang ako ang gumagawa sa aming "wedding preps". Sa sobrang inis ko ay nasabi ko: "Wala ka nang natutulong sa kasal natin...palagi na lang ako! Alam mo ba kung ano ang misalette? Alam mo ba kung anong souvenir ang ipapamigay natin? Alam mo ba kung ilang bisita ang meron tayo? Alam mo ba kung sino ang caterer natin? Wala kang alam sa lahat ng nangyayari sa preparations natin!" Sa puntong ito, akala ko ay sasagot sya nang padabog din...ngunit, subalit, datapwat..kumanta lamang sya ng: "I don't know much....but I know I love you...(na may kasama pang kumpas ng mga kamay with feelings!)". Imbes na umusok ang ilong ko sa galit ay natawa ako. Kung gusto nyo marinig ang kanta, heto ang link. Dahil dito ay naging kanta namin sa kasal ang kantang iyan.

(2) Nitong mga nakaraang araw ay tumataba na talaga ako. Alam ko na pangarap ko ang lumobo at maging lumba lumba...ngunit ang aking pagtaba ay hindi proportional. Tanging bilbil lang ang nadadagdag sa akin pero ang mga braso at ibang parte ng katawan ay napakatagal lumobo. Nasambit ko sa asawa ko nuong isang gabi: "Ang taba-taba ko na...tingnan mo bilbil ko...ang laki-laki naaa..." Heto ang sinabi nya: "Tigilan mo na kasi ang madalas na pagfi-friendster." (Napakunot ako ng noo at nag-isip nang mabuti kung anong ibig nyang sabihin. Matapos ang matinding pag iisip ay nais nya lang iparating na pagkatapos kumain ay maglakad-lakad ako at wag diretso sa pag-upo sa harap ng kompyuter.)

(3) Kanina lang ay nagmaneho ako papunta dito sa Indiana. Sa aking byahe ay ilang beses akong nahirapan sa pag - arangkada sa tuwing ako'y mag-o-"overtake" sa ibang sasakyan. Pagkarating ko sa opisina, gaya ng nakaugalian ay tumawag ako sa aking asawa. Isa sa mga sinabi ko ay: "Naiinis na ako sa kotse natin. Ang bagal bagal nya. Hindi ako makaarangkada. Mahina ang makina nya." Tumira na naman sya ng kanyang panalong one-liner na, "Walang problema ang sasakyan. Bawas bawasan mo ang paglalaro ng Need for Speed." Kung naglalaro ka ng game consoles ng Sony (e.g., PS2, PSP, PS3) eh alam mo na kung anong ibig nyang sabihin.

(4) Ilang segundo lang ang nakakalipas ay tumawag ulit ang "komedyante". Ang sabi nya, "Matutulog nako. Antok nako." Ang sabi ko, "Bakit? 8:40 pa lang dyan ah?". Ang sabi nya, "Uminom kasi ako ng Smirnoff". Kaya naman pala. Hindi pa dyan natapos. Bago kami nagpaalam sa isa't isa ay nagpahabol ako ng, "Bukas, mag-gym ka. Ang taba-taba mo na!". Humirit ang komedyante syempre (sa pinakamaarteng pananalita na maiisip nyo): "Look who's talkin".

Apat lang iyan sa libo-libong "one-liners" na sinasambit nya araw-araw. At dahil dito, madalas ay kinakabagan ako. Ngayon, alam ko na kung bakit.

Getting a year older

Almost one week from now, I'll get another year older.  Supposedly, we will hold a party in our apartment on the 10th of May (just 2 days before my bday).  However, a friend will be coming over to Chicago this weekend so I just decided to hold my birthday celebration 1 week advance.  Right now, I can still smell the smoke from outside because Randy is currently busy grilling fish and pork (Thank God, we can now freely grill "pork"...unlike in Dubai that we need to be very cautious...yah know!).  And since I really consider my birthday as my most important day of the year, I could use this as an excuse to post anything about myself (as I always do, hahaha).  So, here's your dose of my survey for today before my guests start coming in: (The responses below are fully detailed...so beware of having a long read).

1. What do you want for your birthday?

I'm actually not picky when it comes to gifts.  I can say that I'm a truly appreciative person.  It's so easy to make me happy, especially on my birthdays.  Kahit candy wrapper lang yan, I still treasure it with the same intensity as that of a more expensive gift.

2. Who will be your next kiss?
Most probably, it would be my husband.  We usually kiss every minute...kahit magkasalubong lang kami sa room, sa cr, wherever...

3. When was the last time you went to
the mall?
We just went to Woodfield Mall last night to buy Randy's new spectacles.

4. Are you wearing socks right now?
No, I'm not.

5. How did you spend your vacation?

My last vacation was Christmas/New Year.  We went to Los Angeles/Pasadena, California to visit my relatives and Las Vegas, Nevada with our good friends, Jude and Aida.  We even slept in Jude's sister's house in LA.

6. Have you been to the movies in the
last 2 weeks?
No, I haven't been to a movie house for the last 30 days.  We were supposed to go to movies last night but we just decided to have a sumptuous dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  Plus, I was dead tired last night because of the long drive I had.

 

7. What was the last thing you drank?
I just drank a chocolate drink which was given by Randy's greek boss.  (This boss of Randy is really fond of him.  He's currently giving a supply of chocolate drink on a daily basis.)

8. What are you wearing right now?
I'm wearing my birthday attire. My husband just told me this morning that I'm like a kid...I have my birthday attire (pambirthday), christmas attire (pamasko), etc.  I was brought up by my parents with this tradition and I'm still practicing it.

9. What was your last purchase other
than food?
Randy's specs.  We went to Oakley store last night since he's been targetting to buy this pair of glasses...but good thing, we decided to check out Lenscrafters for their Oakley selection (where I also had my eye exam last 2 weeks).  We got 60% off the price of the glasses because of our health insurance card.  We would not be able to get this discount if we bought the frame from Oakley store.

10.What was the last food you ate?
I just ate a Taco Bell ready-to-eat food which I bought from Walgreens in Warsaw, Indiana last Monday.

11. Who would be the person you would
call if you were up in the middle of
the night and couldn't sleep?
It would definitely be my husband.

12. Have you bought any clothing items
in the last week?
Yes.

13. Do you have a pet?
No.  But I really want to have a dog.  But sadly, I can't ...because of my travels.

14. What made you laugh in the last 5
days?
5 days might be inappropriate to use as the time range since I won't be able to remember all of them.

15. If you could be anywhere right
now, where would you be?
I want to go to a beach in the Philippines.

16. What is the last thing you
purchased online?
My hair dryer and a pocketbook.

 

17. One thing you hate about yourself?
I have a very bad temper. very baaddd... I say harsh words, too..sometimes, I don't even consider my relation to the other person...I really hate myself because of this.

18. What's your favorite soup?
I have this big craving for clam chowder right at this moment.

19. Last person you msg'd?
It's Mike Garado.  He just arrived here in Chicago last night and we'll meet here in our apartment later tonight...together with some other PwC buddies.  He will be sleeping over here since his relatives' place is one-hour away from our place.

20. Are you a good student in school?
I'm an auditor so I'm used to giving substantive evidence in every word I say.  Was I a good student? Hmm.. I was the 1st honorable mention awardee in my grade school, Valedictorian in High school, and a Magna Cum Laude in college.  I don't know what's the exact standard to be considered a good student, but studying your lessons well and doing your assignments should be the #1 from the list.  

So, there.  I hope you gained some more info about myself.  More surveys to come...

Ooopss, I have to mention that I just received my birthday gift from the husband...and as I've said, I truly appreciate it...(...and I really love it! - this requires a separate entry).