deal hunter

cousins comparing shoes bought at this and that store...

i butted in and showed mine:  'here...  zalora...  20% off plus free shipping...'

it's back to regular price now...  and shipping charge not anymore waived...

i got a good deal...  i am a happy gal...  : )

fast

at the gift wrapping counter, i saw my batchmate's  4-year-old son...  sooo cute...  : )
and very talkative...  : O

he offered me his gum...  when i declined saying i don't like gum, he asked whether i liked candy...

when i said no, he asked what i liked...

i said chocs with nuts...

he asked whether it's the round one...

i didn't get it initially but soon enough realized he was talking about ferrero rocher...

he asked whether i like rice...  he asked about what i eat...

he asked whether i knew his siblings...  he asked where i met them...

he asked whether i have a car...

he asked whether i drove it myself...

he asked whether i wear shoes when i drive...  he asked what kind of soles they have...

he asked what gifts i bought...  he asked to whom i'm giving them...

and, ta-daaan...  he asked why my belt is front-side back...

me:  'so my tummy won't look big...  if the buckle's in front it will bulge so i like to put it at the back...'

the little boy asked:  'where's your tummy?'

and before i could even answer, he pulled my shirt up exposing my belly!

whoa!  good thing the shirt didn't go all the way up...  good thing there were only females nearby...

girls watch out when this boy grows up...  ; p

who's looking at you?

i ordered a number of photobooks.  i've so far received seven but the one i ordered earliest is not among them.

i informed the merchant.  their reply?

"We believe that your book has been lost in transit. We will proceed with printing a replacement copy and will have it shipped via DHL express."

aw!  where could that photobook be now?  : }

outdone

i was at a department store yesterday when i saw a heart-decorated mug...  my valentine-born cousin immediately came to mind...  i bought the mug and thought i'd put some chocs in it, wrap it in plastic, put a nice ribbon then give to my cousin, not as a christmas present but just because  (the mug was priced so much lower than my christmas budget for her, hehe)...

guess what...  this morning i went to my parents' place and my sister told me i have ferrerro...  and there it was, a gold ferrero bag with a box of ferrero golden gallery inside, a ferrero shirt and a box of lindor chocs  ->  from my cousin!!!  whoa!!!  i haven't even given her the mug and there already was a much, much nicer reciprocal!

i felt so overwhelmed by the generosity of the Lord...  i was just about to do some little thing and He surprises me ahead with something so much bigger...

i felt so safe...  i felt so secure...  i felt so thankful...

whichever comes first

at my parents' house...  i heard carollers...

i went out with money and saw them facing the neighbor's gate...

they saw me and immediately turned around continuing their song facing my parents' house...  ; )

it's now or never

friend buying me a pricey gift...

me:  'just buy it in may...  they'll have a sale in may, 20%...  i'm not in a hurry anyway...'

friend:  'i might not have money anymore in may...'

nyahaha...  toinks!!!  ; p

ambience

friend:  'how was <pricey place>?'

me:  'it was ok...  we had <dish>...  remember the one we had when we were at <affordable place>?'

friend:  'how's the taste?  was the one we had as good as the one at <pricey place>?'

me:  'haha...  the tastes are close, actually...  it's only the prices that are way different...'

; )

how many times

waiter:  'what sides do you want, ma'am?  onion rings, fries or fruits?'

me to friend:  'you choose...'

friend:  'what do you want?'

me:  'they don't have what i want so just be the one to choose...'

friend:  'you want fries, right?'

me:  'choose what you want...'

friend:  'you don't like fruits?'

me:  'get what you want...'

friend:  'onion rings?'

me:  'up to you...'

friend:  'what do you want?'

me:  'gggaaaahhhhh!!!  i told you to be the one to choose, stop asking me!!!'

friend to server:  'oh!  she's angry already...  okay, okay, onion rings...'

\m/

mine

my sister made sandwiches in the sandwich maker...

me:  'wow, they smell so good!  ugh!  i'll get fat again!  i've eaten rice and then i'll have bread...'

i suddenly chuckled at what i said...  she made the sandwiches for herself...  why am i including myself in the equation?

;")

what a question

sister:  'there are so many big christmas decors at our office...  life-size...  the santas, they're bigger than me!'

me:  'aw, you should have told me earlier...  i could have dropped by...'

sister:  'you drop by tomorrow...'

me:  'i won't be in the area tomorrow...'

sister:  'some other day...'

me:  'i dunno yet when i'll be in the vicinity...  you knew i was there...  you should have told me...'

sister:  'you didn't ask...'

me:  'huh?!  who on earth goes around asking whether there are life-size decors in one's office???'

\m/

overreaction

me to guard:  'did a senior pass here?'

guard:  'male or female?'

me:  'female...  here she is...'
i show him a pic of my mom on my phone...

guard to guy:  'check the CCTV...'

guy to me:  'what did she do to you, ma'am?'

me:  'huh?!  no need for the CCTV...  she's my mom...  she didn't do anything...  i dropped her off in front before parking and now i don't know which entrance she used so i'm asking...'

boy, that building is secure!  ; )

polka dots

attending a themed party...

mom tries on a new top and calls me:  'is this ok for the polka dot party?'

me:  'those are not circles, mom...'

mom points to tiny dots here and there in the blouse's general design:  'these are dots, right?'

me:  'that's stretching!'

mom pulls at her top:  'stretching?'

me:  'you're stretching the definition of polka dots...'

; p

play along

my dad tells my mom he got to chat with an old couple at the supermarket...  when he asked how old they were, the reply he got was, 'what do you think?'

my mom right away went:  'you know, when someone asks you to guess how old he is, that means he thinks he looks younger than his age.  therefore give a low number so he won't be disappointed...'

; )

sizes and prices

my mom likes to give me clothes on my birthday...  almost always, they are too small...  : }

year after year, i tell her i'm not a Medium and year after year she tells me Large is too big and that Medium seems just right.  year after year i fit her Medium and year after year i end up going to the store to have her gift exchanged for sometimes not just a Large but even an XL (yup, i may not look it but clothes-wise i'm an L, XL hereabouts).

this year she overdid herself, wahaha.  she gave me a Small!

me:  'mom, i won't even fit in Medium and you're giving me a Small?'

mom:  'you're smaller now...  that would fit...  try it...'

ta-daannn!  it was tight...  : }

instead of making me bring them back to the store, she took it back and said she'll just give me something else.

me:  'thanks, mom, but don't bother...  it's the thought that counts...  it's enough that i know you thought of giving me a gift...  i don't really have to have the gift...'

i thought that was agreed.

well, last week she gave me a belated / replacement gift!  two pairs of shorts this time.  guess what, they would not even get past my, uhm, butt...  : }

so again i was at the store checking out a bigger size for exchange.  the saleslady was giving me the next bigger size and the next bigger size and the next bigger size.  finally something seemed a close fit, not quite yet but almost.

me:  'there!  this is close...  what size is this?'

saleslady:  '6, ma'am...'

me:  'oh...  what size is the one i'm returning?'

saleslady:  '1, ma'am...'

me:  '1?!  my mom saw me as a 1 and here i am even bigger than a 6?!'

saleslady:  'maybe she sees you as still a baby, ma'am...'

oh!  hehe...

anyway, i wanted something a little loose and the next size was out of stock so i had to get some other replacement.

today, i was telling my mom i was able to get four items for the two pairs of shorts she gave me.  yes, four for two!  a pair of shorts, two tank tops and a long sleeved shirt.

she looks at me funny.

nyahaha...  i am cheap...  ;"p

mind reader

i was thinking of sending two items...

i call the intended recipient and mentioned the first one...  tooooot!!!  someone just gave them one.

me:  'oh, that's good!  hmmm...  what do i replace it with?  what do you want?'

reply:  'what we want is a <product>...'

whoa!!!  that is the second item i was planning to send!

we're in tune...  yea!!!  : D

popularity

me to mom:  'that's 'itlog ni kuya' [kuya's egg]...'

mom:  'who's kuya?'

me:  'ahahaha...  <toot> was also like that!  i told her to get 'itlog ni kuya' and she asked who kuya is...'

mom:  'yes...  who is he?'

me:  ''itlog ni kuya' is a brand of eggs...  duck eggs, salted egg, organic...  from victoria, laguna...  it's supposed to be well-known...  or at least i thought it was well-known...  maybe it's not because you two don't know it...'

: }

unsure

cake...

me:  'what is it?'

dad:  'mocha...'

me:  'that's not mocha...  it looks like butter...'

mom, eating some:  'it's carrot...  or banana?'

i get a slice:  'it's not carrot...  more like orange...  or lemon...'

sister tries a bit:  'it's lemon...'

me:  'that's already two of us for lemon...'

mom:  'could be orange...'

me:  'maybe you could call the one who gave and ask what it is...'

; )

niche

slight drizzle while on the road...  typhoon names cropped up...

me:  'what i find amusing is that there's this typhoon name that they had to change because of certain youtube videos...  as in, it was in the news they're skipping the name kanor because of that, imagine!'

friend:  'if you see those videos you'd understand why they did not want to use the name...'

me:  'yeah?  but how many people have seen those videos?'

friend:  'mang kanor is famous!'

me:  'he is?  how come i don't know him?'

friend grins this mischievous grin:  'well, to us guys, he's well-known...'

oh...  ok...  : }

meaning

getting off the car...

guy:  'should we bring an umbrella?'

me:  'let's bring yours...  mine's long; yours is short...'

the guy chuckles...

me:  'what?  oh...  ok...'

; p

not the same

me, eating french fries from a casual dining chain:  'their fries are not good...  try it...'

sister:  'i don't like...'

me:  'just taste it...'

sister:  'i'm full...'

me:  'just one piece...'

sister:  'you said it's not good and then you want me to eat it?'

me:  'you might find it delicious...  people have different tastes...  what might not be good to me may be good to you...'

\m/

it just keeps getting better

j.co donuts...  :)

two dozens...  :D

one dozen of them alcapone...  overjoyed...  :'D

so good

i love kfc krushers, specifically rockin' road (rocky road on the receipt but in the posters it's rocky road).  i must say it's not consistent though.  sometimes it's really good, as in so chocolatey yummy.  other times, it's too watery. (standardize your prep, please, kfc.)

discounts, too, i love.

now they're together.  kfc has a Snacks Rollback promo 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.  they're rolling back the price of certain items, the krushers, from P69 to P49.  every chance i get i've been dropping by kfc to avail myself of the discounted krushers.  P20 and i am overjoyed.  wahaha...  so shallow...  ;"p

last time though, i ordered krushers handing the cashier P50.  was i surprised when i got my krushers, it was small!  ' turns out it was still several minutes shy of 2:00 p.m. so 'twas the P49 mini krushers instead of the P69 krushers classic i got for P49.  awww!!!  i was crushed...  toinks!!!  ; p

today, however, was a rollercoaster ride.  i thought it was already close to 6:00 p.m. and the two ladies in front of me on the queue were taking forever to order.  they were already in front of the cashier and they were still thinking about and discussing what to order.  you'd hear them go for this item and then change their mind and consider something else.  what if we get this?  how 'bout that instead?  no, maybe this one.  no, the other one.  they were going on and on oblivious to the fact that they were holding the line...  :'(

there i was behind them and i was fidgety thinking if they take much longer i will overshoot the promo window, huhuhu.  finally they completed their order.  whew!  i asked the crew whether 'twas still promo time.  it was a yes.  yessss!!!  i was overjoyed, hahaha...

i had my krushers and i had my discount.  i was doubly happy...  i am immensely thankful...  so good...  yea!!!  : D

center of my universe

cousin's friend telling me that they've been seeing me since they were young...

me:  'oh?  how come i didn't see you?  i came to know you only as adults...'

cousin's friend:  'you were preoccupied with your boyfriend...'

:"}

beauty

watched 'shrek, the musical' (i loved the movie!  and now the play, too   <3 <3 <3 )...

"beautiful ain't always pretty..."

and the other way around...

\m/

love

dad:  'you and <sister> eat now...  mom and i are full...'

me:  'later...  she's still watching 'true love'...'

sister:  ''pure love'!'

oh...  hehe...  close...  ; )

boo-boo

guy asking for my number...

i declined by mailing back from my phone...

when i clicked send, gmail attached my default signature which had not just one but two of my numbers...  aaarrrggghhhh!!!  :O

domino effect

parallel street parking...  the car in front of the sole remaining slot i was going to take was protruding through the dividing line...

me to friend:  'why did he occupy that space?  so inconsiderate...'

i'm not good at parallel parking and having a smaller space in which to fit my car definitely didn't make it any easier for me...

ok...  forward, angle, back up, forward, reverse, forward, reverse, whew!  : }

we got off the car...  then i saw that the car in front of the car in front of mine (hehe...  that's right) was also occupying part of the slot for the car behind it...

me:  'oh...  so that's why that car was too far back...'

walking some more, we saw that the car in front of the previous also occupied part of the space supposedly for the car behind it...  it went on down the line up to the very first car in the row...  yup, a long line of cars, all of them except for the last two (the second to the last was mine, ehem!) were parked beyond the dividing line!

and you know why the first one went beyond its space?  someone put this movable hip-high post on the front end of the first slot (to indicate that the slot is reserved?)...  you could

1.  move that thing for your car to fit in the slot

2.  park behind it and occupy part of another slot

3.  skip the slot and park on the next (assuming it's free)

the first driver chose the second...

one man's choice but it had an effect on the rest of us...

ripple effect

i was at the bank this afternoon.  i made an appointment through the web for 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.  normally, the queue numbers would just be displayed onscreen.  for some reason, however, this time they were displaying one set on the monitor for teller 1 and calling out another set for teller 2.

they've displayed and called out so many numbers already but mine was not among them.  i asked the lady beside me what time it was.  she said 2:00 p.m.  hmmm...  if it was already 2:00 p.m. and my appointment ends at 2:00, i don't think they'd still be calling my number.

i therefore went to the kiosk and made another appointment for 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.  ok.  i waited and waited and waited.  again, they were displaying and calling out queue numbers and again mine was not among them.  hmmm...  i was a developer and an administrator before.  i'm thinking if my appointment is between 2:00 and 2:30, the system would display that in the queue as soon as or not long after the system time hits the appointed time.

i asked one of the bank personnel whether their electronic appointment is not working.

she said it is.

i told her my number was not being called.

she said maybe it was but i wasn't around.

i said i've just been there all along pointing out that i made the appointment right at their very kiosk.

she asked for my number and went to the second teller.

a while later, the teller called out, 'electronic!'

no number.  just 'electronic.'

no one approached the counter so i did.  i asked whether she was referring to electronic appointment.

she said yes.

she asked for my account number.

me:  'didn't my appointment show up?  it's there...'

the teller said no.

me:  'if my queue number didn't show up, why did you call me?'

teller:  'because the girl (the bank personnel i asked earlier) told me...'

me:  'oh...  so the electronic queue numbers really don't appear in your queue?'

teller:  'it did not, ma'am...'

me:  'hmmm...  so something's not working in your system?  i made two appointments...  both of them didn't appear?'

teller:  'maybe it did at the other teller, ma'am...'

the other teller is the one whose queue numbers are displayed onscreen.

me:  'i didn't see them on the screen...'

teller:  'they're not here, ma'am...'

me:  'really?  hmmm...  where did my numbers go?  did you skip calling out any numbers?'

teller:  'no, ma'am...  maybe i just did not notice...'

hmmm...  twice?  all the other numbers were being called out sequentially.  either there is something wrong with the system or there is something not right with what the teller is saying.

and because of that, i was stranded in front of the bank for 45 minutes (!) after my transaction was processed (yes, i have my deposit slip and pictures outside the bank to prove it).  i was just supposed to proceed to the supermarket across the bank!  so near!!!  it rained that's why.  and i had to wait it out because i didn't have my umbrella (♩ ♪  ella, ella, eh, eh, eh  ♫ ♬  ; ) ).  the rain fell during my second appointment.  had i been called earlier, i would have been through while it was still dry...

\m/

mea culpa

going to libis from sm city marikina...  i'm not really familiar with the route...

i asked the guard for directions...

<blah-blah-blah>

ok...  thanks...

drive, drive, drive...  so i'm supposed to turn right somewhere...

me:  'is this two-way?'

passenger:  'yes...'

i climbed the ramp...  ooops...  there's a car going in my direction!

we both stopped at what i thought was my lane...  i was waiting for him to transfer lanes, he wouldn't budge!  i was thinking the driver is so stubborn and inconsiderate  ->  and then it occurred to me it must be one-way...  aw!  sorry!!!  reverse, reverse...  :"}

my most profuse apologies to that maroon van...  :'(

man and machine

in the car on a hot sunny day...

me to friend:  'there's juice in my bag...  drink it...'

i was referring to canned pineapple juice...  was i surprised therefore when i saw my friend drinking from a plastic bottle...

me:  'aw!  not that!!!'

friend:  'this is mine!'

me:  'aw!  hehe...  sorry...  i thought 'twas the one for my car...'

;")

comeback

'momhead' by johanna stein in the news...  leaving my parents' house, i echoed 4-year-old sadie and jokingly asked my mom:  'are you gonna make yourself pretty today or are you gonna look like you always do?'

mom's retort:  'you're old...  that's not cute...'

\m/

marathon

mom:  'what time did you get home?'

me:  'before 12?  or after 12?  around midnight...'

mom:  'i thought that was lunch...'

me:  'and dinner, too...'

; )

wrong turn

on the road last night...

me:  'ei, <toot> and i have passed this way!'

friend:  'going to?'

me:  'home...'

friend:  'where'd you come from?'

me:  'quirky bacon...'

friend:  'where is that?'

me:  'san juan...'

friend:  'where in san juan?'

me:  'greenhills...  wilson...  aw, no...  we came from guevarra's not quirky bacon...'

friend:  'how did you end up here?!'

me:  'that is how epically we get lost...'

:"}

careful

friend checking comments and likers of his pic from my facebook account on my phone...

me:  'ei, be careful clicking anything there, ok...  don't make any comments...  that's my account, not yours...'

friend:  'ok...'

a short while later...

me:  'don't make any comments there...  that's my account...  my friends might wonder what i'm talking about...  don't click anything...'

friend:  'ok...'

again...

me:  'be careful...  don't click anything...'

friend:  'ok...'

i kept on repeating the reminder...

when the guy returned my phone to me, i tapped it intending to return to the newsfeed but instead accidentally clicked a colleague of his sending the person a friend request.  aaaarrrggghhhh!!!  :O

practice what you preach...  : }

corresponding reply

my 4-year-old granddaughter saw me and greeted me 'hi.'

i replied, 'good morning...'

she repeated the greeting.

again i said, 'good morning...'

for the third time she said, 'hi.'

ok...  i got it.  i said, 'hello.'

end of greetings...  ; )

running an errand

my mom asked me to pick up something...  ok...  distance is around 2 km to and fro...  she and my sisters (and everyone else i know) ride going there.  me, i just walk.

when she saw me back, she exclaimed:  'that was quick!'

uhm...  i walk fast...  one time a car even yelled at me:  'slow down!  you might trip!'

:"}

air delivery

at a party last night, i saw two coke bottles with the name of my second mom...  i asked the hostess for the empty bottles saying i'm going to send them to my mama in the province...

then today i was telling my cousin i'm just thinking my second mom, given that her eyesight is not that good anymore, might not notice her name on the label.  she might wonder why i sent her bottles.

cousin chuckles:  'and then she'll see that they're empty and just throw them away...'

: }

benefits

girl talking about something...

me:  'oh...  so you have a boyfriend?'

girl:  'i don't know...'

me:  'you don't know?  okay, do you kiss?'

girl:  'we were together out-of-town, of course, we kiss...'

me:  'so you have a boyfriend!'

girl:  'i'm not sure...'

me:  'you kiss and you're not sure?'

girl:  'we don't talk about it...'

me:  'me, if you kiss me, even if you don't say anything, as far as i'm concerned you're already my boyfriend...  you don't kiss me and then we're just friends...'

\m/

food pic

taking a pic of pizza...

sister:  'put the ketchup on the side...'

me:  'i don't want ketchup...'

sister:  'how would people know that's yellow cab?'

me:  'i'm taking a pic not for people to know it's yellow cab but for me to have a remembrance of what i ate...'

\m/

back off

i'm a chocolate girl but candies i'm not really fond of...  well, today is one of the rare times i craved some  ->  and i couldn't open the jar!  : }

message from the universe:  don't touch your mom's sweets...  ; p

young and old

me to teen:  'do you know <toot>?'

teen:  '<toot>?'

me:  'yes...  chubby girl...'

teen:  'young or old?'

me:  'not really old...  young...  in her 30s...'

guy butts in:  '30?  young?!  that's not young...  that's old!'

me:  'i'm much older so 30 is young to me...'

guy:  'i'm older than you...'

i must be young to you then...  ; p

i lost it

sister broke a small piece from a chocolate bar and then handed me the rest...

sister:  'have this...  finish it...'

me:  'why do i have to finish it?  it's so big!'

sister:  'so you'll gain weight...'

me:  'i'm not thin anymore...  why do i have to gain weight?'

sister:  'so you'll get your butt back...'

ouch!  :'(

no no

a friend wanted to go to Mall of Asia but i declined saying it's too far...  following weekend, i was there...  :"}

friend:  'i thought you don't like MOA?'

me:  ''twas set by my mom and my aunts, of course, i had to go...'

to some people, you don't say no...  ; p

it's not you

priest at mass:

'don't ever say the reason you have so much blessings is because you are good to others.  you have so much blessings because God is good to you.'

what's mine is yours

me:  'what's the address of NTC?'

sister:  'national telecommunications commission, BIR road, diliman, quezon city...'

me:  'BIR road?  not agham?'

sister:  'BIR road...'

me:  'how come <friend> who works at BIR gave her address as agham road?'

sister:  'i dunno...'

those two offices are along the same road...  NTC is BIR and BIR is agham?

: }

men are from mars

on the phone with a friend who went out in the midst of a typhoon...

me:  'heavy rains and that's when you decide to roam around?!  go home!'

friend:  'i don't have anything to do at home...'

me:  'rest...  sleep...'

friend:  'this is my rest...'

me:  'you should be someplace where there's a roof...'

friend:  'there's a roof here...'

me:  'you should be indoors...  just while away the time in your computer...'

friend:  'i'm going to my brother-in-law...'

me:  'good...  go ahead...  keep safe...'

friend:  'keep safe?  condom?'

guys...  : }

no, thanks

uploaded a video of bamboo swaying in the winds brought by Typhoon Mario (Fung-Wong)...  this message from youtube popped up:

"We detected your video may be shaky.  Would you like us to stabilize it?"

; )

simple question

me:  'ok...  i'll make the reservation...  what time do you want?'

friend:  'snack time...'

me:  'what time snack time?'

friend:  '2:00...  3:00...'

me:  'what is it, 2 or 3?'

friend:  'around that time...'

me:  'around what?  2?  3?  what time?'

friend:  'between 2 and 3...'

friend:  'what the...!  i'm asking what time!!!  hour!  minutes!  when you make a reservation, you have to be specific...  you don't say snack time...  2 or 3...  you have to say 1 p.m., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!'

friend chuckles:  'okay...  2:30...'

\m/

let it go

me:  'how long is that?'

friend:  'one and a half hour...'

me:  'one and a half hours!'

friend:  'that's just quick...  12:30, it's done...'

me:  'haha...  i have no issue with the duration...  i'm correcting your english...  you said 'one and a half hour'...  that's already more than one hour so it should have an S...  it should be 'one and a half hours'...'

grammar police...  :"}

goodbye

guy:  'so you're not available on thursday?'

me:  'it's not a question of whether i'm available or not...  even if i'm available, i'm not going to go out with you...  i've told you before, i don't intend to see you again...'

</3

catch

i brought a friend to an ice cream shoppe...

me:  'will they toss?'

crew:  'yes, ma'am, they toss...'

me to friend:  'watch this...  it's fun...'

so the guy at the counter prepared the ice cream and when it was done, he threw it in the air toward another crew holding a cup near the door...

uh-oh...  the guy wasn't able to catch it...  :"}

me:  'awww!!!  just when i have a guest...'

supposed catcher:  'good thing you didn't film it, ma'am...'

me:  'come to think of it, i should have...  anyway, are you ok?'

another crew butts in:  'it's his second already, ma'am...'

me:  'oh!  what happens when he fails to catch the ice cream?  does he have to pay?'

crew:  'we're allowed three strikes, ma'am...  on the fourth, you lose your job...'

ooops...  that should be a joke nevertheless next time just hand me the cup...  \m/

dogs

friend:  'those dogs are twins...'

me:  'they look alike?'

friend:  'no...'

me:  'how'd you know they're twins?'

friend:  'they were born on the same day...'

me:  'don't dogs really give birth to several pups in a day?'

friend:  'hmmm...  yes...  then maybe they're just siblings...'

; )

late

i unexpectedly entered my sister's room (i live in another house)...

she blurted out:  'oh!  no more!'

me:  'huh?!'

sister:  'i've finished the chocs...'

on her lap were lindt lindor wrappers...

:'(

parallel lines

i left my phone for four hours and i came back to 12 missed calls...

i've had it for four hours now and it hasn't rung at all...

i have a feeling if i keep it away from me it will start ringing again...  :"}

too much

placed my order at the counter...

crew:  'here are your numbers, ma'am...'

she then handed me three of these number thingies you put on your table...

me:  'i have three numbers?!'

crew:  'yes, ma'am...'

wahehe...  i felt like a glutton...  :"}

crescendo

i ordered several items online...  i've received e-mails that they've been shipped...  since then, i've been obsessing for them to arrive...  ;")

then this morning, ta-daaannn!!!  i heard someone calling my name at the gate...  i excitedly rushed downstairs...  it was a courier alright!!!  : D

ooops...  guess what!  of all the items i ordered, he had the one i was least excited about...  : }

hmmm...  ok...  save the best for last...  ; p

i can hear you

friend texts me...

i call her...

me:  '<blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah>...  you want?'

friend:  'you're choppy...  i can't hear you...  just text it...'

me:  'aw...  i don't wanna text...  never mind...  bye...'

i hang up...

and then i receive a text message from the friend:  'go...  ok...  approve'

i call back:  'i thought you couldn't hear...  how come you were able to reply?'

friend:  'i'd also like to have one...'

i was asking her whether she also wanted to register for this freebie i got...  \m/

present

my mom says she forgot to bring this something to her friend...

me:  'lemme...  i'll drop it off tomorrow...'

mom:  'it has to be me...  i want to visit her, too...'

aw...  your presence is a present...  sweet...  <3

blowing hot and cold

my friend and i went to this place for lunch...  what do you know, there was a TV crew!

we got a corner table...

a short while later, one of the crew approached us saying they will be panning the camera and asked whether it's okay if we get caught in the video...

me:  'it's ok as long as you don't include my big belly...'

the guy chuckled...

wahaha...  i wasn't joking...  ; p

and then our order arrived...  again, one of the crew went to our table...  this time he asked if it's okay if they film us while eating...

me:  'aw!  just when i did not comb my hair...'

(uhm...  what else is new?  : } )

the guy repeated his question / request...

me:  'hmmm...  ok...  but please just focus on the food and skip my tummy, hehe...'

my blouse was too short for my hipster pants and my not at all firm and tone tummy kept on peeking out...  : }

one time my mom and i were at another restaurant...  there also was a TV crew...  one of them approached us asking if it's okay to film us even just from the back...

my response that time:  'even from the front is okay...'

; )

change

hahaha...  saw this signature at an android forum:

"If it ain't broke, use a sledge hammer."

Darnell0216's...  : )

innovate or stagnate...  \m/

good enough

sister:  'did you cut your hair?'

me:  'yes...  why?'

sister:  'it's shorter...'

whew!  i thought she was gonna say it's not even...  ; )

nothing to hide

i went to a bank this afternoon and saw there one of the assistants i usually see at another branch...

me:  'oh...  you are here?'

assistant:  'yes, ma'am...  you, too...  you're here...'

me:  'i passed by...'

guard:  'i see ma'am at <third branch>, too...'

me:  'you do?!  haha...  i go to whatever branch is along the way...'

and then the two of them talked about me...  nothing earth-shaking but you'd realize that they do look at you...  aw!  i thought i've just been going in and out without anyone really noticing me but it turns out some do...

hmmm...  good thing i'm well-behaved...  : )

pair

pulled out a sachet of swiss miss without checking the box...  i poured the contents in a cup of hot water...

'huh?!  how come these are all marshmallows?!'

' turns out the box is not the usual milk chocolate flavor we have but a marshmallow lovers pack...  i therefore should not have torn the pair of sachets apart but instead gotten both as one contained just marshmallows while the other had the hot cocoa mix...

some things are meant to be together...  <3 <3

either-or

i asked the counter for water at a mcdonald's...

me:  'miss, don't put ice, ok...  i don't want cold...  thanks...'

was i surprised when she handed me the glass, the water was warm!  aw!  i was expecting room temperature...  : }

maybe she got from a dispenser that had only hot and cold?

or is 'i don't want it cold' equivalent to 'i want it hot'?

let it be you

my niece asked me to check her essay.  all i did was remove redundancies and correct some tenses.  everything else i left as is:  the vocabulary, the flow, the style, the tone.  i wanted the text to remain 'her,' not become 'me.'

then she told me she actually asked her dad to check it earlier.  she says all he did was put spaces.

oh, haha...  maybe he, too, was just giving her space to be herself...  ; )

leave well enough alone

i was checking out merchandise in this online mall when a treasure chest popped up.  oh, wow!  that Treasure Box is labeled 'Get more points' / 'Get up to 50,000 pts!' on the site.  i've encountered it before and i've won a couple of points.  i was thinking i was going to get bonus points again so i clicked Open.

guess what, i got -2 points!  yup!  negative two!  points were deducted from my account!  ugh!  whoever thought of that?!  if you're not going to make customers happy then at least don't disappoint them...  : }

guzzler

sister arrived from the mall and brought home pizza for sharing plus a chocolate drink specially for me...  : )

we ate pizza together and when we were already clearing the table she was taken aback:  'you've finished your <drink>?!'

me:  'yes...'

uhm...  it was a liter pack...  :"}

reward

i had points in this online mall expiring yesterday...  not wanting them to go to waste, i ordered something partially paying with the points...  guess what, the item was not available so they're reversing my payment as well as putting back the points  ->  this time without expiration...

blessing in disguise...  : )

follow your elders

i have colds...

my sister is telling me to drink pineapple juice downstairs...

my aunt dropped by with ice cream and is calling me to have some...

well, i'll go by the wisdom of age...  ice cream is it...  ; )

two-step

following up repair of a friend's phone line...

customer service representative:  'as of 3:20 p.m. yesterday, someone already went there, ma'am...'

me:  'they checked but they did not fix?'

customer service representative:  'it's already ok, ma'am...'

me:  'ok as in fixed?  3:20 p.m.?  as of last night it still wasn't ok...'

customer service representative:  'but someone already went there, ma'am...  it was acknowledged by <toot>...'

me:  'did she acknowledge repair or just the visit?  as of last night they still did not have outgoing...'

customer service representative:  'oh, wait...  someone made a follow up today...  ok, ma'am...  i'll just follow it up again...'

me:  'good...  thanks...'

just because people showed up doesn't mean they got things done...

on the contrary

going home from someplace near...  one way...  detour...  we had two choices:  left and right...  thrice, we made the wrong choice and circled the globe, so to speak...

me:  'ah, i know!  next time, when you say right, i'll go left and when you say left, i'll go right...'

friend:  'next time, i'll keep quiet...  i won't talk anymore...'

me:  'no...  how would i know where to go if you don't say anything?  you have to say something so i could take the opposite direction...'

; p

click that

checking out computer mice in this online mall...  i entered 'logitech mouse'...  aw!  only 3 items...  : }

i decided to go a bit generic and entered just 'mouse'...  hahaha...  all these mickey mouse items came up...  ; p

no curves

get-together with high school classmates...

<classmate 1> was recounting they won this dance contest in school before saying they were invited to dance again at some other venue after the win...

<classmate 2>:  'la jota!'

me:  'la jota?  i know i danced the la jota before...  i don't remember the contest but i know i did la jota and i was wearing a barong...'

<classmate 2>:  'yes...  you were with us...  cynthia was a guy in that dance...'

me:  'hmmm...  why was i a guy then?'

<classmate 3>:  'maybe because we had very few boys so they made you a guy...'

me:  'but there were so many girls...  why choose me to be the guy?!'

<classmate 3>:  'maybe the others could not memorize the dance so they chose you...'

me:  'oh?  or i looked like a guy?'

#flat...  ;"}

qualifying round

high school classmate 1:  'cynthia, i'm going to introduce someone to you!!!  he's single!'

me:  'aw!  i don't want single...  i'm separated and then he's single?!  i want someone who's also separated...'

high school classmate 1:  'really?!  ok...  i'll marry him off to <classmate 2> first and then after a year they'll separate...  he'll be good enough for you then...'

: }

in their shoes

i ordered shoes online  ->  they were big...  : }

i was going to have them changed but i didn't know whether i should go just one size smaller or two.  (they have 30-day free return / refund, btw.)

i've checked out the site's size chart but i'm not sure their merchants follow standard sizing.  my last order was too small...  : }

this time therefore i decided to do live chat with customer service.  i was gonna give them my foot length in inches and ask for the corresponding size i should get.  well, i was number 8 with approximate wait time of 8 minutes.  my initial reaction was, 'aw!  that is long...'

anyway, i stuck it out and just surfed around.  less than 5 minutes later and, ta-daann!

"One of our representatives will be with you shortly. You are number 1 in the queue. Your wait time will be approximately 1 minute(s). Thank you for your patience."

joy...  : D

when it was my turn, i asked my question and the moment the customer service representative gave a reply, i immediately said thank you and goodbye.

i wanted to free up the agent asap so other customers won't be in queue too long...  : )

live happy

i never thought i'd ever quote kim kardashian (i love her bod!!!) but she said this and i practice the same...  here goes then:

= = = = =

"If I don't like something that's going on in my life, I change it, and I don't sit and complain about it for a year."

- Kim Kardashian
  'Watch What Happens Live' with Andy Cohen
  2014 August 12

= = = = =

among the things i live by:

don't sweat the small stuff.
choose your battles.
exercise your options.

: )

friendship

'pinoy big brother' on tv last night...  safe housemate supposed to choose one other housemate to save from being a nominee for eviction...

mom:  'that's a difficult choice considering that one is your friend...  but then of course you'll have to choose the deserving one...'

me:  'mom, you save your friend even if she's not deserving...  those are the things that make you friends...  let the deserving's friend save him  ->  not because he is deserving but because they're friends...'

mom looks at me funny...  : }

secret

cousin requesting me to buy something for her online...

me:  'i'll send you a link...  you register so you can avail of the new customer discount...  that's P250...'

cousin:  'really?  just do it for me...'

me:  'i can't access your e-mail...'

cousin:  'i'll give you the password...'

me:  'for P250, you're going to give me your password?'

cousin:  'why not?'

me:  'hehe...  me, even for P1,000, i won't give you my password...  btw, you shouldn't use names of your loved ones as password...  imagine, in case of emergency and you have to divulge your password, you're going to announce, it's 'ilove<SoAndSo>'...  what if it's supposed to be a secret?'

; p

go easy

passed by some teens about to play hide-and-seek in a gated park...  they were discussing (arguing was more like it...) whether to expand the hiding area outside the park...

eh?!  that would make the coverage really wide...  you could go home there!

if it were up to me i'd say no.  the park is big enough, at least to me.  you already have buildings there.  there's a playground, a tennis court, a covered court.

outside is a residential area with a church and school and stores and all these streets.

some things you do for fun.  some you do for sublime intents.  don't complicate the former by raising the difficulty level too high.

not vice versa

sister toasting bread...

sister:  'i bought this for the mouse...'

(uhm...  she's been trying to trap one in the house..)

me:  'huh?!  what an extravagant mouse!  french baguettes?!'

from village gourmet to boot!

i was going to get some but i lost my appetite knowing the bread was bought for a mouse...  i don't mind sharing my food with one...  but somehow it feels different if it's the mouse sharing its food with me...  : }

glutton

saw a bagful of goldilocks cake slices on the dining table, among them my favorite double-licious chiffon cake slice...

i ate one...

then my sister showed up...

me:  'you bought my favorite goldilocks chiffon slice!!!  : D '

sister:  'yes...  i bought them for you...'

me:  'really?!  thank youuuuu...  : D'

i normally eat only one...  suddenly i ate two...  now i'm bursting...  :O

out of my league

wahaha...  received a "special surprise" from an online store because they miss me...  it's a 20% discount coupon!  : D

i checked their merchandise...  guess what, the dress i fancied costs P11,290.00!  huwaaaatttt???!!!

uhm...  pass...  i'm willing to spend on a dress only the amount of the discount...  : }

friendly user

saw my cousin with our normally chilly 4-year-old granddaughter...

me:  'she was so good to me this morning...  she was out of sight and i was surprised to hear her voice sweetly greeting me good morning...'

cousin:  'you know why she's good to you now?'

me:  'why?'

cousin:  'she's going to ask you to buy her something online...  for the ipad...  $3...'

;")

starting 'em young

whoa!  kindergarten nowadays already have a heartthrob?!

this afternoon there were these little girls in school uniform who, when they saw this cute little boy, started shrieking and calling out his name.  the nannies burst out laughing and the boy was so embarrassed he covered his face.

i don't remember when i first became aware of crushes but i know i was either in second or third grade when i had my first suitor.  i thought then that was too young.  in today's standards i guess that's already late...  : }

it's not me

scrolling through my call log...  suddenly my phone rang...  i thought maybe i unintentionally pressed something so i ended the call...

it rang again...  there really is an incoming call!

aw, of course!  i wouldn't be hearing my ringtone if i were the one calling, right?

slow sometimes...  :"}

immaterial

i lost my phone in tacloban so i bought a new one.  suddenly i had two chargers, two USB cables and two earphones.

now things i don't need / use / like, i post for sale online.

someone wanted to buy the charger.

ok.

and then...

buyer:  'are you a boy?'

me:  'no...  you?'

buyer:  'yes...'

me:  'oh...  i thought girl...'

buyer:  'hehe...  are you still going to sell to me even if i'm a boy?'

huh?!  of course!

aren't you going to buy from me just because i'm a girl???

equal opportunity!  \m/

zooming in

friend requesting me to share a solo pic of hers taken at this place...

me:  'why don't you share it yourself?'

friend:  'i can't...'

me:  'you can't?  you want me to share it in my timeline or yours?'

friend:  'mine...'

me:  'you want me to post from my account to your timeline or from your account on your timeline?'

friend:  'my account...  you can access it, right?'

me:  'well, yeah...  which solo?  there are so many solo pics in that album...'

friend:  'the one inside...  not the one in the lobby...'

me:  'duh!  almost all the pics in that album were taken inside...  only a handful are at the lobby...  which one?'

friend:  'the one eating...'

me:  'that was dinner, we were eating!  which particular pic?'

friend:  'the one sitting...'

me:  'aw!  practically all the pics there are sitting!  you should be more specific than that!'

friend:  'the second picture in the album...'

that's more like it...  whew!

positivity

asked my niece for a hug...

niece:  'i'm smelly, tita...'

me:  'awww!  'the secret'...  make it a habit to use positive words even when you're expressing something negative...  instead of saying you're smelly, say you don't smell good...  at least, the thought there is still about smelling good, not about being smelly...  don't say something is hard; say it's not easy...  instead of saying you're hungry, say you're not full...  little things like that...  use positive words to develop a positive mindset.

ok.  give me three examples like that.  use positive words to express a negative sentiment.'

niece:  'i'll just do it tomorrow, tita...'

: }

shallow

on the way to dinner last weekend...

me: 'ei, wait... is this also what i was wearing the last time we ate there?  i remember from the picture it's brown... and then 3/4...'

friend: 'no... that one is black...'

me: 'it's just dark in the car... this is brown...  aw!  i think this is what i was wearing... brown, 3/4, then the neckline's high...'

companion: 'that's okay...'

me: 'eh?!  i seldom go there and then i'm wearing the same outfit?!' : }

well, i checked the pics...  my blouses are just similar but not the same... whew!

over dinner that time, i was trying to check in at foursquare...

friend:  'what do you get when you check in?'

me:  'in the U.S. you get discounts...  here you just get badges......'

companion:  'badges are enough for cynthia...'

me:  'haha...  yup...  i have so many badges already...  but i haven't earned a badge in a while...  i dunno where i have to check in to earn a badge again...  it makes me really happy when i get a badge...'

companion:  'you get happy when you get a badge only if you're shallow...'

me:  'haha...  i am shallow...  i have simple joys...  i really want to earn a swarm badge...  you get it when you check in someplace where 50 of you are checked in...  i'd really like to have that...'

companion:  'you know bucket list?'

me:  'yup...  haha...  that's on my bucket list...'

companion:  'it's a movie...  i didn't see it but they say it's good...'

me:  'me, too...  i haven't seen it either...  but the things you want to do before you die, on my bucket list is to make a moment cam drawing for every member of our clan...'

i really am shallow...  :"}

starting over

on the phone with a friend...

friend:  'i can't log in...  i'm being asked a security question...'

me:  'oh?  did you enter a wrong password?  it will ask if you repeatedly enter a wrong password...'

friend:  'no...  isn't the password <password>?'

me:  'that's what i know...  wait, i'll try...'

i was able to log in...

me:  'it's ok...  the password is correct...'

friend tried again...

friend:  'i'm still being asked a security question...'

me:  'really?  maybe you entered a wrong password earlier...'

friend:  'i don't remember my security question...'

me:  'aw!  i don't know it...  wait, why did you text me you don't have your card?'

friend:  'i left it at the other house...'

me:  'so?  why do you have to tell me?'

friend:  'i need it to log in...'

me:  'what?!  don't enter card details...  that should be optional...  all you need is your username and password...'

friend:  'it's asking so many questions...'

me:  'like what?'

friend:  'name, username, password, birthday...'

me:  'huh?!  you're signing up!  you're supposed to just sign in...  you already have an account!'

: }

poverty

overheard this afternoon...

father to daughter:  'why don't you have classes today?'

daughter:  'SONA...'

father:  'what?'

daughter:  'P-noy's SONA...'

father:  'huh?  what?'

daughter:  'State of the Nation Address of President Aquino...'

father:  'oh...'

i guess some people are too busy trying to make a living to keep track of speeches about supposed improvements to their lot...

there's a difference

friend's birthday dinner last night...  waiters came out with a cake and sang 'happy birthday'...

me:  'there...  she's now 50...'

waiter:  'she's 50 years old, ma'am?'

me:  'yes...  golden...'

waiter:  'she doesn't look 50...'

me:  'she looks 49?'  ; )

waiter chuckles:  'maybe around 45...'

dinner companion:  'no...  about 49.5...'

well, she looks younger than her age...  ; )

facebook official

i call a friend on her birthday...

me:  '♩ ♪  happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday, happy birthday
happy birthday to you  ♫ ♬'

friend:  'how come you don't have something on my timeline?'

me:  'huh?!  in facebook?'

friend:  'yes...  you didn't greet me in facebook...'

me:  'aw!  i called to greet you now and you're looking for facebook?!  i'm logging in nighttime yet...  i'm going to greet you there, too...'

friend:  'ah...  okay...'

it's not official until it's on facebook...  : }

think inside the box

logging in to facebook from a new device...  security check...  identify friends in photos...  two skips allowed...

aw!  there's this face box on a statue!  waaahhh!!!  skip!

ta-daaannnn!!!  another one on a poster!  ugh!  skip again!

good thing the rest were already of people i really know...  whew!

uhm, friends, let's make it a habit to tag accurately, ok...  it could help others not to get locked out of their accounts...  \m/

it's what you are inside

i have this loose, straight, sleeveless, ankle-length denim dress that i like to wear...  it's sort of my uniform already going certain places...

mom:  'you should throw away that dress...  it's so faded...'

me:  'i like it, it's so comfortable...'

mom suggests a similar dress...

me:  'i like the other one...  it has pockets in front, i don't have to bring a bag...'

mom:  'but it's already so faded, you look like a rag...'

me:  'i know i'm not so i don't mind...'

a diamond is a diamond even if you wrap it in trash...

\m/

; p

late and later

i went out of town a few days ago.  i took a plane and from the airport, proceeded to the van station.  i was there 2 p.m.  i was told, however, that the van is already full and i will have to take the next trip which is scheduled for 3 p.m.

me:  'aw!  one hour to go?  hmmm...  i'll just take the bus...'

i went to the bus station and there i was directed to a parked bus which i was told was already the last bus to my destination.  ei, good.  i was able to catch it...  : D

i entered the bus and was surprised that i was the only passenger inside.

and then the driver told me, 'we're leaving at 3:30 yet...'

me:  'aw!  i skipped the van because it's leaving at 3:00 and now i'm here leaving at 3:30?!'

the driver chuckles and tells me to just stay put and not transfer anymore...

me:  'yup...  lest i end up with a vehicle that leaves at 4:00...'

:"}

the wrong one

i saw a shirt print:

"Do the don't"

hahaha...


reminded me of:

"Regret for the things we did
can be tempered by time;
it is regret for the things we did not do
that is inconsolable."

-  Sydney J. Harris


but then i like to tell myself (uhm, i don't always listen though...)

just because you like it
does not mean you have to do it.
not all feelings should be acted upon.
we should not stop at what feels good.
it should also feel right.

<heartache>...  :'(

Luke 6:38

i know there was a transport fare hike last june so before leaving the house, i asked how much the fare is.  i was told P8.50.  ok.

i rode a jeepney and handed the driver P10.00.

he gave me P2.00 back.

me:  'manong, how much is the fare?'

driver:  'P8.50...'

me, handing the driver P1:  'you gave me P2...'

driver:  'i don't have change, that's why...'

me:  'oh...  you can have the P1.  it's ok...'

driver:  'you can have it...'

me:  'i don't want to underpay...'

driver:  'it's ok...'

me:  'oh...  thank you...'

i kept the P1 and then a while later i saw another passenger pay the exact amount.

me:  'manong, you already have change, right?  here's the P1...'

the driver smiled, took the P1 and gave me 0.50 centavos.

guess what, walking around the mall i saw P1 on the floor  ->  double what i rightfully returned!  i normally see only 0.10s and 0.05s!  every once in a while 0.25 centavos.  that's quadruple and even twentyfold!

what you do comes back to you  ->  increased and multiplied...  \m/

here's looking at you

i was walking and behind me, just a few steps away, was this guy...  after a while, he overtook me and, without any subtlety whatsoever, checked out my face...

eh?!

and then he slowed down and we were back to walking with me ahead of him...

a.  he didn't like my face
b.  i look better from behind
c.  i'm making much ado about nothing

;"}

reflect

at mass this afternoon, i was struck by what the priest said.  the christian way is to 'love your enemies.'  but the priest was saying the usual case is we are as good or even better to those who are good to us.  and to those who are not, we are not, too.  hmmm...  that is true.

now there are those who are good to everyone and there are those who are bad to everyone.  but if someone is good to others but not to you, maybe you should examine yourself  ->  how you are to that person.  you reap what you sow.

on my way

i call my brother's house...  my sister-in-law answers...

me:  'mamu, could you please check whether the gate is closed?  i'm not sure whether i was able to close it...'

sister-in-law:  'it's closed...'

me:  'oh, good...  i can't remember whether i closed it or i just drove off...'

sister-in-law:  'you're having a senior moment, huh!'

me:  'aw, yup...'

momentS...  :"}

good or bad

at the land transportation office yesterday, i was struck by a sign lying on a table that says, "System Hang."  i didn't know whether to take it as a reflection of the (un)reliability of the system or the pro-activeness of the employees...  \m/

anywhere, everywhere

this morning, i was someplace i go to regularly but not really often...  whenever i am there, i make it a point to drop by the church...  well, this morning, parking was full...  i circled the compound and saw a row of vacant parking slots  ->  reserved for certain personnel though...

i drove close to the guard and requested to park just a very short while.  i said i'll just say a prayer in the church then leave.

the guard declined.

i tried again:  'just one Our Father and then i'll go...'

no.

me:  'ok...  just a sign of the cross and then i'll leave.'

still a no.  but the guard directed me, with a smile, to a small side road.  he said i could park there.

me:  'aren't they gonna tow me there?  i've been tire-locked here before...'

the guard assured me it's ok.

i parked, ran to the church, said a short prayer then drove off.  i just continued my prayer at home.  the venue is immaterial anyway.  God is omnipresent.

sexist

i was walking this afternoon when i saw someone pointing to the other side of the street and telling his companion:  'there!  there's the [car] owner!  female!'

i have a feeling had the driver been male, gender would not have been raised at all.

why or why not

mom asks nephew about the acronyms on his class schedule...

mom:  'what does this mean?'

nephew:  '<blah-blah-blah>...'

mom:  'this one?'

nephew:  '<blah-blah-blah>...'

mom:  'how 'bout this one?'

nephew:  'sanitation...'

mom:  'no...  what do the letters mean?  just like NBA, national basketball association...'

nephew:  'i don't know...'

mom:  'you find out...'

nephew:  'why do we need to know?'

\m/

doubly great

friend:  'are you happy or are you good?'

me:  'hahaha...  what sort of question is that?!  i am happy and i am good!'

they don't have to be mutually exclusive, y'know...  ; p

expert

calling someone...  network engineer friend beside me...

me:  'aw...  it's myself i hear...'

friend:  'echo?'

me:  'yes...'

friend:  'that means the other end can't hear you...  it's looping...'

me:  'that's from a network standpoint?'

friend:  'from experience...'

hehe...  ; )

eat!

mom offers me dessert...  it's just like halo-halo without the ice...

i decline...

sister:  'why?'

me:  'i don't like ube...'

sister:  'it's not all ube...'

me:  'i don't like kaong...'

sister:  'just try it...  it's good...'

me:  'i also don't like macapuno...  it's just the beans i eat there...'

well, what my sister did was eat everything except the beans...  then she tells me:  'there...  you can eat now...'

wahaha...  leftovers?!  well, of a sweet sister...  ok, thanks...  ;")

roundabout

my phone rings...

me:  'hello...'

caller:  'hello!'

i blurt out a pet name...

caller:  'why are you whispering?'

me:  'am i whispering?  who's this?'

caller:  'you don't know who i am?!'

me:  'i think i do but suddenly i'm not sure...'

caller:  'who am i?'

me:  'i don't wanna mention a name...  what if it's wrong?'

caller:  'so what if it's wrong?'

me:  'then you'd already know who i had in mind...'

caller:  'so what!'

me:  'i don't like it...  that has happened to me before...  i got a call...  i thought it was this guy...  ' turns out it was someone else...  i learn from my lessons...  i'm not gonna repeat that...'

caller:  'so you don't know me?!'

me:  'i think i do but i'm not 100% sure...  i don't wanna risk it...  say something no one else knows...'

caller:  'say something known only to me?'

me:  'duh!  say something known to the two of us, a place, a thing, whatever, so i could confirm it's you...'

caller says his name...

gah!

pictures

at a get-together last night, the group ended the gathering with a prayer.  well, was i surprised with the prayer of one.  she thanked God for me, saying even if i am not with them often, i still take pictures of them, giving them a remembrance of shared moments.  whoa!  i was a combination touched and amused.  i never thought that would merit a special prayer, more so that time because i didn't even have my regular camera and was simply clicking away with my phone.

awww...  i take pictures of anything and everything and everyone.  nope, not the real photography type of shots where the composition is perfect and lighting is great.  i simply snap away at anything i find nice or interesting or would want to capture before they disappear (like that food i'm about to eat, hahaha).  i've been doing it since second year high school (a looooong time ago).  it's something i enjoy doing and it just felt really good hearing someone actually thank God for it.  i, too, am thankful.

a boy's voice

my phone rings...

caller:  'hello...  this is <girl>...'

me:  '<girl>?'

caller:  'yes...  formerly from <company>...  i got your number from <boy>...'

me:  'oh, <boy>...'

caller:  'i'm not <boy>...  this is <girl>...'

me:  'haha...  i know you're <girl>!'

<boy> doesn't sound feminine...  ; )

rock and stone

at robinson's galleria the other day, i entered the ice cream shoppe cold stone...

me:  'so you have a branch here...  all i know is the one at fort strip...'

store personnel:  'serendra, ma'am...'

me:  'serendra?  no, that's fort strip...'

store personnel:  'no, ma'am...  it's serendra...'

me:  'did you transfer?'

store personnel:  'no, ma'am...  that's our original store...'

me:  'really?!  i'm from taguig, as far as i know that's fort strip...'

store personnel:  'we're at serendra, ma'am...'

me:  'oh?  i eat there...  all this time i've known it as fort strip...'

store personnel:  'it's serendra, ma'am...'

me:  'hmmm...  ok...  it's your store...  maybe my memory's really bad...'

now i google and find that the one at fort strip is cold rock not cold stone...  :"}

monopoly

a friend tells me her camera's not working...

me:  'what's wrong?'

friend:  'it won't take pictures...'

me:  'are the batteries ok?'

friend:  'yes...'

me:  'did it fall?'

friend:  'no...'

me:  'are you sure?'

friend:  'well, i dropped it a long time ago...'

me:  'that was too long ago...  recently?'

friend:  'no...'

me:  'you said someone borrowed it...'

friend:  'yes...'

me:  'did they drop it?'

friend:  'no...'

me:  'how sure are you?'

friend:  'very sure...'

me:  'how can you be sure?'

friend:  'i'm the only one who drops it...'

; )

sounds like

max's chicken on the dining table...

me:  'how come there's max's?'

mom:  'i went out and asked <sister> what she wants me to bring home...  i thought she said max's chicken...'

sister:  'i actually said McChicken...'

; )

older but not wiser

at the parking lot...  car blocking the supposed route...  my niece turned and proceeded past the 'no entry' sign...  i followed...  :"}

note to self:

you don't use as a model something that is not right...

mind changer

on the phone last night, we set dinner for <day1>...  a while later, it was moved to <day2>...  and before we hung up, it was back to <day1>...

this morning i received a text message asking whether we could schedule it for tomorrow instead...

spell fickle...  : }

settling

i call a print lab...

me:  'hello...  i'd like to know how long it takes to get an 8x10...'

printer:  '30 minutes, ma'am...'

me:  'oh, good...  11x14, you have?'

printer:  'yes, ma'am...'

me:  'how long?'

printer:  'also 30 minutes, ma'am...'

me:  'okay...  you have bigger?'

printer:  '12x18, ma'am...  30 minutes, too...'

me:  'wow...  you still have bigger?'

printer:  '16x20, ma'am...  3 days...'

me:  'oh, 3 days...  if i bring it tomorrow, when will i get it?'

printer:  'friday?  monday, ma'am...'

me:  'aw...  ok...  i'll go for the 30 minutes...'

we all have our thresholds...  ; )

not quite the same

me:  'mom, where were your pictures taken?'

mom:  'at edsa shang...'

me:  'oh, shangri-la plaza, the mall...  edsa shangri-la is the hotel...  your pics don't look like edsa shang...'

mom chuckles:  'ah, yes...  sorry, similar names...'

different ambience...  ; )

better late than never

last CHRISTMAS, i gave my aunts and uncles shirts with caricature prints of themselves...  there were four different caricatures arranged in a square printed on the front of the shirt...  (nope, i didn't draw...  i used an app...)

my cousin tells me my uncle passed by their house last week and my nephew was amused with his shirt...

uncle:  'guess which one i am...'

nephew:  'all of those!'

uncle:  'huh?!  are all of these me?!'

nyahaha...  toinks!!!  ; )

half-full

i was so curiously watching on TV how to start a fire just by rubbing bamboo sticks (ok, ok, basic girl scout skill...  ei, i was girl scout ages ago!)...  then i hear someone calling out at the gate...

i checked...  it was a package i've been waiting for!  yiiieee!!!  i was sooo happy...  : D

i went back to the show...  whaaattt???!!!  the short time i was outside (the courier didn't ask me to sign anymore...  he just asked for my name then handed the package to me...), that's the time they were able to start a fire!

awww!!!  talk about timing...  : }

oh, well...  win some, lose some...

happy still...  : )

spongebob squarepants

i was looking for an animal print outfit for one of our family's themed parties...  i was wearing a spongebob squarepants night shirt and my sister went:  'that fits the motif...  spongebob...'

me:  'oh, is spongebob an animal?  isn't he a plant?'

today i googled and i found out that:

1.  spongebob is supposed to be a sea sponge but drawn like a kitchen sponge (the creator, steve hillenburg, is a former marine biologist)

2.  sponges are indeed animals

oh...  pardon my ignorance...  : }

you do learn something new everyday...  : )

do you remember me?

i choked...

me:  'number!'

mom:  '6...'

me:  'E, F...  F?!'

a.  short
b.  over
c.  just right
d.  all of the above
e.  none of the above

; )

found, not lost

in the car about to leave...

me:  'ooops...  my phone!'

i rushed back to the restaurant...

me to waiter:  'did you see a black pouch on this table?'

waiter:  'no, ma'am...'

i ask the nearby table...  negative reply as well...

me:  'maybe i left it at the ladies' room...'

i was about to go upstairs when the waiter asked:  'that one on your arm, ma'am?'

me:  'no, this one's big...  i'm looking for the small one...'

waiter:  'that other one, ma'am...  small...'

i check my arm...  i have two pouches!  i usually have only one hanging on my arm, the big one (also black so black on black).  the smaller one i normally hold in my hand...  uh-oh...  i forgot i put the small one there when i assisted my mom in the sink at the ladies' room.

my, my, my...  <blush>

me to waiter:  'aw!  thank you...'

i rush back to the car...  : }

eye candy

i climbed a mountain last saturday...  while there, i overheard a group of teens asking a vendor how much his goods are.

i didn't hear the man's reply but i did hear the teens'.  they said:  'ooops, never mind.  we don't have money.  we're just full of beauty.'

aw...  eat that for lunch! ; )

lost interest

in the mountain...

guy: 'join us...'

me: 'huh?!'

he points to a radio: 'we do radio...'

me: 'oh... i won't be able to take pics if i'm holding a radio...'

guy: 'it doesn't have to be now...'

me: 'i come here only thrice a year...'

guy: 'it can be done in manila...'

uhm... i don't have a radio.. and i don't intend to buy one... not anymore.

there was a time i used to want to take it up -- yearS back. a friend and i were talking then and i somehow mentioned it to him and, ta-daaan! could you imagine, it turned out he was heavily into it. he even showed me his cards. plus he gave me a book. for a while i was trying to memorize alpha, bravo, charlie, delta and this and that code. i got too busy, however, and i wasn't able to pursue it. i've forgotten about it. now i'm reminded again. i'm not interested anymore though.

yes, it's true... some things you really have to cultivate otherwise they'd wither and die.

lost interest

in the mountain...

guy: 'join us...'

me: 'huh?!'

he points to a radio: 'we do radio...'

me: 'oh... i won't be able to take pics if i'm holding a radio...'

guy: 'it doesn't have to be now...'

me: 'i come here only thrice a year...'

guy: 'it can be done in manila...'

uhm... i don't have a radio.. and i don't intend to buy one... not anymore.

there was a time i used to want to take it up -- yearS back. a friend and i were talking then and i somehow mentioned it to him and, ta-daaan! could you imagine, it turned out he was heavily into it. he even showed me his cards. plus he gave me a book. for a while i was trying to memorize alpha, bravo, charlie, delta and this and that code. i got too busy, however, and i wasn't able to pursue it. i've forgotten about it. now i'm reminded again. i'm not interested anymore though.

yes, it's true... some things you really have to cultivate otherwise they'd wither and die.

lingering goodbye

night out with fam...

eat, eat, eat...  talk, talk, talk...  laugh, laugh, laugh...  eat, talk, laugh...  eat, talk, laugh...

and then, 'let's go!'

me:  'you're leaving, auntie?'

aunt:  'yes...'

me:  'wait...  i have something for you in the car...  i'll just get it...'

aunt:  'where are you parked?'

me:  'just there...  on the second floor...'

aunt:  'you can give it next time...'

me:  'you'll still be saying goodbyes, right?'

aunt:  'yes...'

me:  'ok...  i'll give it now...  i'll just get it...'

aunt:  'we'll wait for you?'

me:  'yes...'

so i went up to the car and got my gift...

when i got back, the group was still animatedly talking and laughing and talking and laughing...  it still took a whiiiillllleeee before the group went up to leave...  and it took another loooong while before the goodbye kisses were done...

me:  'see, auntie...  i knew the goodbyes will take long...'

another aunt chuckles:  'how did you know?'

me:  'i've been with this family since birth...  i should know by now...'

; )

stretch

family get-together...  aunt handed out gifts to those she missed last time...

'happy mother's day'...  'happy mother's day'...

when it came to me, suddenly it was just 'happy day' ->  because i'm not a mother...  : }

oh, well...  without sons or daughters there won't be mothers...  indulge me and allow me to take partial credit for making my mom a mom...  ; )

nyahaha...  the things you come up with to justify receiving a gift...  ;"p

something better

driving along katipunan checking out where we could grab a bite...

my sister initially wanted food camp but at the last minute said she wanted to try sandwicheese...  by that time, we were already right beside the place and i didn't want to make a sharp and abrupt turn (there were vehicles behind me)...

i proceeded to bonny serrano intending to go back to katipunan...  my sister, however, said we could just head to metrolane...  ok...  there, we ate at mang inasal, checked out lotsa pizza, bought cakes at goldilocks plus mcflurry and fries at mcdonald's...

i skipped a turn and suddenly we were on a food trip...  : D

you don't really miss things...  you simply head to something better...  : )

flesh and blood

i, uhm, see ghosts...  no big deal to me...

in the car with my mom...  backing up...

me:  'why is that girl over there?'

mom:  'where?'

me:  'there...  at the back...'

mom:  'where?'

me:  'there...  walking...'

mom:  'there's no one...'

me:  'you don't see that???'

mom:  'none...'

me:  'is that a ghost???'

mom:  'huh?!  where?  oh...  there!'

whew!

confidence

me:  'he's pretty, huh!'
->  yup, physically male...

sister:  'prettier than us...'

me:  'just you!'

; )

buyer vs. seller

last month, someone asked me a favor.  she wanted to buy a phone and she wanted it charged on installment to my credit card.

ok.

she was the one who chose the phone (like mine and my sister's).  i was the one who bought it in the store.

now the phone is so unlike her old one.  the new one is qwerty.  it is android.  it is touch.

guess what, two days into having the phone, she thought it was defective and bugged me.  so the following weekend, go back to the store we did.  well, ' turns out there's nothing wrong with the phone.  it simply wasn't 'behaving' the way her old phone did...  : }

from the start, i told her my phone battery lasts only a little over a day.

she had said then it's ok.

well, for over a month now, she's been intermittently bringing up the battery.  she keeps on comparing it to the much longer life of her old phone's battery.  i always tell her my phone battery also actually doesn't last for days especially when i do mobile web.  well, this morning i received a text message from her asking whether the battery is not defective.

ugh!

note to self:

next time, decline anyone who requests to buy a gadget through your card.  there is the possibility of lines being blurred and you being viewed not just as a mere buyer but an actual supplier expected to render after-sales support on the gadget.

sorry but i've long decided i would choose my battles and exercise my options.

a message to a young lady

attended my niece / goddaughter's debut... i was one of her 18 guiding stars... sharing my message:

happy birthday. you're 18 now, officially an adult... : )

you know, there are certain things that are excusable, understandable when done by young people but not so when done by adults. adulthood supposedly equates with maturity... well, supposedly... ; )

i'd just like to say, whatever age you are, i hope you'll always retain the little girl in you.

now in our life's journey, we really can't avoid falls. but as they say, fall down seven times, get up eight.

let me end by saying, life is not fair... but God is good all the time.

happy birthday... ♡

inappropriate

we had a family get-together yesterday (may 15, international day of families)...  prayers, food-food-food, zumba, a bit of yoga, jokes, stories, singing, dancing, swimming, picture-picture-picture...  : )

'twas a day of fun and laughter, uhm, tarnished (just a teenie-weenie bit) by someone bumping my uncle's ***parked*** car.  'twould have been forgettable except for the driver's behavior...  : }

when we saw the cars, everyone was like, 'how did that happen???  where'd she come from???'  you have a wide road, double-parked on each side, and for some reason, her car ended up perpendicular to both cars and road traffic (yup, as in blocking the street) hitting my uncle's headlight...  you have three cars forming an angular letter U, her car the one in the middle...  baffling...

so people were looking and checking and wondering and she comes out of her car going, 'okay, how much is it?!  i'll pay...  how much?!!!'  i think had she not been female she would have heard quite a bit from my uncle...

anyway, the issue was not that she bumped my uncle's car...  the issue was this woman (i can't get myself to call her a lady) was so clearly in the wrong and she was the one arrogant and angry.  oh, please...

there are a lot of times you can be angry, when you are wrong isn't one of them.

let me try again

family get-together...  videoke...  cousin sang and got 95...

me:  'wow!  you're in second place!'

cousin:  'oh?'

me:  'yup...  the ranking's on the right...'

cousin:  'but i want to be on top...'

me:  'aw!  i said that to make you happy...'

cousin:  'it's ok...  that means i have to sing another song...'

; )

like father, like daughter

i cooked rice the other day...  it turned out soggy  <-  too much water...  : }

today, my dad said he'll be the one to cook...  guess what, it turned out watery as well...  : }

now i know where i got my cooking skills, uhm, lack of it...  ; )

longevity

saw a post saying that the reason we now have month-saries is because relationships don't anymore last long enough for an anniversary...  aw!  : }

reminded me of something i saw on tv...  so this contestant was asked how long she (or maybe he...  'twas quite a while back i don't really remember that part anymore...) and her (his?) partner have been together...

the reply:  '10 years...'

the female host was impressed...

well, one of the male hosts said it's easy to last 10 years  ->  just see each other once a year...

; )

die happy

my sister saw a, uhm, rat (ugh!) in my parents' place...  to catch it, my other sister grilled some bread last night and used it as a bait in the rat cage / mouse trap...  this evening she saw that it has remained untouched...

my sister said she's going to replace last night's bait with newly-grilled bread and cheese...

aw!  i like grilled cheese but the fact that she's prepping one for a mouse has made me lose my appetite for it...  : }

oh, well...  let the rodent have it...  at least, 'twill leave life full...  ; )

no sweat

my dad is not a flowers kind of guy.  (well, one time he did give my mom roses  ->  live ones, as in, potted roses...  yup, in soil and you have to water.)

today is mother's day and my sister-in-law gave my mom a bouquet of flowers...

dad:  'i also gave mom a rose...'

sister:  'just one?'

dad:  'yes...'

sister:  'oh...  so it's the one in the living room...'

dad:  'maybe...'

sister:  'where'd you get it?'

dad:  'in church...'

sister:  'huh?!'

dad:  'we were attending mass and i saw baskets full of roses...  i asked the boy what they're for...  he said they're giving it away to mothers...  so i told him to give one to my wife, the one in white...'

uhm...  ok...  sweet...  ; )

i don't know, i don't buy

checking out pantyhose...  there's a pack that says '3-in-1'...  description is in  chinese...

me:  'what is the 3-in-1 here?  panty?  hose?  what else?'

salesman chuckles and mutters he really isn't sure...

me:  'hehe...  stockings?  but isn't that the same as hose?  or does it mean there are three pieces inside this pack?'

salesman:  'maybe not, ma'am...  isn't it when you say 3-in-1 there's only one?'

me:  'oh...  you're right...'

hmmm...  hmmm...  hmmm...  i moved on to merchandise i could understand...  ; )

feeling famous

dinner at a restaurant with my mom, my aunts, my sister-in-law, my cousins and my niece.  as we were leaving, the owner pulled me aside:  'i'm going to show you something...'

me:  'what?'

owner:  'over there...'

me:  'i'm the driver, i have to go...'

owner:  ''twill be quick...'

ok...

well, we went over to this table and he showed me the nameplate on a chair:  'you know who this is?'

me:  'john lloyd cruz?  yes...  the actor...'

he pointed to the chair beside it...

owner:  'this one...'

me:  'bea alonzo?  yes...  you should put my name there, too:  cynthia <last name>...'

toinks!!!  ; )

yours

mom hands me a skirt...

me:  'that's too big...'

she checks it...

mom:  'hmmm...  who's fat?'

then she herself replied:  'me!'

and she tried on the skirt...

; )

she liked it

i pick up my mom...  as she entered the car, i handed her an ice cream bar...

mom:  'i'm full...'

me:  'just have a bit...'

mom:  'i'll just eat it at home...'

me:  'that melts easily...  best to eat now...'

mom:  'let's share...'

me:  'i'm done...  i bought that for you...'

mom:  'it's too big...'

me:  'just eat what you can then i'll finish what's left...'

after a while...

mom:  'it's too sweet...'

me:  'haha...  you've eaten half and only now do you complain that's it's sweet?'

mom:  'i already noticed earlier...'

me:  'you don't have to finish that...  try the other one...  <nephew> prefers it...  it has caramel...'

mom:  'i like this...  it has a lot of nuts...'

ok...  by the time we parked, she has finished the whole thing...

'full' and 'too big,' huh!  ; )

i do it for you

my mom plays the stock market through a human broker...  i dabble in it online...

just to show her how fast and easy it is to do it online, i told her to watch as i sell this stock.  i matched the lowest bid price so 'twill be a sure go (otherwise the sale might take a while).  ok.  code, quantity, price.  password.  submit order.  in just a matter of seconds, my shares were sold.  general details of my transaction appeared with the real-time trading data onscreen.

me:  'see...  that's me...  those are my shares they sold...'

suddenly i notice that my mom is not beside me anymore  ->  she stood up to send a text message!  she didn't see!

me:  'mommmm!!!  the only reason i sold at that price is so you would see and then you left?!'

good thing i don't feel strongly about that stock...  :"}

higher

mom to saleslady:  'are you the princess's sister?'

the saleslady just smiled...

mom:  'princess used to be the one here...  are you sisters?'

saleslady:  'cousins...'

then later in the car, my mom suddenly remembered that the other girl's name is 'queenie' not 'princess.'

; )

we can have it all

at vista's art space and cafe in pakil, laguna...  my mom wanted to order roast chicken sandwich...

me:  'why that?  their specialty's monte cristo...'

mom points to the picture on the menu:  'it looks delicious...'

me:  'up to you...  me, when i go to a place, i like to order whatever their specialty is...'

mom:  'then i'll get both the chicken sandwich and the monte cristo...'

; )

pure energy

brother says he saw a colleague running when he biked to a neighboring town last holy week...

me: 'why was he running?'

brother: 'he runs regularly... he does 30K...'

mom: 'how's that? he goes back and forth?'

brother: 'when i saw him he ran 30K one-way and then he took a ride going home...'

me: 'why didn't he just run 15K-15K to and fro so he wouldn't have to take a ride going back?'

just a suggestion... : )

pure energy

brother says he saw a colleague running when he biked to a neighboring town last holy week...

me: 'why was he running?'

brother: 'he runs regularly... he does 30K...'

mom: 'how's that? he goes back and forth?'

brother: 'when i saw him he ran 30K one-way and then he took a ride going home...'

me: 'why didn't he just run 15K-15K to and fro so he wouldn't have to take a ride going back?'

just a suggestion... : )

young at heart

'dyesebel' (tv series about a mermaid) on tv...

dad to mom: 'it is kids who watch that, right? fairy tale...'

mom nods then adds: 'me, too...'

; )

certainly not

sent a generous gift to someone noontime...  i told the recipient it's not from me but from someone who doesn't want to be named...

recipient:  'doesn't want to be named???'

me:  'yes...  a friend of mine...'

recipient, in a very confident tone:  'ah...  i already have someone in mind!'

huh?!  you think you know but you don't...  you'll never guess in a million years...  \m/

dear is relative

dad tells us there's no need to cook as he has already bought food:  dish this, this, this...  dessert that, that, that...

me to my aunt:  'i'm waiting for the punchline, auntie...'

aunt:  'what punchline?'

me:  'the price...'

true enough, at the end of the enumeration, he mentioned the price...

we burst out laughing...

mom:  'why do you have to include the price?'

dad:  'so you'll know it's expensive...'

aunt chuckles:  'it's not...  actually, it's cheap...'

; p

male and female

in the province this morning, our tricycle driver's name was 'josephine.'  he's a male (and of course, 'she' is a female, hehe...).

according to him, during the elections, he was being questioned because he was male.

and then when he was getting married, he was being questioned because his name was female.

gender stereotypes...  : }