what do i say?

i ordered stuff from this online shop...  then as part of their feedback mechanism i got e-mails with the following subject lines:

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of Papaya Goat's Milk Soap?"

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of Lightening Triple Rice Soap?"

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of Coffee & Seaweed Soap?"

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of Honey Bar?"

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of White Peppermint Loofah Soap?"

and then these, too:

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of <shop> Gift Card (P100)?"

"Hey Maria Cynthia, what do you think of <shop> Gift Card (P1,000)?"

hehe...

the organic soaps are good...  the gift cards look pale though...  ; )

second thought

parents had late afternoon snacks...  dinnertime, dad walked by the dining area and saw my mom...

dad:  'i thought you said you were not going to eat anymore...'

mom:  'i thought so, too...'

; )

man vs. machine

me:  'my camera's not working so i'm using my mom's...  last christmas i just used my sister's phone...'

mom's friend:  'but your mom's camera takes too long to click...'

me:  'hehe...  no...  it was just set on video when you went out...  i just did screencaps so you'd have pics...  you had a lot of videos and i could hear you wondering why the camera won't click...'

; p

creature of habit

brother and i were at a bike shop...  he bought a bike...  then he asks me:  'did you bring your license?'

me:  'yes...'

brother:  'just be the one to drive home...'

me:  'you're going to bike home?'
(he bikes all over...  across cities...  through towns...  to far away provinces...)

brother:  'yes...'

me:  'aw!  i'm not used to driving that car!  i find it too big...'
(it's a minivan...  mine's a compact...)

we ended up going home with him still as driver and me still as passenger...

on this earth, we leave as we came...  ; )

catalyst

passed a long line of parallel-parked cars...

me:  'how come all these cars go beyond the lines?'

brother:  'all you need is one car to park the wrong way and the succeeding cars would have to park outside the line as well...'

well, if it were me i'd skip one slot to minimize the number of wrongly-parked cars...  but yeah, that option may not always be available...

oftentimes you have to do so much more in order to curb wrong...

family

gift-giving at cousin's place...  recipients' names being called out...  aunt...  cousin...  niece...  boyfriend...  nephew...

and then:  "pochi and chelsea..."

the dogs!  : D

arf!  arf!  ; )

yours or mine

my house is so tiny and i couldn't find this gift i bought early for christmas.  actually, i really like that item.  is it a sign that i should keep it for myself?  ; )

presentation

friend asked me to order gifts for his officemates from this online store which last year had a special gold packaging for their christmas shipments...

me:  'oh...  there's a notice on their site that there's a hiccup, yup, that is the term they used, in their deliveries...  expect delays...  i dunno whether they'll be able to deliver by christmas...  is it okay if it's late?'

friend:  'it's okay...  i'm not after christmas...  i'm after the gold packaging...'

:"}

expect the unexpected

mom watching miss universe on tv...  dad walked by and miss universe was miss colombia...  he got something outside, came right back in and miss universe was miss philippines...  his reaction was priceless...

yup, things could so unexpectedly change in a major way in a very short time...

ice-cold

eating boiled peanuts from the province...

me:  'when did you buy this, mom?'

mom:  'i bought it yesterday...  but i did reheat...'

me:  'it's cold...'

mom:  'of course...  i heated it in [the province] yet...'

me:  'i mean, it is really COLD...'

mom:  'oh...  it was packed close to the ice in the cooler...'

: }

it's not that

part 1

ordered one glass of halo-halo...

me:  'miss, could you divide it into two?  we'll just share but please put it in separate glasses...'

service crew:  'okay, ma'am...  we'll also give you additional ice...'

me:  'oh, don't!  we're full...  we're sharing because we won't be able to finish one...  i'm just forcing her to try it...'

wahaha...  i wonder whether it looked like we were simply scrimping...  ; )

part 2

me:  'this is not like the usual halo-halo...  it's sticky and the ice is fine and it doesn't have as many ingredients...  it's mainly macapuno...  i don't like macapuno...  i dunno whether you do...'

friend:  'you don't like macapuno?'

me:  'no...'

friend:  'then why did you order this?'

me:  'so you could try it...  this halo-halo is famous here...  it's originally from pampanga but they now have branches all over...  the balikbayan oldies like it...'

friend:  'are you saying i'm old?'

me:  'hehe...  i'm saying you're a balikbayan!'

; p

true to her word

at a pizza parlor...  phone of the lady at the other table rang...

lady:  'i'm on my way...'

i thought, just like those in jokes, she'd just continue eating and not really be on her way yet...

but no...  she told her companions she'd just rush to this remittance center and then she'd quickly come back...

well, she did leave her food and went on her way...

not everyone lies...  : )

truth in advertising

checking out merchandise online...  saw this in the description for one of the items:

"Sadly though, the 4,000mAh battery isn't removable."

wahaha...  i wonder who wrote that copy...  not hard sell...  not soft sell...  sort of unsell...  \m/

for the right reasons

courier delivering my package...

me:  'wow!  he's wearing shades!'

courier:  'aw, ma'am!  i'm taking it off...'

me:  'why take it off?  it looks good on you...'

courier:  'i'm embarrassed...  i don't wear shades often and then you notice me...'

me:  'of course!  it's more noticeable when it's not usual...'

the important thing is to get noticed for something good and not for bad...

in your eyes

so for the first time ever, my seventeen-year-old niece told me what i was wearing was nice.  the piece of clothing?  distressed jeans...  yup, holey, stonewashed denims!  something i received as a gift fifteen years ago!  (ahahaha...  i do have and still wear decades-old clothes...)

i've worn gowns and dresses and good tops and formal pants and it's this shabby-looking denim that gets complimented...

beauty, indeed, is in the eye of the beholder...  \m/

tears

the FEU (far eastern university) tamaraws won over the UST (university of sto. tomas) growling tigers in the men's basketball finals of the 78th UAAP (university athletic association of the philippines) giving them their 20th championship after 10 years.

in her TV patrol report, newscaster zen hernandez said that it was 20 years ago when the two teams faced each other in the finals and that time, FEU 'ang umuwing luhaan.'

me:  'that expression is interesting...  'umuwing luhaan' (go home in tears)...  so in our culture when you lose you weep?'

sister:  'yes...'

me:  'but if you win you could also shed tears of joy, right?  so win or lose you could go home with tears...'

uhm...  the thoughts that cross my mind...  :"}

as i was saying

yesterday my mom asked me to check whether her camera's battery is still ok as she was scheduled to go out with friends.

i checked.  batt's good but cam was set to video.

me:  'why is this on video?  you have to make sure it's on camera.'

so i showed her where the tab should be, explaining this, emphasizing that.

she said ok.

well, today she comes home with a bunch of short vids showing her and her friends wondering / getting tired of holding their pose because instead of clicking, the camera showed a red circle (it was recording video!)...  : }

i had to do screencaps so they would have pics.

cue beyonce...

♩ ♪  LISTEN  ♫ ♬

; )

it's just cake

cake...

sister:  'you finish that...'

me:  'i'm full...  why don't you finish it?'

sister:  'i'm full, too...'

<silence>

sister:  'don't tell me we're still going to put that in the ref...'

me:  'if no one's gonna eat...'

sister:  'it won't anymore taste as good tomorrow...  why don't we just eat half each?'

me:  'ok...'

sister makes an uneven slice...  one's bigger than the other...

me:  'you get the bigger one...'

sister:  'i'm bigger than you, you get the bigger slice...'

me:  'you're bigger so you should get the bigger one...'

sister:  'you're thinner so you should eat more...'

me:  'i'm not thin!'

sister:  'but you're slimmer than me...'

me:  'you know what they do?  the one who cuts is not supposed to choose a slice first...'

sister:  'well, i'm youngest so i get to choose...'

me:  'you know marginal utility in econ?  when we were eating cake initially, we were very happy, our marginal utility was high...  as we were eating more cake, the marginal utility was diminishing...  we were still happy but not as much as the first bite...  look now, we're already forcing ourself to eat cake...  we're not happy anymore...  you should find your maximum utility and stop there...'

look and see

dad asked me to hand him this spice bottle...

ok...

was i surprised when he removed the cap, poured some content on a spoon then sprinkled it across his food...

me:  'that has holes...'

i put the cap back, flipped open the top, then showed him the holes where the spice should pass through...

dad:  'oh...  i didn't know...'

i don't know how long they've had that bottle but i'm sure it's not new...

i remember this classmate before...  i borrowed her mini-tripod for a group shot...  i mounted the camera on the tripod then pulled out the inner tubes to make the legs longer...

she laughingly said she's had that tripod for a long time and she didn't know you could lengthen the legs...

sometimes it takes new eyes to make you see what's special in what you have...  \m/

diversity

on my bucket list is a 2K run...  well, 2K walk, actually...  i don't want to run...  i intend to just walk...

anyway, last sunday, there was a lady in front of me and she was wearing a '5K Finisher' shirt...  i got excited!!!  i thought to myself, once i've done 2K maybe i could shoot for 5K next...

then yesterday i saw a guy wearing a '21K Finisher' shirt...  whoa!  21?!  i had to do a double-take...  yup, it was indeed 21K...

i tried to check how i felt...  do i want to gun for a 21K, too?  hmmm...  no...  is it because i can't do it?  hmmm...  no...  maybe i can, maybe i can't...  whichever, it doesn't really figure in my lack of desire to do it...

i think, yeah, some things you like; some things you just don't...  the things you like, some people hate...  those you dislike, others love...

that's why variety thrives...  and the world is an interesting place...  : )

i can't even

i bought ice cream...

me to cashier:  'miss, could you put cardboard, please...  so the (car) seat won't get wet...'

she put cardboard on the bottom of the paper bag but since the tub was kinda big (3 liters), she put the bag on its side and then pushed the ice cream tub inside...

she handed me the package sideways, with the cardboard perpendicular to the bottom of the tub...

some logic are just beyond my comprehension...  : }

it's not you, it's me

intending to turn left so i signalled left...  then my companion told me i could go straight...  so i went straight...

i wanted to merge to the lane to my right but the oncoming vehicle picked up speed...

me:  'look at that!  i'm trying to merge and he accelerated?!'

and then i saw my signal...

'ooops...  my signal's still left!'

my bad...  sorry...  :"}

just stop it

at my parents' place...  not much chips left...

me to sister:  'finish that so i can wash the container...'

sister:  'i'm full...  why don't you finish it?'

me:  'you're the one who likes chips...'

sister:  'you eat chips, too...'

me:  'but i'm not really into it...  you finish that...  it's not much...'

sister:  'i'm going to refill that...'

me:  'don't mix old with new...  you finish that one before you put in the new...'

sister:  'ok...'

me:  'eat it now so i can wash the container before you refill...'

sister:  'i'll refill tomorrow...'

me:  'good...  finish it now so i can wash now and 'twill be well-dried by tomorrow...'

sister:  'i'm full...  i'll just eat it tomorrow...'

me:  'how can i wash if tomorrow?  i wanna wash before you refill...'

sister:  'ok...  then i won't refill tomorrow...'

:"}

guesswork

picture puzzle...

me to cousin:  'were you able to get it?'

cousin:  'we couldn't...'

me:  'so do i now tell you?'

cousin:  '<toot> says it's fingertoe...'

me:  'fingertoe?  wahehe...  what on earth is that?  manicure-pedicure?  the answer is mistletoe!'

partially correct, totally wrong...  ; )

low-key

talking strawberries...

i tell my sister-in-law i don't eat them...

sister-in-law tells me she, on the other hand, likes them...

me:  'oh...  so did you like the cake i bought?'

sister-in-law:  'i ate the strawberries on top...'

me:  'how 'bout the tart?  did you find it yummy?'

sister-in-law:  ''twas just ok to me...  <brother> and <niece> really liked it though...'

me:  'the cream there is not ordinary whipped cream... it's almond cream...'

sister-in-law:  'aw!  i avoided the cream!  had i known i would not have...'

me:  'haha...  you passed up something good...'

it looked ordinary but it actually was special...  : )

wag the dog

sister checking out mats...

i saw one in blue, my favorite color...  <3

me:  'how 'bout this one?'

sister:  'the one i'm replacing is green...'

me:  'oh...  ok...'

look around...  look around...  look around...

sister finally decided on one...

good...  : )

grocery...

dinner...

then in the car...

sister:  'i suddenly remembered the one i'm replacing is blue...  i got green...'

me:  'we can still have that replaced with blue...'

sister:  'never mind...  at least it's a new color...'

me:  'ok...  whatever you like...'

sister:  'but then my pails and dipper are blue...'

replace the pails...  ; p

tinker belle

sister:  'were you the one who left this door open?'

me:  'no...  i haven't even gone there yet...'

a short while later...

sister:  'were you the one who put these plastics here?'

me:  'no...  how come you're asking me?  i'm too far from there...  the other day, mom was asking where i got the newly cleaned stuff she saw on the bed...  in the first place, i wasn't even the one who washed them...'

sister:  'well, you're the one who likes to fix things...'

oh...  i'll take that as a compliment...  : )

the customer is right

i called this cookie store...

staff:  'good afternoon...  this is <toot> from <store name> - <branch name>...'

me:  'good afternoon...  i'm going to inquire about your cookie cakes...'

staff:  'yes, ma'am...'

me:  '<blah-blah-blah>...'

was i surprised to hear what seemed like an off-topic reply...

me:  'are you talking to me?'

no response...

me:  'hello...  hello...  hello...

♩ ♪  hello, hello, hello
hello, how do you do?
i'm glad to be with you
and you, and you, and you  ♫ ♬'

(wahaha...  i am silly like that...)

still no response...

i realized that the one on the other end was already talking to someone else...

i hang up and called another branch...  the conversation went fine and we ended the call properly...

then the phone rang...

me:  'hello...'

caller:  'hello, ma'am...  this is <toot> from <branch name>...'

me:  'hello!  what happened to you?!  you left me hanging in the air just like that...  that is very rude...'

caller:  'i'm sorry, ma'am...  what was that you were asking earlier?'

me:  'i've already called <other branch>...  they've answered my query...  but next time don't do that again...  you gave your name when you answered the phone...  i could easily send an e-mail to your office and tell them what you did when i called...  good thing i'm in a good mood today so i won't do that...'

caller was profusely apologetic...

me:  'it's ok...  but make sure you don't do that to others anymore...  you might chance upon someone who will report you to your office...'

even when customers are wrong you're supposed to treat them right...  what more if they are right...

moving on

'one more chance' on tv...  three-month-rule scene coming up...

i call my sister:  'you watch that...  three-month-rule...'

sister:  'three-man?  one man...  who's the second and third?'

me:  'month!  three-month!  when you break up you're supposed to wait three months before you enter another relationship...'

there's a time to heal...  and a time to love again...  >-<3-<3->

smell the flowers

arrival of plane carrying mexican president enrique peña nieto in manila for APEC in the news...

me:  'is he the handsome one?'

sister:  'i don't know...  i'm busy...'

me:  'you're busy so you don't notice anymore who's handsome?'

sister:  'yes...'

you should find time, y'know...  ;")

judge not

overheard a teacher telling a former student she got into teaching because someone told her that it was easy.  well, she later found out it is not.  according to her, checking papers and giving grades are VERY hard.

oh...  non-judgmental...  : )

garbage

saw someone throw tissue on the floor...

me:  'you dropped something...'

woman:  'what?'

me:  'there...'

woman:  'tissue?'

me:  'yes...'

woman:  'is it yours?'

me:  'no!'

woman:  'must be mine then...'

me:  'yes...  i saw you drop it...'

intentionally, i think...  >: (

vague

on the phone with my mom's DSL provider...

tech support:  'just leave your modem on, ma'am...'

me:  'for 24 hours again?'

tech support:  'just this day, ma'am...'

me:  'ah...  so up to midnight?'

tech support:  'this day, ma'am...'

me:  'this day...  what is 'this day'?  midnight is this day...  10 pm, 9 pm, 8 pm is this day...  if you tell me midnight, we'll just turn the modem off tomorrow...  if you say 10 pm, we'll turn it off before we go to bed...  can we turn it off 10 pm?'

tech support:  'you could, ma'am...'

me:  'so not necessarily midnight?  it won't affect whatever you're doing if we turn if off 10 pm?'

tech support:  'you can turn it off after the line testing, ma'am...'

me:  'how do we know when the line testing is done?  how long will that take?'

tech support:  'this day, ma'am...'

me:  'this day?  you know, you should be more specific than that...  you should give a time instead of just saying 'this day'...  say midnight, 10 pm, 6 pm...  next time be more specific, ok...'

tech support:  'ok, ma'am...'

you are welcome...

make it double

i choked...

me:  'number!'

sister:  '10!'

me:  '10 again?!  J again?!  why is it always 10???'

sister:  'okay...  make it 20...'

me:  'oh...  so J remembered me twice?'

; p

icing on the cake

picking up cake i ordered last week yet...  i've been seated in the bar for quite some time and they have yet to hand me the cake (well, they did serve me chips while i was waiting)...

me:  'why is it taking too long?'

staff:  'sorry, ma'am...  we ran out of boxes...  they're still getting from the stockroom...'

oh...

hmmm...  what if we just leave the cake exposed?  no one will be eating the box anyway...  ; p

sharing

i excitedly called a friend...

me:  'there's this cute shoes...  canvas... with lip prints...  it's on sale...  i'm buying...  you want, too?  we'll match...'

friend:  'what kind of shoes?'

me:  'hmmm...  rubber shoes?  well, it's not really rubber shoes...  it's like the shoes girls wear for P.E...  and then it has a lip design...'

friend:  'where?'

me:  'all over...  it has lip prints all over...  you know lipstick marks?  like that...  cute...'

friend:  'it's buy one, take one?'

me:  'huh?!  no!  you think i called you because it's buy one, take one?!  i called you because it's on sale and i have an additional 20% discount plus free shipping because i have other purchases...  i'm calling for you not for me!'

wahaha...  why suddenly ballistic???  ;"p

keep calm
and
buy cute shoes

; )

boomerang

sister in the bathroom...  i heard her sneeze...

me:  'bless you!  say 'excuse me'...  even when you're alone...  make it a habit so it will come automatically...'

sister:  'excuse me...'

me:  'good...  do that even when no one's around so it will be second nature...  you won't have to change behaviors in the presence of others...  develop good habits...'

soon after, i myself sneezed...  :"O

sister exclaimed:  'say 'excuse me'!'

me:  'haha...  excuse me...'

sister:  'develop good habits...'

; )

captive audience

last night, i overheard my sister's TV...  it was the pinoy big brother 737 finals...

me:  'what does the 737 mean?'

sister:  'i don't know...  i don't really watch this...'

oh...  ok...

then i went downstairs...  my mom was also in front of the tv and it also was showing the pbb finals...

me:  'what does 737 in the title mean?'

mom:  'i don't know...  i don't watch this...'

me:  'how come yours and <sister>'s TVs are both on that channel if you don't watch it?  because it's the finals?'

mom:  'i'm waiting for 'your face sounds familiar'...  it's normally shown before this but now they switched timeslots because it's the finals...'

; }

choosing outfits

shopping...

my nephew quickly checked out sweatpants...  picked one...  tried it on...  then decided it's what he'd buy...

then he quickly checked out jackets...  he picked one...  tried it on...  then again decided it's what he'd buy...

me to sister-in-law:  'are guys really like that?  he was able to choose right away...  when i was here last, i tried on so many tops before i was able to decide on one...'

sister-in-law chuckled:  'maybe...'

and then we looked for my niece...  guess what, she was still in the fitting room trying on different clothes...

; )

same feather

two normally negative persons talking...  said one to the other:  'don't think such thoughts!  should be positive...'

oh, wow!  surprising / astounding but good to hear.. : D

so math applies, huh!  negative times negative equals positive...  go flock together, peeps...  : )

loophole

nephew says he'll gas up my car...

me: 'huh?! doesn't it have gas???'

nephew: 'you said if i'm going to use it i'll have to gas it up...'

me: 'what i said was you can use it to school but you'll have to take care of your own gas... i'm not going to shoulder your gas if it's everyday...'

nephew: 'ah, so if it's not daily i don't have to gas up?'

me: 'yes... just use it; you don't need to gas up... i'll take care of it...'

nephew: 'a, thank you, tita...'

later it occurred to me that he might use it to school just every other day...

toinks! ; )

then and now

presented my ID as i entered a building...  uhm, my face was a bit too round and plumpy there...

guard:  'is this you, ma'am???'

me:  'yes...   years back...  20 lbs. ago...'

older...  hopefully wiser...  definitely slimmer...  ; p

that's it

cousin invited me to visit them in the US...

and then he said i might as well bring this other cousin of ours, too...

in the course of the exchange, the original one expanded to two then to four/five to hopefully six (from just me to me plus our other cousin and her family)...

and so the inviter went:  'Just like the line in Jaws --- I'm gonna need a bigger boat. Haha'

i didn't see the movie...  just parts of it too long ago, i don't anymore remember...  i was thinking when i read his comment, 'don't tell me he's gonna load the shark in his boat...'  i therefore replied i don't get the analogy...

well, my cousin explained he realized if what we were talking about materializes then he will need a bigger car...

oh...  so that really was the message!  wahaha...

sometimes that thing you discount turns out to be the main point actually...

note to self:
'keep an open mind.'

grown-up halloween

cousin's granddaughter went trick-or-treating at my place yesterday (yup, extended halloween)...

cousin:  'what did you give them?'

me:  'a butterfly mirror plus clip for the hair...'

cousin:  'oh...  i liked the mirror!  i like butterflies...'

me:  'ask her...  see whether she'll give you...  or you can go trick-or-treating yourself...'

in which case, if she knocks at my door, i'll opt for trick...  that would be interesting...  ; )

more

extended halloween (it's already november 2)...

me: 'kids trick-or-treating, mom...'

mom: 'is it <toot> and her playmate?'

me: 'yes...'

mom: 'they were already here a while ago... i've given them...'

me to kids: 'were you already here earlier?'

kids: 'yes...'

me: 'ah... should be just once...'

<toot>: 'we want again...'

me: 'try other houses...'

<toot>: 'it's here we like...'

me: 'trick-or-treat is different houses... you're not supposed to come back...'

<toot>: 'we want more of what we were given earlier...'

me to mom: 'they want some more, mom... what did you give them?'

mom: 'i gave them candy from singapore...'

oh... i'd come back, too... ; )

that much i know

i overheard the tv as my mom was watching 'Your Face Sounds Familiar'...  so someone got eva eugenio from the iconizer...

me:  'who's eva eugenio, mom?'

mom:  'contemporary of imelda papin...'

me:  'hehe...  i know eva eugenio, mom...  i mean, who got her from the iconizer?'

mom:  'oh...  kakai...'

; )

dead and alive

nephew: 'where's <toot>'s husband?'

mom: 'abroad... but they're already separated...'

nephew: 'ah... so that's the reason i don't see him anymore... i thought he has died...'

uhm... the person is alive but the love is dead... : }

inside and out

i was thinking of roaming around but last minute decided to just go home... good thing i did -> it turns out my top was inside out!  :"}

saving grace though, i noticed that even the inside was finely stitched... good even though not meant to be displayed... the way people should be, too...

no brains

five of us want to try mystery manila...

me: 'i don't wanna think, ok. i just want to go there but i don't want to analyze clues...'

cousin: 'me, too... i already have so many things to think about, i don't want to do any more thinking there...'

friend 1: 'i don't wanna think, too...'

friend 2: 'me neither!'

friend 3: 'same here!'

me: 'how are we going to get out if no one's going to do the thinking? someone has to analyze the clues so we could get out of the room...'

cousin: 'it's ok... let's just take pictures there...'

me: 'nyeh! i don't think you're allowed to take pictures... besides, when i go there i want to be able to get out because we were able to solve the mystery and not just because time's up...'

cousin: 'let's bring <hubby>... let him be the one to analyze the clues...'

me: 'and then we'll stress him out pressuring him to come up with the solution so we could get out?'

maybe we all should just go to dinner instead.. ; )

revelation

friend: 'you remember <schoolmate>?'

me: 'yes...'

friend: 'could you imagine he's a <very high-ranking government official> now...'

me: 'yeah... i was surprised when i first saw him on tv...'

friend: 'do you know that he flirted with me in college?'

me: 'he did?!'

friend: 'yes... he was even sort of conveying that he wanted to go to the house...'

me: 'oh, wow... do you know that he said 'i love you' to me in college? he even wrote me a letter...'

friend: 'really? well, he didn't say 'i love you' to me... it was just flirting...'

me: 'even then... you and i were always together in college... he liked us both?! was he doing things simultaneously??? good thing we didn't fall otherwise we'd be sharing a boyfriend and then we won't be friends anymore...'

friend: 'so the guy is like that?'

me: 'i can't believe i learned about this just now... after 20 years! i wonder what other things in the past i'd discover 20 years later..."

: }

welcome anytime

sister-in-law:  'i'm going to get you cake...'

me:  'thanks...  but don't anymore...  i already have...'

sister-in-law:  'what's your cake?'

me:  'baked cheesecake...  cheesecakes by guy...'

sister-in-law:  'mine's estrel's...  it's ok to have more if it's estrel's...'

me:  'hahaha...  true!  go ahead then...  you cannot have too much if it's estrel's...'

fave...  <3

paramount

so i was at a lunch buffet and amid all the varied dishes, i ate mainly potato wedges...  well, i love potatoes...  i liked their potatoes...  : )

the ex and i were at a dinner buffet before and after eating he told me, 'we went to a buffet and all you ate was dilis (anchovies, fried)!'

ei, i liked it so i ate to my heart's content...  ; p

an officemate reminded me we were at another buffet before and practically all i had was chocolate from the chocolate fountain...  instead of using it as a dip, i caught the flow in a cup and had it as a drink...  uhm, i liked it so i stuffed myself with it...  :"}

i guess for me, buffets are pretty much like the non-food world...  there are so many choices and you normally enjoy the variety but sometimes there's one that just jumps at you, it catches your full attention and everything else ceases to matter...

good and bad

me:  'try to do something good for others everyday...  no matter how small...  just try to make someone smile or make someone's day a little better...  it doesn't have to be grand...  but try to do at least one per day...  you, have you done anything good today?'

<toot>:  'the taxi driver...  my fare was P61...  i gave him a tip of P20...'

me:  'hmmm...  you really normally give tips...  but anyway, ok...'

<toot>:  'my classmate...  i let her copy my answers...'

me:  'what?!'

<toot>:  'she always gets very low scores...  i felt pity for her so this time i let her copy...  we both got perfect...'

me:  'i don't think that counts for good...'

<toot>:  'i did not copy...  only she did...  i just showed her my answers...'

me:  'regardless!'

:"}

past and future

me:  'what did he say?'

mom:  'i wish you were saturday and i were sunday so you'll be my tomorrow...'

me:  'huh?!  must be the other way around...  saturday is past not future...'

mom:  'oh, sorry...  i jumbled it...'

yup...  it's:

'i wish i were saturday
and you were sunday
so you'll be my tomorrow.'

if she were saturday that would be yesterday not tomorrow...

yesterday you leave behind;
tomorrow you look forward to.

<3 <3

beyond primary

me to niece:  'what's your favorite color?'

niece:  'black and teal...'

me:  'teal?!'

niece:  'yes...'

oh, wow...  what ever happened to red, yellow, blue?  :O

love your own

pretty celebrity on tv...

me:  'awww!  <celebrity>'s so pretty...'

sister:  'i didn't hear...  what did you say?'

me:  'i said <celebrity>'s so pretty...  but of course you're prettier...'

sister:  'you are prettier...'

ahahaha...  blood is thicker than water...  our faces, too...  ; )

close your eyes, open your heart

so my teenie door hanging fell when i entered the house...  guess what, my living room is sooo small and i couldn't find it!

they say if you stop looking it will appear...  uhm, so passive...  : }

but ei, pretty much like love...  you don't find love, it finds you...  <3 <3

bet and beat

karaoke...  engelbert humperdinck's 'love me with all your heart'...  guy with a heavy accent singing...

♩ ♪  every winter
every summer
every fall
<lalala>  ♫ ♬

and then, the last line...  ta-da!

♩ ♪  wed every bet of your heart  ♫ ♬

hehe...

come to think of it, when you love you put your heart on the line, right?  that's a gamble...  so yes, 'bet' is ok...  ; )

trees

talking pics...

cousin: 'we have this classmate and when you see her facebook pics, you'll see that she really has a good life... everything's happy... everything's nice...'

me: 'you know, that's really the nature of pictures... that's the nature of facebook... you take pictures of happy... you take pictures of nice... the pics that you post therefore would tend to show good times... don't tell me you're sad, you're crying and then you'll take pics... you're busy emoting you don't have pics, you're not likely to post...'

cousin's husband: 'why don't you try? start a facebook for sad...'

: }

teach him how to fish

normal-looking, younger than me guy tapping at my parents' gate...

me:  'what is it?'

guy:  'i'm seeking assistance...'

me:  'how can i help?'

guy:  'i'm the one who always comes here and asks for money...'

me:  'always?'

guy:  'yes...  your dad always gives me...'

me:  'he always gives you?'

guy:  'yes...'

me:  'you know, it shouldn't be always...  you look strong and healthy...  pass for now...'

\m/

generic

saw my niece's dog in the street...

i told her mom: 'chelsea's outside... far... past the corner already...'

cousin's friend: 'the japanese spitz?'

me: 'aw... i don't know anything about dogs... all i know is that it's chelsea...' :"}

cousin's friend points to an approaching dog: 'there it is!'

me: 'not that one... the one that looks like a chow chow...'

or maybe chelsea is indeed a chow chow... whatever... at least i'm sure chelsea is a dog... ;")

so?

navarro's bagoong and taba ng talangka in bottles...  no more serving spoon...

i see a serving fork previously used for the taba ng talangka...

me:  'can i use this on the bagoong?'

cousin:  'yes...'

me:  'won't it spoil the contents?'

cousin:  'no...  they're both navarro's...'

wut???

looks diff

maybe restaurants should hire food photographers in the kitchen so the food they serve would look like the one in the posters...  \m/

sounds diff

there's nothing like hearing someone sing 'chandelier'

♩ ♪  like notes do not exist
like notes do not exist  ♫ ♬

(hehe...)

to make you appreciate the talent of sia even more...

; p

raise the bar

mom wants to order pizza for someone...

me:  'why not cake?  a cake is more special...  i can go to conti's to get one unless it's really pizza you like...'

mom:  'okay...  cake and pizza...'

: D

high price

friend wants to go back to this nice and expensive place we dined in last year.

he has tried it and it cost a lot, why go back? me, i'd go back only if it's free. otherwise, i'd rather try something new.

hashtag OfLoveAndDinners... ; )

just right

sister cut a slice off the pie on the table...  then as she was eating, she went, 'this tastes like apple...'

me:  'it should...  that's apple pie...'

\m/

next best thing

sister preparing salad...  saw her opening a can of tuna...

me:  'that's an easy-open flip-top can...  why are you using a can opener?'

sister:  'i couldn't pull the tab so i got a can opener...'

me:  'lemme help...'

so i opened cans with my bare hands in quick succession...

sister:  'you've finished three and i have yet to open this?!'

well, i've opened all four and she still was struggling with her first can...

we all have our kitchen skills...  i do not cook but i can open easy-open flip-top cans...  ;"p

sleep

cousin tells me her dermatologist told her to make it a point to sleep on the same day she woke up.

hmmm...  ok...  i'm therefore moving my bedtime from midnight to 11:59 p.m.

every second counts...  ; )

dance of joy

it used to be when i'm happy i'd simply exclaim, 'i'm sooo happy!' : D

now i'd go, 'wow! fantastic, baby!'
and then i'd start dancing... ;"p

oh, aldub, what have you done???

apple of my eye

transferring my sister's phone pics...

me:  'wow!  so many atis!' [sugar-apple]

sister:  'that's just one atis...'

me:  'this is just one atis?!'

sister:  'yes...'

me:  'wow!  you took so many pics of the atis!'
[my sister alright, ahahaha...  i can walk into the next room and take a hundred pics...  :"D]

the single atis had 45 pics...  i deleted 15 that were practically identical with the others...  30 pics still remained...

model atis...  picture picture...  ; )

not now

me to sister-in-law:  'do you eat dairy queen, mamu?'

sister-in-law:  'oh, yes...  i like dairy queen...'

me:  'i bought a lot...  i'll give you...  '

sister-in-law:  'now?'

me:  'later...  i'll just finish this...  i'll bring to your house...'

after finishing what i was doing, i knocked at their door and handed her a voucher...

me:  'that's valid today until december 31...'

sister-in-law chuckles:  'i thought you were gonna give me food i can eat now...'

me:  'oh!  haha...  sorry...  you'll have to redeem that yourself...'

♫ ♬  just a piece of paper  ♩ ♪

;")

airhead

transferring nuts from a half-empty container to a smaller one...

me to sister:  'you think it will fit here?'

sister:  'no...  that's too small...'

me:  'what if i eat the excess, will it fit?'

sister:  'of course!  if you eat the excess then there'll be no more excess!'

wahaha...  what was i thinking?!  sorry...  sometimes some questions are just not, uhm, too smart...  :"}

dreamlike

neighbor cousin watching eat bulaga's kalyeserye on a phone...

me: 'oh... so you watch aldub...'

cousin: 'yes... you?'

me: 'i watch them nightly on youtube...'

cousin: 'me, i watch them wee hours of the morning... 1 a.m... before dawn...'

me: 'oh! so this is where it's coming from! i can hear it from my bed and i was wondering whether aldub has invaded my dreams...'

; p

call a friend

urging a friend to go to this trick museum as he gets in free a day before, on and a day after his birthday.

he asks me to go with him.

me:  'why me?  i was just there last saturday...  bring someone else...'

friend:  'who do i bring?'

me:  'anyone!  go outside...  ask any girl you see there...'

friend:  'who?'

me:  'whoever...  or bring your niece...  she'll like it there...'

me:  'what if i bring the mother and daughter who were with me yesterday?'

me:  'ok...  but you'll have to pay for two instead of just one...'

friend:  'what if i go alone?'

me:  'you can't go alone there!  well, you can but that's not how it's supposed to be...'

friend:  'no one will take my pictures?'

me:  'yes...'

friend:  'i'll ask the guard to take my pic...'

me:  'that's not the function of guards...  how can they guard if they're taking your pic?'

friend:  'i'll ask any of those who work there to assist me...'

me:  'there are so many paintings, duh!  don't tell me you're going to have them take your pic through all those...'

friend:  'pathetic...  'don't you have a friend, sir?''

; p

look

so the movie 'se7en' is twenty years old.  i saw that in the theater in 1995.  i don't think i was the one who wanted to see it.  it must have been my boyfriend at that time.

anyway, i am surprised to read and see in the clip now that the supposed head in the box was not actually shown in that film.  ugh!  i looked away during that scene!  i was afraid of what i would see.

twenty years later i learn that what i thought i avoided was not even there in the first place.

next time face your fears...  they might just disappear...  \m/

threshold

told my sister that the 5-peso coin i forgot on my outdoor table was still there after a day even if there were others who've already passed that way.

sister:  'try P500 and see what will happen...'

: }

she loves me... she loves me not...

i was watching today's episode of eat bulaga's kalyeserye ( #ALDUBOurMissionisLove ) and yaya dub was piqued at alden because he was not able to get her the lumpia she's been craving since yesterday (he eventually did).

i was thinking, 'it's just lumpia...  why be mad???'
(wahahaha...  reacting to acting...  i am silly like that...  ;") )

immediately after, that was followed by, 'it's just lumpia...  why couldn't he produce it???'

then i thought, 'hmmm...  that's a measure of love...'

if you focus on the inability of your partner to do something that is not really difficult, then the love is weak...

if you focus on the triviality of the matter to even be an issue in your relationship then the love is strong...

me, that's how i know whether i am actually holding on or already letting go...

when i keep on justifying the pains my loved one is causing me, then the relationship is safe...  once i start to question why i put up with the hurts then the relationship is at risk...

don't let it get to the breaking point...  the moment i walk away, you're never gonna get me back...

it's me

unexpectedly saw someone i verrrry rarely see... guess what, i was wearing the same long, loose, decades-old, faded denim dress i was wearing the last time we bumped into each other... :O

uhm, the better to recognize you, my dear... ;")

know your job

paying for my order with my stored value / rewards card...  ooops...  the cashier didn't know how to process it...  he directed me therefore to the next cashier...

uhm, i was already up at his counter; i dropped to second in line... : }

guess what, his next customer also had a card like mine!  again, he was passing her on to the other cashier...  she'd be third in the queue if she transfers...

me:  'hmmm... you better start learning how to do this, man...'

my cashier came to the rescue and gave him an on-the-spot tutorial...  he processed my payment showing each step to the newbie who echoed them in processing the payment of the lady he initially asked to transfer, too...

both transactions were processed slowly but successfully...

function fulfilled... : )

you do you

saw a girl with really nice legs and she had them tattooed -> big one! :O

why, oh, why, oh, why??? if those were mine, i'd leave them pristine... any tattoos, if ever, would have to be those temporary / adhesive ones...

sometimes we have to leave well enough alone... but yeah, 'well enough' is relative... people have different aesthetics... the owner does have final say...

it's her legs... she can do what she wants to...

yes

this concept suddenly crossed my mind (hint: jim carrey). ' will give it a month-long try. we'll see where it leads me....

all the best, self!  : )

mwuah!  :*

homemade

eating out...  sister ordered potato salad...

me:  'you make good potato salad...  why are you gonna order it here?'

sister:  'i just wanna try...'

me:  'up to you...'

her order is served...  sister eats...

sister:  'mine is better...'

me:  'that bar is high...'

there's no plate like home...  : )

commendation

here's a special shout-out for leah and james of sugarhouse robinson's magnolia.  i was there yesterday to pick up a marjolaine cake.  when they showed it to me, it had a crack in the middle running the whole length of the cake!

me:  'aw!  how come there's a crack?'

leah explained to me the composition of the cake, blah-blah-blah.

me:  'you know, regardless of the makeup of that cake, i don't think it's supposed to be sold cracked.'

leah says since the chocolate is frozen, a crack is unavoidable.

me:  'unavoidable?  i've bought countless cakes.  i'm the one who buys cakes for our family.  i've been doing it since high school.  how old am i now?  that is a looong time.  i've never bought a cracked cake.  i'm going to take a picture of that.  i don't want a crack to show...'

leah:  'that won't be noticeable in the picture, ma'am...'

me:  'hello!  my camera will capture that...  i can see it...  it is noticeable...  don't you have another stock?'

they have just one, just the one i ordered.

leah offers to get another cake from another branch.  she called the branch and was told the marjolaine there also had a crack.

me:  'really?  that seems to be a lapse in QA...'

leah offers me some other cake.

we check their display.  i've tried most of the cakes.  i want something new and of the ones i haven't, two i'm scheduled to get next month.  the rest don't appeal to me.

leah suggested i switch one of those i'm getting next month with the marjolaine.

me:  'aw!  those two cakes seem more appropriate for oldies.  this one i'm giving to a teen.  if it's just for me i won't fuss about the crack.  i'll just eat and enjoy.  but i'm giving that to someone.  i don't wanna give cracked.  what can we do to remedy this?  do you have icing?  let's cover the crack...'

they don't have icing.

they have these white edible letters i wasn't quite sold on.

they offer this round scallop-edged emblem.  it comes in blue or pink though.  it does not quite match the cashew nut encrusted sides of the cake and its dark chocolate top.

i check out the chocolate strip on top of their midnight cake.  that would cover the crack.  well, they don't have a spare strip.

then they offered meringue sticks.  they said we could put them on top of the cake just like how it is in their truffle cake.

ei, that would cover the crack!  i get excited, hahaha.  okay, try.  put one here; another one there.  add some more.  move that.  flip that.  here, here, here.  there, there, there.  we ended up covering not just the crack but the whole top of the cake with meringue sticks it now looks more like their concorde.

the cake actually looked nicer.  i was sooo happy.  i am sooo thankful.  my annoyance turned to appreciation for these two commendable employees who went to such lengths to ensure customer satisfaction.

good staff, sugarhouse.  you have gems in leah and james.  kudos...  : )

oh my...

coincidence or what? i unintentionally shake the palawan souvenir rainmaker a friend gave me and suddenly i heard the rain fall... : O

#wow

over and over

dad asked me to type something...

dad:  'make the letters small...  really small...'

ok...  i used size 10 font then left the printout for him...

dad calls me back...  'what's the next bigger size?'

me:  'that's 10...  next is 11...'

dad:  'make it 11...'

ok...  again i leave the printed copy for him...

again he calls me back:  'this is 11, right?  could you make it 12?'

me:  '12 or you want me to make it 15?'

dad:  'no...  just 12...'

me:  'maybe i should print you different size test fonts first so you could see how big they are before i edit the doc...'

dad:  'no...  just print this in 12...'

well, if you want to keep the peace you just do as my dad says, wahaha...  i print the doc in size 12...

dad:  'this is 12?'

me:  'yes...  you want it 13?'

dad:  'no...  make it 14...'

me:  '14 or 15?'

dad:  'just 14...'

ok...  again, i edit and print the doc (color printing!  \m/)...

dad sees it then goes, 'okay...  this is fine...  thank you...'

yay!

yearsss back (yup, i haven't forgotten!  wordstar days, waaahhh!), my dad was still not quite satisfied with the version he had but settled nonetheless, wahehe...

so he asked me to type something...  the doc was short...  i can't recall anymore how many pages but i do remember he wanted 30 copies...

i wanted to print just one copy first in case he wants to modify (which so far has ALWAYS been the case) but he was insistent that was already the final version and he wanted a final printout, meaning printed in high-quality...

okay...  first batch of 30 copies...

he reads...  he wants something changed (ahahaha...  i knew it!)...

i edit and give him just one copy printed draft quality in case he again wants some changes...

dad was irked and insisted i give him a final printout, i.e., 30 copies, high-quality...

okay...  okay...  i re-print 30 copies in high quality...

again he reads...  again he wants something changed...

again i edit and again i print 30 copies in high-quality...

again he wants some changes and again i edit and print...

this went on and on and on until <drumroll>... the printer ran out of ink!  wahahaha...

my dad still wanted some edits but when i told him i'll have to buy a new ribbon first (yiiieee!!!  dot matrix days) as the ink has ran out, he suddenly settled for the last printout...

over...  ; )

wrap rap

i bought six items at the department store.  i placed two small ones each inside the two biggest and then opted for recyled paper packing instead of plastic bag.

i saw the wrapper move one of the inner items from vertical to horizontal.

me:  'don't...  just leave it standing...'

wrapper:  'it won't fit the wrapper if it's vertical...'

me:  'oh?  it's just as high as the outer one...  when you wrap the outer item you'll cover the inner as well...'
[turns out i was not quite accurate there...  i measured when i got home...  the inner is taller by about an inch than the outer...  just one inch!  less than one inch!]

wrapper:  'our paper is just this size!'

me:  'oh, it's ok...  just let it peek...'

wrapper:  'why don't you want it horizontal?'

me:  'i don't want it to slant the other item...  if it's vertical there's plenty of room...'

wrapper:  'it won't fit our paper!'

me:  'fine with me even if it's partially exposed...'

wrapper:  'our paper is just this size!'

me:  'that's not really a problem.  either let it peek or add paper.  is that so hard?

you know, you're not very pleasant to customers...  who's your trainer?  that's not how it should be...'

whoa!  suddenly there was a change of tone...  the raised voice became soft...  the irritated demeanor changed to solicitousness (they offered to wrap the item i don't want squeezed separately...  they offered to tie the packages so they'd be easier to carry...)

me:  'oh!  suddenly you're kind...'
[ugh!  sorry...  i couldn't help it...]

moral of the story:
next time bring a reusable bag...

; p

opposite

dictating something on the phone...

me:  'M...'

staff:  'M...'

me:  'Y...'

staff:  'Y...'

me:  'number 8...'

staff:  'is there really 'number,' ma'am, or just '8'?'

me:  'hehe...  just '8'...  i just added 'number' because the previous ones were letters...'

i was aiming for clarification; the result was confusion...  ;"}

old songs

i went to my parents' place and heard old songs being played on the radio...

♩ ♪  let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees
and the flowers and the trees
and the moon up above
and a thing called love  ♫ ♬

me: 'whoa! so that's how the song goes! i only know the part up to '♩ ♪  the flowers and the trees  ♫ ♬'...'

and then

♩ ♪  lonely table just for one
in a bright and crowded room  ♫ ♬

me: 'their songs are old, huh! don't they have 'delilah'?'

<song>, <song>, <song>...

nada.

okay.

i went home.

a few minutes later i went back... guess what!

♩ ♪  i saw the light on the night that i passed by her window
i saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind  ♫ ♬

me: 'hahaha... 'delilah'?! i had a boyfriend who used to sing that really well!'
(ei, the lyrics have nothing to do with us, ok...)

i hear the song and he comes to mind... those were the days...

♩ ♪  ... my friend
we thought they'd never end  ♫ ♬

;")

big boy

friend tells me he slept at 7 a.m.

me: 'aawww! so pitiful... what did you do?'

friend: 'i played [online games]...'

me: 'nyeh! i thought you didn't get sleep because of work!'

i take back my pity... that's pathetic...  ; p

sharing

me to niece: 'nice smell... is that the one you searched online?'

niece: 'yes, tita...'

me: 'so you're still ok, right? no need to re-order yet...'

niece: 'it's easily running out actually...'

me: 'so fast!'

niece: 'my classmates ask to spray, too...'

eh?!  nyahaha...  toinks!!!  ; p

hopeful

pope francis streamlining the annulment process in the news...

i ran to the tv to watch...

my mom teased me...

i broke out in a silly grin...

♩ ♪  if you're not afraid
of what love brings
then endings are beginnings
of beautiful things  ♫ ♬

:")

blame it on the rain

dinner...

dad:  'the soup seems to have made me drowsy...'

mom:  'it's not the soup...  you didn't take a nap so now you feel sleepy...'

;")

perfect timing

supposed to go out this morning but i did not because i was expecting a delivery.

mid-afternoon already and the courier has not arrived.

i decided to make a quick trip to my destination hoping to get back in time for the delivery.

guess what, coming out of the building soon after finishing my transaction, i saw the courier near the stoplight! whoa, whoa, whoa!

ooopsss... he was about to start his motorcycle!!!

waiiitttt!!! i tugged at his shirt and asked whether he had something for me.

he was surprised to see me, hahaha...

anyway, right there beside the road, he searched his box for my package, handed it to me and made me sign the slip.

at the right place at the right time. perfect! : )

love love

sister asked something...

me:  'yeah...'

sister:  'ya?  ya, ya?  yaya dub?'

me:  'haha...  what happened to yaya dub?'

sister:  'i don't know...  i don't watch them...  you do, right?'

me:  'yes...  i watch them on youtube...'

♩ ♪  'cause it's magic when two people fall in love <3 <3  ♫ ♬

:")

misled

sitting back after my communion prayer at mass earlier, i noticed that i suddenly have seatmates...  ooops...  i had the pew all to myself before communion!  :O

i looked behind me...  the pew was vacant...  'uh-oh...  i went back to the wrong seat...'  :"}

i transferred...

hmmm...  the view seemed different...  and then i saw my parents in front of me across the aisle...  huh?!  we were seated along the same row earlier!

i went back to the correct seat after all...  it was my seatmates who took the wrong pew...  : }

we should be sure about what is right so we could confidently stand our ground...  otherwise, the ones who are wrong could lead us elsewhere...

complementary

phone call...

niece: 'tita, may i borrow your duracell? it's still with me...'

me: 'how can you borrow it when it's still with you?'

niece: 'i'm about to return it to you... i just charged it first...'

me: 'oh... ok... you can keep it longer...'

she actually has a cute PNY macaron series power bank... compared to hers, my duracell looks drab... i guess she brings hers for looks and mine for performance... form and substance... ; )

give way

old man and i entered the bank at the same time... we were approaching the kiosk side by side and i went, 'you go first, sir...'

senior smiled: 'no, you go first...'

me: 'no... go ahead, sir...'

senior: 'no... you first...'

me: 'okay... thank you...'

and then i suddenly realized in our full view are two machines...

me: 'aw... yup, they do have two machines... we can use simultaneously...'

so we did...

and then my queue number was called...

me: 'oh... i'm going first?'

senior: 'yes... my queue number's <mine + 1>...'

aw... age before beauty (hahahahaha)... i should have tapped slowly... ;")

sharing

looking for something to wear for another one of our clan's themed get-togethers... i saw one from my mom's clothes...

i asked her whether i could borrow...

she said yes.

me to sister: 'i already have something blue for the party... : ) '

sister: 'where is it?'

me: 'there... mom's...'

sister: 'oh... that's mine... but you can use it...'

me: 'it's yours? i was borrowing it from mom, how come she said yes?'

mom: 'that's hers but i wear it more often...'

; )

wishes

<toot1> and <toot2> said the same thing at the same time...

<toot1> made a wish: 'car, money, house...'

me: 'no love?'

<toot1>: 'car, money, house, love...'

me: 'love should come first!'

<toot1>: 'love of money, car, house...'

; )

use it

sister came to my house and saw my cute stuff (hey, they're cute to me!)...

sister:  'maybe you should box your toys...'

me:  'how will i see them if they're boxed?'

sister:  'use a transparent container...'

me:  'i don't want to put them inside a container...'

sister:  'they'll get dusty if they're exposed...'

me:  'i clean them...'

sister:  'they'll easily look old if they're just out there...'

me:  'so?  i'd rather they look old on display than look new hidden...  i like to enjoy my stuff...  i don't buy for storage...'

\m/

lady in waiting

<toot 1>:  'this is the scenario, ok...  the guy was still my boyfriend and she already had her eyes on him...  there, when we broke up, she snapped him up...'

<toot 2>:  'it's your fault, you dumped him...'

don't ever let go of something you can't bear to see being held by someone else...  \m/

of love and cacti

friend: 'once you love someone, it doesn't really disappear... it will always remain there...'

me: 'that's not true... love dies... you neglect it, it disappears... you have to nurture things otherwise they die...'

unless maybe if it's cactus... you constantly water it, it rots... ; )

memory

i gassed up and, as usual, the gasoline attendant checked the stuff under my hood (oil, brake fluid, power steering, etc.).

he said i needed more oil so i told him to check the trunk and if there's no oil there i'll buy from them.  well, he was able to get some oil from my trunk.  he did his thing then told me i still needed more oil unfortunately they've run out of mine.

i told him i'll just get from another station.

we said our goodbyes (wahaha...  sounds like some sad love story...  toinks!!!)...  i drove off.

guess what, about a kilometer away from the station, i saw my trunk lid high up!  he forgot to close it!  ugh!

i was on the innermost lane, approaching a flyover and there was neither sidewalk nor shoulder...  : }

i turned my hazard lights on, slowed down, stopped on my lane right beside an island, got off and closed the trunk...

it was nighttime and i was at a major and busy thoroughfare...  :O

isn't it basic?  you open it, you close it.  but yup, people forget.

my spare oil keeps on bouncing between the trunk and the backseat.  it used to be in the trunk.  then it was in the backseat.  after a while, i put it in the trunk again.  i guess it's time to put it in the backseat once more.  it will stay there until the time i forget why it's there and i will transfer it to the trunk again...  ;"}

icing on the cake

ordering cake...

me: 'miss, does your opera cake have the word 'Opera' on it?'

staff: 'yes, ma'am...'

me: 'aw... why are opera cakes like that? you don't see 'chocolate mousse,' 'black forest' on other cakes... but if it's an opera, they put 'Opera'...'

staff: 'i noticed that, too, ma'am...'

me: 'can you request the kitchen not to put 'Opera' on the cake? just put 'happy birthday'...'

staff: 'okay, ma'am...'

it's not cast in stone... : )

labels

saw merchandise described as a 'poor boy's hat'...  uhm, it has a price tag a poor boy can't afford...  : }

♩ ♪  isn't it ironic  ♫ ♬

do it well

today i cooked breakfast for my sister (achievement unlocked! ;"p)... just corned beef... canned... purefoods...

first, i slow-cooked onions in just a bit of cooking oil on low heat
(note: everything here done on low heat and no pan covers)

i waited for some caramelization to appear -> say! i learned this from chef mitchie sison in a live cooking demo... thanks, chef... : )

and then i put in the potatoes

i stirred and stirred

once most of the onions have caramelized, i put in the garlic

i stirred maybe five times

once i got a whiff of the garlic, i put in the corned beef

i stirred to mix everything together well

i left the mixture alone and waited for some bubbles to appear

once they did, i stirred just once, waited around 10 seconds and then turned off the stove

i let it cool down a bit

and then i tasted it -> oh, wow!!! did i surprise myself! it was soooo yummy!!! serious!!! so flavorful... so tasty... so delicious!!! : D

i ended up eating breakfast right away (i was thinking such flavors would disappear if i let it sit longer)...

i've had countless corned beef at home and in commercial establishments (i'm looking at you, diners, resorts and five star hotels...), this is the best corned beef i've had in my whole life! (and yes, i'm turning gold this year...)

hah! maybe it's just corned beef -> but it's the best corned beef in the world... <bow>...  :")

hidden talent

shirt print:

'singer
in the shower

dancer
in the bedroom

model
in the mirror'

♩ ♪  vogue  ♫ ♬

; )

blessing in disguise

i was supposed to buy something to take advantage of a P150 cashback bonus (wahaha...  yup, i am cheap like that).  the thing is, i forgot to do so before offer expiry, huhu.

guess what, now the offer has been doubled to P300!

everything happens for a reason...  and that reason is for you to get something better...  : )

i'm so happy...  i'm so thankful...  yea!!!  : D

something better

sister eating m&m's... i extended my hand asking for some...

sister: 'i can finish this! get your own...'

me: 'i just want a few...'

guess what, she walked over to the dining area, got a new pack and handed it to me... : D

when something is withheld from you, it's because you'll be given more than what you're asking for... : )

fair enough

sister:  'you don't watch plays anymore...'

me:  'i do...  <friend> and i watched 'shrek'...  mom and i watched 'marco polo'...  also 'the king and i' with aunties...'

sister:  'not anymore as frequently as before...'

me:  'i don't buy season tickets anymore...  i stopped buying after i got married...'

sister:  'why?'

me:  'i just ended up giving them away...  no one would watch...'

sister:  '<toot> does not like?'

me:  'well, he won't find time for it...'

sister:  'why didn't you bring someone else?'

me:  '<toot> would be left alone if i went out to watch...'

sister:  'so?'

me:  'i don't want him to be home alone while i'm out with friends...'

sister:  'you can resume buying tickets now...'

me:  'i'll buy again when i get married again...'

i'll make sure the next one could spare two hours a month for me...  i think that's not too much to ask...

consolation

me: 'i wasn't able to get the item in the countdown [sale]... had i not peed, i would have been the one to have gotten it... it went for the price i was waiting for!'

sister: 'it's not meant for you...'

me: 'it's not for me... i was going to give it to <toot>...'

sister: 'it's not meant for you to give to <toot>...'

me: 'it's not meant for <toot>!'

mitigate the loss...  ; p

out of touch

sister: 'i wanna watch up...'

me: 'upstairs?'

sister: ''up'! cartoons...'

me: 'turn the tv on...'

sister: 'it's a movie! it's showing in theaters now...'

ooops... sorry... living under a rock... :"}

find a way

i choked...

me: 'number!'

sister: '10!'

me: '10 again?! why do you all say 10??? that's always J!'

sister: 'okay... 18...'

me: 'you cannot change that! the first number you blurt out holds...'

sister: 'okay... 10 X 10...'

; }

E for Effort

me to neighbor cousin: 'have you read my text?'

cousin: 'oh, not yet... have you read my message to you in facebook?'

me: 'aw, no...'

wahaha... so much for connectivity... so near -> just walk over and talk face-to-face... \m/

model employee

special shoutout for gerald arcilla of hi-top supermarket - aurora blvd.

i approached him asking whether they have butterscotch ice cream in stock.

gerald: 'magnolia, ma'am?'

me: 'yes... 'best of the philippines'...'

he proceeded to the freezer: 'this is all we have, ma'am...'

me: 'i've checked...  i couldn't find butterscotch there...  it's my favorite...'

guess what, he lowered his arm inside the freezer and flipped over a hundred ice cream tubs (24 stacks, 5 per stack) with his bare hands to see whether there's butterscotch! whoa!

there was none but still i left the supermarket a happy customer having encountered such a helpful employee.

God bless, gerald... may your tribe and your salary increase... : )

sounds like

me: 'check out paper moon... try their mille crepe...'

niece: 'we've been there...'

me: 'you have? they just opened... well, a week ago...'

niece: 'they just opened? oh, wait... it's crepe man we tried not mille crepe...'

a thousand and one man... mille of a difference... ; )

hopeless romantic

maine mendoza / yaya dub on tv...

mom: 'has she performed?'

me: 'yes...'

mom: 'what did she do?'

me: 'cinderella something...'

mom: 'was she good?'

me: 'it was ok... nothing spectacular but the reaction was insane! they were in the news... worldwide trending topic on twitter... top spot! eat bulaga got all-time high ratings...'

i didn't see the live telecast but i watched on youtube nighttime... waaahhh!!! i'm a sucker for romance and i was teary-eyed <sniff, sniff, sniff>... :'(

i found myself clicking the most trivial of links about the unexpected pair of major leading man alden richards and showbiz newbie / dubsmash queen maine mendoza. i binge-watched all these aldub / maiden videos till dawn! : }

♩ ♪  God gave me you
to show me what's real
there's more to life
than just how i feel
and all that i'm worth
is right before my eyes
and all that i live for
though i didn't know why
now i do
'cause God gave me you  ♫ ♬

i'm rooting for love IRL... oh, yes!

♩ ♪  love moves in mysterious ways  ♫ ♬

go for it, aldub!

fairy tales do come true... <3 <3

sales talk

checked out a scooping station... they had four flavors...

customer: 'that's new...'

me: 'which one?'

he points to an ice cream tub...

me: 'that's not new... i've had that months back... also that... these two i've never tried but they've been available for quite a while, too...'

customer: 'she [sales crew] said they're new...'

me: 'newly-delivered maybe...'

; )

sales strategy

my niece and i ordered different items at the same time from different shops on the same e-commerce site.

hers are supposed to be 1- to 3-day delivery. mine, 5 to 10 days.

well, our parcels arrived today. she's happy she got hers on time. i'm happier i got mine earlier than expected.

under-promise, over-deliver... : )

photographer

cousin inviting me to this restaurant...

me: 'you've just been there...'

cousin: 'i wanna go back... i wanna bring you..'

me: 'i've been there...'

cousin: 'let's go back together... i'll treat you...'

me: 'it's really just the dessert i liked there... i don't feel like going back...'

cousin: 'when were you there last?'

me: 'last year...'

cousin: 'it's different now... <friend> was there last year, too... she didn't like it that much... now she was surprised it's really good she said she'll celebrate her birthday there...'

me: 'oh... so you'll be going back...'

cousin: 'i want to go with you...'

me: 'i'm not keen on going back... i'd rather try something new...'

cousin: 'let's go together, please... so i'll have pictures...'

me: 'huh?! ahahaha! so you have an ulterior motive for bringing me!'

; p

borrow well

me to sister: 'your phone batt's low...'

sister: 'charge it... you're the only one who uses that...'

me: 'you don't???'

sister: 'no... it's the other one i use...'

no wonder it keeps on updating on my watch... : }

longer, stronger, sweeter

ed sheeran... thinking out loud...

'♩ ♪  and darling,
i will be loving you
'til we're seventy  ♫ ♬'

me to my sister: 'how come it's just 70? come 71, no more?'

sister: 'his life's only up to 70...'

me: 'that's too young! well, it's old... but so many people live beyond 70 now...'

let's make it longer...

'♩ ♪  and darling,
i will be loving you
'til we're hundred three  ♫ ♬'

:")

taking chances

i attended mass later than my usual today.

me to sister earlier: 'if i leave now, it's already 100% sure that i'm going to brave the rain because it's already raining. if i hear mass tonight, there's still a chance that it won't rain.'

well, it did but unlike the heavy downpour earlier, it was just a drizzle i didn't even bother to use an umbrella.

i took a chance -> i didn't exactly get what i was hoping for but i am none the worse and actually came out ahead.

some bets you win... : )

expand

checking foodstuff online... there was this beverage with all caps text...

me: 'what is vanilla shane???'

then it dawned on me, 'ah, vanilla shake!'

ugh! what kind of font is that?!

ooops, could also be my eyes... : }

anyway, context saves the day... \m/

misleading

guy: 'so you like rock...'

me: 'huh?! not really... what made you say that?'

guy: 'i saw in fb that you like <band>...'

[wahaha... stalker!!!]

me: 'oh... an fb friend invited me to like it so i did... when friends invite me to like something i usually like it even if i don't, haha...'

it's so easy to click like... if it will make someone happy, why not? it never really occurred to me that it paints an inaccurate picture of my preferences... : }

give me time

phone call from my neighbor cousin inviting me to lunch... their treat... guevarra's...

i like the dessert there... still i begged off...

cousin's friend: 'tell her no need to wear bra...'

me: 'hahahaha... it's not that... i haven't showered...'

cousin: 'don't shower anymore...'

me: 'nyeh! i don't like!'

cousin's friend: 'will it take her long to prepare?'

me: 'one hour...'

cousin's friend: 'military daughter it takes that long to prepare???'

me: 'i get dressed quickly... just seconds... it's the shower that takes an hour...'

if you call me lunchtime, the invitation should be for dinner... ;")

follow

going up my place when i saw my seven-year-old nephew in their house checking out something below with his head between third floor (!) balcony railings...

me: 'aw, don't dangle your head! pull it back! you might slip!'

the boy wouldn't listen... : }

i called out to my five-year-old granddaughter playing nearby: 'stop him! tell him not to insert his head, it might get stuck!'

instead of heeding me, the girl put her head between the railings as well!

argh! :O

the usual

friend: '9 minutes...'

me: 'where'd you see 9 minutes?'

friend points to tiny text on the map displayed on my phone...

me: 'oh... it would be hard for me to read that...'

friend: 'are your eyes already bad?'

me: 'well, they're not anymore as good as before...'

friend: 'then why don't you wear glasses?'

me: 'i don't need it... how often do i read such tiny letters?'

yes, they're a part of life.  but i don't live my days according to exceptions...  \m/