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/

diminished

we were at a milkshake place and i suddenly squealed in delight when i saw the menu. they have vanilla nutella bailey's milkshake!

me: 'wow! everything i like is here! i love vanilla... i love nutella... i love bailey's... they're all in one shake!'

of course, that's what i ordered.  i love milkshake and i was thinking this just might be the ultimate milkshake for me.

when i sipped from the straw, however, the overpowering taste of bailey's took me by surprise!

me: 'whoa! i love bailey's but i've never had it this strong!  i've always sipped it gently... little by little...  this one just jumps at you!'

and then, i don't think i even tasted the nutella.

plus, the milkshake itself seemed too watery for me (yes, i did stir the whipped cream topping to the bottom so everything will be well-mixed).

me: 'hmmm...  i like the ingredients individually...  they're yummy on their own...  how come when they were put together i didn't find it yummy anymore?'

friend: 'it's just like, 'the whole...''

i cut in: ''is greater than the sum of its parts'? this one's less!'

: }

out of touch

niece:  'where are you going, tita?'

me:  'to <place>...'

niece:  'at <street>?'

me:  'yes...  you've been there?'

niece:  'no...'

me:  'why do you know it?'

niece:  'it's well-known, tita...'

me:  'it is?  how come i don't know it?'

: }

comeback

cousin sent us a Miss You sticker in facebook...

it was immediately followed by a message saying "Wrong send"...

me:  'you don't miss us?'

cousin:  'you, i miss very much...  the other one i just miss...'

boom!  ; p