73/365: Today and Tonight is a Prelude of Happiness Before Tomorrow...

14th of March

A morning run.




A walk in the park that I have been wanting to visit.



And a sweet surprise from awesome blogger friends!



I’m dying to share you the stories but I’m heading out for a date tonight with the man I love.

Let us just say that today and tonight is a prelude of happiness for my birthday… which is yet tomorrow.

70/365: All About Me: Finally My A To Z

11th of March 

After (roughly) 270 days (8 months) I am finally replying to this tag by Senyor Iskwater (LOL).  Thank you for this tag Senyor.

Well it was not because I forgot about this.  I was just really looking for a perfect time to make this post.  And since I am posting an “All About Me” series in relation to March being my birth month, so this is it!

A. Attached or Single?
Very attached. Very married.  Till death do we part.

B. Best Friend?
Sorry but I can’t pick just one.  I have several sets of friends that I already considered as family and they are all my best.  Though I have one BFF that I consider my “other half” because we literally know each other too well.  I won’t mention the name so as not to be biased with my other BFF’s.

C. Cake or pie?
Cake with coffee please!
Anybody sending me one for my birthday?  It’s just few days from now so I need one to blow my birthday candle please? (**grin**)



D. Day of choice?
Any day with my family

E. Essential Item?
Lap top with net access, Camera, Mobile Phone
They are my oxygen.  I can’t breath if they are not within reach.

F. Favorite color?
I don’t own anything in the color of pink. 
My wardrobe are usually plain mostly white, black and red.  My Crocs is blue and my Havaianas is green.  Jeez I am so masculine!   The most feminine color I can tolerate is purple.

G. Gummy bears or worms?
Am not a fan of gummy.  But the bears are really cute.

H. Hometown?
I was born and came from the Land of the Braves.  Wanna guess?

I. Favorite Indulgence?
Hmn… nothing in particular.
Though I enjoy eating while watching movies

J. January or July?
OMG!   Don’t ask me about July!

K. Kids?
Absolutely!

L. Life isn’t complete without?
My awesome 3!

M. Marriage date?
I’m a June bride (**wink!)

N. Number of brothers/sisters?
Two super good looking brothers and three gorgeous sisters.  I am the (youngest) ugly duckling.

O. Oranges or Apples?
Apple-ges. I love fruits. All of them!

P. Phobias?
To own another pet.  I haven’t recovered from the the death of my cat :(

Q. Quotes?
My very own quote:
For every bit of good I share to this world will make this world a little bit better to live in

R. Reasons to smile?
When you smile at me :)

S. Season of choice?
We have just two seasons right?  Summer and Rainy Season?
I don’t want to choose just one because they both need each other. Though summer of course is the best time to commune with nature.

T. Tag 5 People.
Forgive me but I’m not tagging anyone because for sure everybody has been tagged.

U. Unknown fact about me?
I’m not ready to share it just yet.

V. Vegetable?
Any vegie but I like the green ones better.

W. Worst habit?
I love to psychologically torture a person (evil grin)

X. X-ray or Ultrasound?
I hate them all because I tried almost all of them including MRI.  That damn feeling that you are being buried alive. I don’t want anything that has something to do with medical procedures

Y. Your favorite food?
Filipino food especially the “lutong bahay” (home cooked).

Z. Zodiac sign?
I am sooo Pisces!

There you go that's one lot of information about me!

69/365: All About Me: On Blogging and Writing

10th of March

This article was originally posted on my blog "The Lucky Blog".  Since I am posting an "All About Me" series here, I believe this is the perfect time to re-post this.

***

Hey it’s my birthday week! So why not share some weird things about me?  Let’s start with one of my passion - blogging and writing!

• I write better when music is pumped in my ears matched with a mug of coffee. I have a variety of choices but on top of them are Gregorian Chant, Enya, Barry Manilow, Jim Croce and believe it or not – Queen’s Freddie Mercury.  “Queen Live in Wimbley” is plugged in my ears while I’m writing this.
  
  For coffee – not too sweet not to creamy but preferably strong!  I don’t mind about the brand as long as it smells and tastes like coffee.
• I have a 500 gig external hard that where I stock my photos for blogging.  Each photo in there has a story saved in my brain’s draft folder.
• I am a magnet to dramatic, sad and lonely post ("emo") that I am really trying to minimize.  The irony is that I am a very happy person.
• I usually don’t comment to a blog post that I did not read with understanding. I’d rather not comment at all.
• I have a habit of spontaneously back reading posts of the blogs in my roll.  I usually don’t comment on the posts while back reading so as not to break my reading momentum.  But I always try to make a mental note on the posts that I like specifically if it mention anything about the blogger’s personality.
• I have a secret list of favorite bloggers (good writers) not because they are my friends but because I really love the way they write and express.
• If you link my blog or include my blog in your blog roll,  I will link you back at least to any of my blogs regardless of your blog's page rank. 
• I don’t mind putting blog links on my sites even I am aware that they will negatively affect the SEO  thingy.  I am confident that I can pull it up by making quality posts.
• Never in my entire life that I did not have a writing desk in my home.  It is one of my basic furniture. 
• My father said that I’m in my weirdest when I’m writing.  (Back in the province when I was younger) He was always amazed whenever he stumbles upon one of my scattered drafts and he would always ask “Did you write this? with the tone that sounded like he is asking a stranger and not his daughter. LOL!
• And as Freddie Mercury says I write better when “Under Pressure!”.
• I write to express NOT to impress.

… hmn there’s a lot more. till next share!

Note:
The manual organizer’s photo is taken aboard a plane. The scribble on the notebook is a list of posts that I plan to write while on a trip.  I was surprised to find that all the scribbled topics were published on my blogs.

68/365: Sunday Quote and Photograph: It Was One of Those March Days

9th of March

It was one of those March days

when the sun shines hot

and the wind blows cold.

When it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

~Charles Dickens~

Wow that was quick!

It was one of those March days when I was born. Consider this as a prelude – let’s talk about me!

60/365: The 60-Day Milestone

1st of March

Hello March!  Here you are surprising me when I’m not even done with my February postings for my “365 Day Blogging Challenge”.  Your coming made me realized that… I'm definitely nuts!

Admittedly February was a struggling month. There were days and weeks that it was impossible for me to sit down and write, even visit my own blogs or to even moderate the comments.

I tried to prepare myself for days like this by making my own heads up on how the coming hopelessly busy days will affect my posting.  Drafting some future posts was also not effective because by the time that I go back to those drafts to finalize them, the “feel” and “interest” for the topic is gone.  This is really one hell of a challenge!

But if you think that I’m backing out from this challenge because of what I had experienced in the month of February – you are wrong.  Here I am behind by five posts for February and yet I’m still NOT backing out! Yes no! Definitely not!  In fact this became more interesting to me.

I may owe five posts from February by the time that this one is posted but that does not mean that I will be owing them till the end of this challenge.  I take this as a sports.  I may have missed scoring during the early quarters or half but I still have time to fill-in those gaps, scored more in the coming quarters and half.  If basketball has the “best of seven series” I have the “best of  12 months series”.  I took it as a 365 post I will end it at 365 by the end of the game which is on December 31, 2014 or sooner.  As what Senyor Iskwater said “Kitakits sa Finals!”.

Once again, THANK YOU for all your unfailing support especially to all my fellow bloggers.  I may be missing to visit your blogs lately but I will definitely be there soon.

Care to join me in shouting another HURRAY!?

59/365: Mac and Me: Happy Birthday Mac!

28th of February

It’s my BFF’s birthday and I’m cramming to get this greetings done and posted.  Well it’s almost midnight and just few more tick on the clock it’s no longer her birthday (LOL).

I’m supposed to write this earlier when I arrived home from work just before going to the celebrant’s dinner celebration.  However I was welcomed at home by the “stroke-triggering“ news that I don’t have an internet!  My DSL is down again and when I called the (cold)hot line of my “wonderful” (grrr) service provider ,  it made me wait till eternity while listening to their nauseating “voice/music prompt hold” before a human picked up the phone only to tell me that they can not provide me (yet) a concrete information why my internet is down. (What’s new?)  They robotically provided me a reference number and asked for my updated call back number which I’m sure is just a waste of time because they will NEVER EVER call you back to tell you what’s going on! I have a ton of experience and histories for this.

So my ISP did it again!  What a perfect timing!  Just when I needed it most! 

Anyways, so I scrapped my plan of writing an elaborated-brain-wracking birthday greetings that I’m supposed to post here and promote on my social media accounts (LOL).  Blame it on my ISP Mac!  

Anyways I think my idea were all drained-out by the non-stop burping caused by the buffet meal that we had tonight.

Also, I don’t think one blog post would be enough for all the words that I wanted to say and for all the wishes that I  wished Mac for.  We have been friends like forever that I know that she knows what’s on my mind. I’ll just make my greetings simple.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and CHEERS to good friendship!

Mac and ME

And oh by the way here’s some trivia.  While at the buffet dinner tonight me and another common friend with Mac realized that we have been dining together for the last four years straight during Mac’s  birthday. I have yet to check for the year that is older than four years ago.

2011 at T.G.I Fridays
I was brokenhearted because of my job and the three of us took comfort from this huge Sundae apart from the other (so much) food that we ordered.

2012 at Hap Chan Restaurant
After our adventure at Logos Hope (The Floating Bookstore)

2013 at 101 Buffet.
A sad moment when I needed to break to you the news that your childhood friend from the province just died.

This year 2014 at Tramway Bayview Buffet
Now that Mac is PARTLY NOT THE Mac that I described in the  first photo (Mac and Me) since she took over “Dora The Explorer’s” role (LOL)

No wonder it is not only our friendship have grown but also our WAISTLINE!

51/365: My Soul Learned A Little About Surfing Through “Soul Surfer”

20th of February

Unlike most bloggers (and other people) I don’t have a bucket list or a “50 before 50”  thingy on my profile.  Although I have a mental list of things that I want to do before I die one of which is to run a full marathon (42K baby!) – but the thing is , I don’t document them.  Probably because I’m really an spontaneous person.

Lately I’m starting to add some more adventures (and dreams) to the things that I still wan to do before I die.  There’s another one that I added today and let me share this one to you.

I want to experience…

Surfing!

This thought is kinda disappointing right now because just some weeks back I could have experienced surfing in Baler (Aurora, Philippines – which is starting to be popular  right now).  But because I’m too hooked up with work I missed an email invite from a friend for a Baler adventure – of course this is another story. 

So why suddenly surfing?

I came home one day from work and saw this movie playing on our family’s 24-hour movie screening (LOL).  As I slumped on the couch just to catch my breath and take my shoes off I saw this ocean/surfing scene that looks so refreshing plus the story seemed familiar to me.  Staying a little bit more in front of the screen I realized that I really know the story because I was following that story before from magazines and other reading materials.  Well of course it was back in the days that I wasn’t too hooked up yet in the e-world.

The movie is titled “Soul Surfer” .  It is about the story of Bethany Hamilton, a lady surfer that lost her arm from a horrific shark attack.  I got hooked watching the movie till the end while I am still wearing my  outfit from work.  It is not only the inspirational aspect of the movie that interests me, but it is actually more about surfing. There are scenes and dialogues in the movie that made me understand a bit about the sports of surfing and it perks my interest and fascination. 

Prior to watching this film, I never really got interested about surfing.  I consider surfing as a thing for people who lives nearby the sea with surfing waves.  Or.. people from Hawaii (LOL).

But let me clarify that I’m not planning to be a surfer (Goodness gracious!).  I just want to experience surfing.  I just want to experience how it feels like to be on the surfing board and with the wave.  I bet that would feel awesome.

You might also want to watch the movie.  It was cinematicaly good for a biopic plus it is very inspirational.

“I don’t need easy.  I just need possible.” ~ Bethany Hamilton / Soul Surfer~

48/365: Wok With Balut: A Sequel To The Tilapia for Lunch

17th of February

I’m supposed to be writing about love songs for this love month but this food series is more important.  I need to serve the sequel while it’s fresh and hot (LOL).

What I mean is that there’s still the Part 2 for the Tilapia Dish that posted.  It is because hubby is the one who bought the live tilapia fishes.  The problem when he’s buying the tilapia is that he always buys too much – more than two kilos!  Imagine we are just four in the family! Well I can’t blame him because he’s really a fish person and Tilapia is really among his top favorites.

And because I don’t want to lose the freshness of the tilapia I asked them if they want it again for dinner which they joyfully agreed in chorus.  So here’s another version of a Tilapia dish.

SARCIADONG TILAPIA

Ingredients/Simple “how to”
Garlic, onion, green pepper, bell pepper and tomatoes sautè together then add fish sauce and seasoning.  Make sure that the tomatoe’s juice is already showing before simmering the fried tilapia on it.

If you noticed it has the same spices/ingredients from the first tilapia dish except that this time the spices were cooked.  A bell pepper is also added so it will smell good.

When we want to have taste variation, we usually top it with different spices.  Try it and you’ll gonna love it!

47/365: The First Time I Let Someone Interrupt My Valentine Night Out.

16th of February

We were about to step out for a very late night out on Valentine night when one of the local channels feed a live screening of the 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES.  This doesn’t happen normally in Philippine television that a regular programming will be suddenly cut out off the air to feed a live coverage of the Winter Olympic games.  The reason of course is our very own MICHAEL CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ is competing.

Hubby and I automatically sat back on the couch and hooked ourselves on the TV screen.  It was like an unspoken agreement that our night out will be delayed.  My whole family is such a sports fan.  You’ll find us absorbed together in front of the television enjoying various sports program.

When Michael performed my whole family was cheering as if we were watching the game live in Sochi.  When the scores was flashed after the end of the first set of competitors we were on standing ovation.



Hail to this UNIQUELY talented Filipino. A figure skater from a tropical country where one’s normal familiarity in snow-like ice is by eating them!



Of course Michael did not win gold nor silver nor bronze. But does it matter? He’s an Olympian for God’s sake competing in a sports that most Filipinos know nothing about.  The amazement was so obvious on the judges and commentators reaction.  The first not only from the Philippines but more so from South East Asia.

I would still give him my standing ovation even if he landed last on this competition.  Do I still need to state the reason why?  Let us just give him his much deserved support.  Hey government particularly the sports commission - wake up!  If this boy won’t still have your support you all deserved to be thrown with snow by Elsa!

~

You might be wondering why our V-Day night out seemed a little late.  It was because we did not plan anything on that day.  We don’t want to be an add on to the romantic chaos that is going on.  Besides our own schedule is a mess by itself.  Both me and hubby have work all day and apart from that he also has an early evening meeting.  So what I did was to come home early from work to avoid the traffic while hubby skipped the day’s work.  So just about after lunch we’re both at home and we’re having this conversation:

Hubby: So where do you want to go?
Me: “Gusto ko lang kumain ng kwek-kwek tsaka pisbol”
        (I just want to eat street foods)
Hubby: Huh? Seriously?
Me: Yep. I always passed by this alley of street food carts but I’m not buying because you always told me not to.
Hubby: Ok let’s go if that’s what you want.  But promised me you won’t make this a habit ok? 
Me: Yey!  Ahm where’s my flower?
Hubby: Hmn.  I thought we’re buying it together? Because last year you scolded me for buying too expensive flowers?
Me: LOL

So we spent the first part of our valentine here and this became one of my “happy place”

The other parts was me cooking pasta for dinner while hubby was at his meeting. He arrived home with my flowers.  We all enjoyed the pasta and the sweets at dinner.  Then we watched movies at home with the kids while enjoying my home made nachos, wine for me and hubby and soda for the kids.  When the kids retired for bed we finally decided to push through the tentative plan of going out (just the two of us) which as earlier told was interrupted by Michael Christian Martinez.

Simple joys, simple fun, lots of love, everyday is Valentine.

We were able to go out just before midnight and went home just before dawn.  As to what happened coming back from our night out… wink*

46/365: Wok With Balut: Post Valentine Lunch Menu

15th of February

Yesterday was such a sweet day not only because of the romantic scenes visible everywhere but also of the sweet treats coming from sweet people as well.  It was such a battle not to give in to these temptation so I just taste them all starting at 3AM having my coffee with donuts given by a sweet family friend.

As if the that donut is not yet enough I also brought home some sweets and we ate all of them too then followed by my three-part Valentine celebration that includes a night out that also involved gobbling.  Come Saturday morning our taste buds does not have the appetite for fancy food specifically with sweets and meat (“naumay ba”).

Rummaging the fridge I successfully found some set of ingredients that I’m sure will be appealing to our taste bud for lunch.

Pinakbet and Pritong Tilapia with Fresh and Crunchy spices for lunch!(I heard a “woot !” from hubby)

Vegetable and fish are the best next-day menu when you just came from previous day’s fancy-eating.
However, the common problem in any home in serving vegie and fish dishes is that most kids dislike them.  I myself has a history of disliking these dishes when I was a kid.  Believed me I think I mastered a lot of tricks on how kids will eat vegie and fish dishes.  Let me share to you some of them.

my own recipe of pinakbet and fried tilapia that even kids will love

PINAKBET
A mixture of fresh (local) vegetables that is supposed to be cooked with shrimp paste (bagoong).  However. we are not yet letting our little girl to eat shrimp paste (maybe when she gets a little older) plus my son is still under medication from an allergy so I don’t normally cook pinakbet with shrimp paste except when it is for me and hubby only.

What I do is to sauté the vegies with ground meat (pork or beef).  I will put the ground meat in the pan with some water, heat it till it produced its own oil where I can sauté the garlic, onion and the vegies.  The vegies are the “bahay-kubo mix” which are: kalabasa (squash), sitaw (string beans), okra (lady finger), ampalaya (bitter gourd) and talong (eggplant).

I’ll simmer it in half cup of water until it's crunchy enough to serve then add some seasoning.  The trick is not to over cook the vegies.   

FRIED FISH (TILAPIA)
Any fried fish will taste good with pinakbet but I still consider Tilapia as the best choice.  And since eating fish is not appetizing for kids, what I do is to spread the fish with (chicken) breading before frying them.  This takes away the fishy smell plus it makes the fish meat crunchy.  These breaded fish is for the kids only because hubby and I prefer the fish just as it is.

FRESH AND CRUNCY SPICES
And to make the fried fish more appetizing I usually served it with a combination of fresh and crunchy spices.  On our plate (photo) are onion rings, red and green tomatoes, green pepper, Kalamansi and cucumber.  Sometime I also add slices of bell pepper.

There you go!  A not so fancy but definitely yummy and healthy lunch menu that kids and adult will love!

45/365: HV-Day! Just Want to Greet You All!

♥14th of February♥

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! 

Happy Heart’s Day or Happy Feast Day of St. Valentine or whatever :)  I just want to peek here and greet you all! (Though this is posted later than the tagged date because I was out ;)

I’m roaming around the net and I’m seeing hearts everywhere!
So here I am holding mine out  :)

How did your Valentine’s Day go?  Wanna share it here?

Mine was simple but definitely one lovely day (and night) and more importantly NOT stressful.

Just a piece of thought for all – “Learn to take care of your heart first before you expect someone to take care of it”.

44/365: Jim Croce Songs (A Re-post and Prelude On My Thoughts About Lyrics and Music)

13th of  February

It's the lover's month and there's no perfect time to talk about love songs and beautiful song lyrics than the time when everyone feels that "love is in the air" (corny boo!). LOL.

Seriously though, do you know that the very first blog title that I created is "Light To Lyrics and Music"?  It's another story as to what happened to that idea so I'll just make a separate post about that.

Meanwhile let me re-post this piece which I originally posted in January of last year to my other (deactivated) blog.  The idea of  re-posting this is part of the other drafts that I am writing and has something to do also why I came across the Boyce Avenue video.

***

I am supposed to write a product review today but unfortunately I’m sick.  I don’t think I would be effective in writing positive things while feeling low and sick.  So here I am in bed scribbling incomprehensibly of topics I’m not sure what about when suddenly the music floating in the house called my attention.

“Jim Croce is in the house!”  I have the habit of posting this status in my social media accounts every time an artist’s album is being played at home especially if I haven’t hear it for quite a while. 

Hubby has the habit of playing my favorite songs every time he feels I’m a bit down plus he’s one real music lover.  His vast collection of musical CDs and downloads can attest to this.  (This reminds me that I haven’t finished my series of post that I called Musical Exposure).

Jim Croce's music was introduced to me by one of my male best friends during high school.  I instantly fell in love with Croce’s songs.  How could I not?  I love literature and Jim Croce’s song lyrics are literature by itself.  They’re the kind of songs that stays in your head and in your heart.

There is so much poetry in Jim Croce’s songs.  It is just unfortunate that this talented singer and song writer died young.  But the beauty and mystery of his songs lives on.  They never fails to haunt me,  inspire me, entertain me.

Among my most favorite Jim Croce songs are Time in a Bottle, Photographs and Memories, Operator, Lover’s Cross, These Dreams, Alabama Rain, I Got A Name, I’ll Have to Say I Love You in A Song, These Dreams  and a lot more.  How I wish that I could make a post on each of these songs.

The song “Photographs and Memories” is one among my inspiration why I created a category in my (other) blog "Sunday and Photograph".

This is something I’m trying to find in today’s music genre - a Jim Croce kind of music.  No matter what generation you belong I suggest for you to try discovering these songs and you will understand what I’m trying to point here.

While reviewing Jim Croce’s biography while I'm writing this, I find it amusing that this artist crossed my mind on his birth month.  He was born January 10, 1943.  He died on September 20, 1973 from a plane crash together with his band mate. More details about his life, works and death here.

What is your favorite Jim Croce song?  If none because you don’t belong in his  genre (I don’t too), try checking them out and I promised you will thank me for leading you to these great songs.

***

… if I had a box just for wishes, and dreams that had never come true, the box would be empty except for the memory of how they were answered by you… Time in A Bottle

…cause tables are meant for turnin and people are bound to change. and bridges are meant for burnin’ when the people and mem’ries they join aren’t the same… Lover’s Cross

… summer skies and lullabies, nights we couldn’t say goodbye, and of all the things that we knew not a dream survived… Photographs and Memories

42/365: I Still Miss You Buddy…

11th of February

Can’t believe that it has been a year ago since that very sad day.
I remember it was a Monday. I was at home absent from work because I was sick. And you were sick too. Every time I was sick you were sick too. Except that day you became too sick and went to cat heaven.

I still miss you buddy.

I miss your stubborn face and attitude.

I miss how you get irritated every time I touch your cropped (funny) tail.

I miss how you snob your cat food and beg for fish left over instead.

I miss how you annoy me every time you mess my work place.

I miss how much the family laugh every time you alertly turn your head like a dog when I call your name.

I miss how you respond to me in cat talk every time I talk to you like a human.

I miss how you stay at the foot of my swivel chair during the nights that I’m up  writing.  And when you feel cold you will climb and cuddle in my lap  and lay still there while I work.  How you seemed mindful that I don’t want to be disturbed.

I miss how you stay behind me like my personal guard when I do the laundry even you’re scared of the water coming out of the faucet.

I miss how you “meow” for help when you come back after you stow away and can’t come down from your escape hole from the roof.

I miss how you rub your fur on my legs when you want to have my attention and when you follow my every movement.

I miss how you quickly get up from your lazy leisure every time I come home from work.

I miss the mornings I feel your fur on my foot under my blanket.  I still wonder how were you able to sneak
to our room while the man of the house habitually whisked you out before we sleep.

It has been a year ago since I last play and cuddle you. I still miss you buddy…

My stubborn cat Timothy Mingz watching cat show while sitting on the family laptop.

41/365: Wok with Balut: The Prelude

10th February

Just to let everybody know – I can COOK too!

And just a clarification also I don’t cook using my laptop as well as I don’t cook while running.  I cook in the kitchen like every normal human being.  I wear an apron using wok and ladle and not a magic wand.

Though sometimes I cook while still wearing my office outfit complete with heels  while editing something on my lappy while waiting for the water to boil while listening to the news (from the television) while helping the kids to their assignment while answering hubby’s question on what’s for dinner! (Whew!)

What I don’t usually cook?

I don’t usually cook food or dishes that needs long preparation because I don’t have the time to handle them.  I don’t normally cook the likes of “kare-kare”, “paella”, rice cakes and the likes.  For me these kind of food are best ordered from specialty restaurants.  Although from time to time I also do try cooking them.
What I usually cook?

I love to cook food that are easy to prepare.  Something that you can whip up in a bit but healthy and will turn out yummy.  I prepare foods during occasion according to the kind of occasion.  For birthdays I cook whatever is the request or favorite food of the celebrant.  I also don’t usually follow recipe or a menu list.

For daily cooking I cook whatever there is in the fridge from the week’s buy from the market and grocery store.  This is where I discovered some of my personal recipes.   And these personal recipe  is the reason why I am having this prelude post today. 

A friend has been bugging me to give her one of my personal recipes.  While I was typing the draft email an idea suddenly struck me (again? LOL).  I just thought that since I am sharing my personal recipe to my friend why not share it to everybody instead?

I don’t have the slightest interest of becoming a food blogger but you can expect some post here about food from time to time. 

Do you also cook?  What’s your specialty?

40/365: Sunday Humor and Photograph: Laughter is the Best Medicine

9th February

I rushed my son to the nearest hospital because of an allergy attack. After treatment from the emergency room I need to secure the doctor’s signature who’s clinic is located at the 6th floor. The hospital happened to be under renovation and the elevator is not working so I need to take the stairs.

Look what I found posted near the foot of the stairs !

ROFL!

Whoever thought of this signage is a genius and I really restrained myself asking the hospital personnel who is the owner of this genius idea!   I feel like giving him some beating specially around the leg.  It would be a lot of fun watching him visit his Physical Therapist at the 5th floor with the same condition as the one on this signage! Ha ha ha!

39/365: Random Talk and Birthday Greetings

8th of February

If there is something that I am thankful about my doing the “365 Blogging Challenge” is that it gave me the opportunity to write about the things that I have been wanting to write and share and most of them in complete stories through a series of posts.  I am so engrossed of doing these series that I already drafted the skeleton of what I am going to post for April (LOL).

However it also seems like I am missing to share some random moments that is going around myself for the past few days so I thought of sharing them as well from time to time.  I’m not sure if you will be interested with my nonsense but heck I just want to do some random talks so bear with me.  If  you can’t bear please forget that you passed by this post.

Remember my post about my blogger friend Jonathan that was delayed and also caused the delay of the last three post prior to this one? (Jeez! that’s a mind boggling question phrase!).  Anyway apart from the reason that I edited that post for several times because I am writing about a blogger who is “one heck of a good writer”, the other reason was that  I have been out almost every night (and take note these are on week nights).  I’m not even sure how was I able to sneak on writing some of my updates on my daily post challenge while in fact I have been out most of the nights. (I’m nuts remember?).

For two straight nights hubby and I were out visiting an old-fashioned bar wherein we just leisurely enjoying a live band, soft music or whatever is playing on the wide screen of this bar over “three bottles”.

On one night we were just outside the house on a bench under the moonlight and enjoying “two bottles” that I picked from a convenience store together with the kid’s pasalubong. 

On another time we we found ourselves around midnight eating in a 24-hour Chinese fast food restaurant.   Burp!



There was no occasion to celebrate.  These are just spontaneous moments that we enjoyed and found time to relax after battling a regular day of hard work.

And one of those week nights also I had a bonding time with my BFF Mac that ended in a stupidly hilarious incident wherein a fortune cookie is involved.  Hmn… I’m still contemplating if I will share the story of such stupidity hilarity.

Meanwhile, let me greet first two blogger friends who are celebrating their birthdays this month of February.
Firsts, a blogger friend whom I love following his blog and social media status because we have the same passion for adventure and running - Empi of  Kol Me Empi!

Happy happy birthday Empi!



And a special greetings also to another blogger friend who is one among the first set of bloggers who welcomed me when I was just starting this blog.  He always passed by my blog,  leave a comment or any message on my chat page whenever he is not out exploring.

Happy happy birthday my dear blogger friend Marco -  The Soul Explorer



Wishing you both more wonderful running, adventures and explorations!  I also wish for a longer friendship with you both in and out of the blogosphere.  Cheers!

38/365: Moonlight Models (Part 3 of 3): Balut Edition

7th of February

A warm, slow breeze blows in over the dry reef,

Sweeps up the shoreline, dousing me in freshness.

No daylight this, but a world of moonlight,

The heavens are spread with small points of light.

Motionless; I watch the soldier crabs emerge.

Black, noise-some mud clings to the soles of my feet.

My whole world is silent; the village is dark.

My hot soul is soothed and lulled by the sea-sound.

Possessed of a sudden euphoria born of shore-ripples, of wind, of salt, of freedom,

I take up off up the bare slope, dodging crab holes…

This spur-of-the-moment photography is a part of an spontaneous road trip that leads us to a beautiful beach south of the city.

Photo Credits: (my good friend) Ranie de Mesa
Subject/Model: Myself (Unprepared, without make-up not even wearing anything fancy or what not) 
Poem:  Excerpts from the poem “Nighwalking” from allpoetry.com

For the complete series:
Moonlight Models (Part 1 of 3): The Band of Brothers Edition
Moonlight Models (Part 2 of 3): The Little Red Hooded Girl Edition
Moonlight Models (Part 3 of 3): Balut Manila Edition

37/365: Moonlight Models (Part 2 of 3): The Little Red Hooded Girl Edition

6th of February

“White in the moon the long road lies,

The moon stands blank above;

White in the moon the long road lies

That leads me from my love.

Still hang the hedge without a gust,

Still, still the shadows stay:

My feet upon the moonlit dust

Pursue the ceaseless way.

The world is round, so travelers tell,

And straight through reach the track,

Trudge on, trudge on, ‘twill all be well,

The way will guide one back.

But ere the circle homeward hies

Far, far must it remove:

White in the moon the long road lies

That leads me from my love”

Have you noticed something on the third photograph? (wink*)

This spur-of-the-moment photography is a part of an spontaneous road trip that leads us to a beautiful beach south of the city.

Photo Credits: (my good friend) Ranie de Mesa
Subjects/Models: Little Loiz in Red Hood
Poem:  A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad

For the complete series:
Moonlight Models (Part 1 of 3): The Band of Brothers Edition
Moonlight Models (Part 2 of 3): The Little Red Hooded Girl Edition
Moonlight Models (Part 3 of 3): Balut Manila Edition

36/365: Moonlight Models (Part 1 of 3): The Band of Brothers Edition

5th of February

“How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!  Here will we sit and let the sounds of music creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night become the touches t harmony,
Sit, angels. Look how the floor of heaven is thick in laid with patines of bright gold:
There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st.  But in his motion like an angels sing, still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Such harmony is in immortal souls; But whilts this muddy vesture of decay doth grossly clos it in, we can not hear it.”

This spur-of-the-moment photography is a part of an spontaneous road trip that leads us to a beautiful beach south of the city.

Photo Credits: (my good friend) Ranie de Mesa
Subjects/Models: Young boys ages between 11-13 studying in a catholic school for boys.
Quote: Taken from William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” – Lorenzo, Act V, Scene 1

For the complete series:
Moonlight Models (Part 1 of 3): The Band of Brothers Edition
Moonlight Models (part 2 of 3): The Little Red Hooded Girl Edition
Moonlight Models (Part 3 of 3): Balut Manila Edition

10/365: A Book is Added to My Wish List–The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

This is a shameless request to anybody who owns a book and done reading “The Perks of  Being A Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky – please pass the book to me okay?  Consider it as one of my wish from this list. 



Not that I can’t afford to buy the book (defensive me – LOL), but I appreciate books that is owned and read by somebody rather than new ones especially if it will be passed to me with  dedication. Besides since last year I promised that I won't buy anymore books for myself  as long as I haven’t finish yet my reading queue.  In fact I am also giving away my book collection and there’s just very few left.  They are left behind because I just want to re-read them first  (one of which is part of the reason why I am liking this story right now).

For a movie and book lover like me I did not know what I’m missing till I chanced upon a part of this movie on HBO from somewhere.  I watched the movie in full back home and I fell in love with it.  It is now included in my “ Top List of Favorite Movie”.  As for the reason why, I will be definitely sharing them to you as I go along with this blog.  But for now I need to read the book first.

So throw that book over here please? Thanks!

“"And all the books you've read have been read by other people.  And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people.  And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. And you know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing 'unity'"  

~Stephen Chbosky~ The Perks of Being A Wallflower