Thursday, December 30, 2010

Holiday Rush

Where did Christmas go? It zoomed past, that's what happened. I was in a mad rush to get everything done before the big day, and guess what? It just passed me by.

I was busy cooking and making my famous 4-Noodle Spaghetti, Russian Salad and Broken Glass Dessert for, not one, but 3 parties! Yep, so busy with Christmas that... (would you believe?!) our tree's still up with about 75% of the presents still under it? Yes. Christmas morning has yet to come to my household!

Ok, ok... I didn't spoil Christmas for the kids. They opened a ton of presents at my folks'. And I mean A TON! They're all still there - in 4 huge bags from Rustan's and a gigantic Thomas the Tank Engine Storage Bag. RL insisted he wanted to take home his loot, and I allowed him to bring home the Thomas Train Set and the Mickey stuff (he will sleep with all his Mickey stuff, he says). A took home the top gift on her wish list - her Littlest Pet Shop Rescue Tails Center. Did I ever mention how big her LPS Collection is? Wait 'til we get her room all tidied up and fixed. I shall take photos!

So there. And we still have stockings full of toys and presents under our tree. I'm tempted to keep them in crates, to bring out again for next Christmas. Hahaha!

~~~

My nanny's kids are at our place for the holidays. It is crazy, crazy, CRAZY! A's old nanny (our current nanny's sis) also came to visit with her little girls. So yes, I have a house full of screaming little ones! I bet my neighbors are wondering if I've turned my house into a zoo. Took them to Circle of Fun Sunday evening, and to Star City the day after. Tonight, we're watching RPG Metanoia in 3D - a first for my nanny's kids (actually, their first full screen movie).

~~~

With everything happening during and after Christmas, I forgot all about 5J's Piso Fare Sale! Argh! And right when I accepted the fact that I wasn't able to catch any good deals for next year, my brother calls me up Monday night, right when we were in the middle of Star City madness to let me know that my folks are booking a trip to China. And that I should get on the net asap to book our flights. They needed our passport details, but we were over 30 kilometers away from home!

So needless to say, they got their cheap flights and I didn't. :( Guess we're spending Holyweek alone and in town. :(

~~~

In other news, the hubby is in Manila. He went Christmas shopping with us and got A a pair of Fitflop Walkstar sandals. We also went out to have dinner and do Timezone with RL. R noticed that his son calls him "Kong". Well, he doesn't quite know you, does he? But he's pretty satisfied that RL runs to him and kisses him. I have a sweet, little boy. Ironically, he is so much like his father. Eeeps.

~~~

So, how was Christmas for you? I received 5 things from my wishlist - the rice cooker (thanks, Pot and TutuB!), the Osterizer (thanks, Mom and K!), the knife set (thanks, A!), the external DVD writer (thanks, bro!) and my fave gift, Fitflop Pietra Pewter (super special thanks to my cousin, N, who looked all over for a US Size 6!)! I'd also like to give special mention to my li'l bro, who, in spite of making $$$ at the last bonfire, got me a Wuzzles Mug! LOL! Best laugh I had, you wait 'til next Christmas! I hope you love the Stitch stuffed toy I got for your stocking. I washed it for you! 150pesos and a Disney Store Original, all the way from Marikina Ilog ukay-ukay! LOL! I love you, li'l bro! I'm gonna beat your gift next year!

Oh and thanks, dad, for letting me realize how much I mean to you with that ONE local lollipop you stuffed into my stocking, when everyone else got Chupa Chups in 3s. Hmph!

(RL, in front of my mom's huge Christmas tree!)

Hahaha. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Maynilad Matters

Ok, so I chanced upon the corporate affairs guy of Maynilad on FB and decided to write to him right when I was composing the previous post. Yep, in desperation. Ha! Turns out we have 4 common friends. And he likes our music. Figured he'd be a good guy. And I was right.

I received a reply the following morning.

(Wow. That was quick.)

And he promised to look into the matter and asked me for more details. The next day, he wrote again to let me know that the reopening/ reconnection charges have been reversed.

(Thank you, God!)

After a couple of hours, I get a call from the top honcho of Maynilad's Fairview branch.

(Whoa!)

He promised to fix their system. He also apologized and ensured me they are looking at improving how they deal with customer problems. He also gave me his personal number!



...Now, if only they acted as fast when you go through regular channels (read: Customer service hotline).

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Grrr... Maynilad!

Ok, so remember this?

Well, today I received a disconnection notice (yes, again!) from Maynilad. Surprise! Surprise! So I called their super useless hotline and found out that they were disconnecting my water once again for my unpaid balance of P457.00. This was actually the first time for me to see this amount on my bill, so I asked. What was this for?

"Reconnection fee po, Ma'am."

Waitaminute, reconnection fee for reconnecting my water last October? When I got her affirmation, she couldn't stop me from dishing out a dozen or so expletives (ok, I neither cursed nor shouted, but mind you, I was livid).

May i please remind you, Maynilad, that you made the mistake of disconnecting my water two months ago because YOU FAILED TO COMMIT MY PAYMENT INTO YOUR SYSTEM. A PAYMENT I HAD MADE IN CASH AND IN FULL WAY BACK IN JULY FOR DEBTS UNPAID BY A PREVIOUS TENANT! Yes, YOU made that mistake, and the people in your Maynilad Fairview Branch had nothing else to say but sorry, and pasensya na po. And made a promise to reconnect my water asap (which they did naman in 20 minutes or so). And that I need not pay any reconnecting fees because it was an error on your part to have disconnected it in the first place.

So what now, brown cow?

I called your hotline and spoke to a certain Jovie tonight, and according to her, she already filed a complaint on my behalf. A complaint she isn't sure will receive feedback in the next few days. A complaint I have to follow up on by (wait for it...) GOING TO THE FAIRVIEW BRANCH TO SORT IT OUT!!!

Anakngtokwa, will you reimburse my gas expenses to and fro? Will you reimburse my wage cuts because I have to take time off full-time work to get my butt to your office all the way in Fairview just to sort out a mess you had created in the first place? May I remind you, this was all YOUR fault, YOUR error, YOUR miscom with your disconnection team, YOUR incompetent encoder or whoever does the commitment of payments into YOUR lousy system???!!!

Why should I be the one to suffer, when as far as I know, and as far as YOUR RECORD SHOWS, I have always paid on time, and have even paid for debt balances I did not incur! That makes me a top quality customer! But, sadly, you treat me like shab!

So tell me, shall we bring this to court? Shall I flood forums and community pages so that my voice (and a thousand others) will be heard and action be taken on your part? Wait, suing you will mean spending an extra great deal of moolah (for what? for sh*tty service at that!)... maybe I should call on Tulfo or get on TV programs with my un-service story. Maybe that will catch your eye, and maybe then, you will get my drift. Hmph!

Bah! Humbug! You just ruined my ho-ho-ho-holiday spirit! Bah!


Yoohoo, you forgot another tag line: New Mission. New Direction. New Management. Same Old Sh*t.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christmas Wish List #2

TO MY SIBLINGS and COUSIN, S. Here is my abot-kaya list. LOL.


STOCKING STUFFERS:
1. Sophie Kinsella's Mini Shopaholic book
2. Neosporin
3. Nyquil (LOL!) Seriously!
4. SD Memory Cards
5. A new mouse

~~~

Christmas is 13 days away! Nyar! I seriously, SERIOUSLY need to get some Christmas Shopping done!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Dinner and Coffee with the Brus

I had dinner and coffee with my brus Friday night. I haven't been out much with my friends lately (mostly because after work, I am dead tired), but I made sure I found time to do dinner this once. V is home for the holidays, and B owed G and I dinner! LOL. So off we went to have dinner at Circles and coffee at nearby UCC.

It's great the way time passes when you're having fun. We were laughing and reminiscing about highschool that we didn't realize it was past 3am already!

I realize now how much I've missed my friends - real friends at that. Friends that stick with you through the thin.

THIS CHRISTMAS, I WANT TO RELIVE THE GOOD STUFF FROM MY PAST. REMINISCE THE GOOD AND BAD, BUT RELISH THE SWEETNESS OF ALL THINGS GOOD (including my all time fav coffee indulgence - a sinful Sumiyaki Coffee Jelly from UCC! I think I had more than 20 of those when pregnant with A, oops!).

What are the things you remember most during the holiday season?

Saturday, December 4, 2010

My Christmas Wish List

This year, my sibs and I are starting a new tradition - we're giving each other a list of Christmas wishes, just so we don't give each other things we don't really need (more like... just so Kaye doesn't give us stuff from Divi! LOL!).

So for tradition's sake, here is my Christmas Wish List.


THINGS I WANT FROM SANTA THIS YEAR

1. an iPAD (I can dream, right?)

2. a new point and shoot digicam. a Canon s95! (my Nikon died, after what? 3 years? tsk.)

3. medium, long-handled Longchamp Planètes in Ebony or Clay (yup, another dream)

4. Fitflop Pietra in Pewter, US Size 6

5. Fitflop Walkstar 1 in Red, US Size 5 or 6

6. Fitflop Walkstar 3 in Lipstick Red, US Size 5 or 6

7. Fitflop Gummi in Strawberry, US Size 5 or 6 (ok, ok... I LOVE FITFLOP!)

8. a 1TB external hard drive (any trusted brand will do as long as it doesn't crash)

9. a new Oster Blender

10. a long black TV stand to put under our LCD.

11. a new shelving unit for the garage (so I can store our kalat, hehe)

12. a .5 or .6 HP Airconditioning Window Unit with Timer for RL's small room.

Haha, this is my dream-on wish list! I'll get to my real wish list next week. Meanwhile, I can dream big, right? Hehehe. Happy holidays!

Oh My!



I can't believe Christmas is only 20 days away! I haven't written a post for the past two weeks, because in between the shopping, the working and getting sick, I've lost track of time.

Last night, I got to see my highschool friends, and it was the most fun I've had in months! But yes, Christmas is near and I am panicking!

How are feeling about Christmas being a couple of weeks away? Ayayay!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Christmas...

...is here! In our house, at least. Well, somewhat.

The Christmas Tree is up. And the garland is now draped over the banister. Two stockings are hung (I can't find the other one! Argh!), and hmmm... we have new Christmas placemats.

I've been looking all over for our tree skirt, and I've gone through box after box (after box!), to no avail. Where can I get a nice plain tree skirt nowadays? Hmmm.

And yea, I found those battery lights! I asked the nanny to go looking for it last week, but she couldn't find them. I looked through the same box she looked through, and there they were! In the same box!

Yes, Christmas is here!

~~~

Christmas is A's favorite holiday ever! I suppose every child feels the same way. But she just can't wait. About 2 weeks ago, while watching the news, I was horrified by the fact that Christmas was less than 50 days away. And my daughter was horrified because Christmas was "still 50 days away???!!!"

How funny is that? Here I am, worried that Christmas is so soon, while A sees it as a problem that her favorite holiday is still so far away! Hahaha!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Best Christmas Lights!

With all the Christmas Lights-related incidents and fires in recent years, I have been in search for safe and practical Christmas Lights for my home. Three Christmases ago, my brother introduced me to LED lights - lower on electricity consumption! However, I was still wary. Most I saw in stores were too expensive. And anything "electrical" still carried accident risk. :P

Last year, on a Divisoria buying trip, I had found these lights at Morning Glory.


Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. These are battery-operated Christmas Lights. Apparently, I was one of the last to find out about these, so the only available color left then was the green one.

But hey, zero electricity consumption, safe, and very Christmas-ey. LOL. And they work great with the cheap China batteries. No need for Alkaline Batteries!

So I bought two sets and brought them home.

Yes, these are the best Christmas Lights for me. Now if only they'd sell more... so we can all be safe. ;)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Today is the Beginning...

...of my wallet's death. LOL. Christmas is around the corner, all these crazy, CRAZY SALES are here!

Richwell's Annual Warehouse Sale starts today (see previous post on this here). And what more, Little Tikes' Warehouse Sale starts today as well! can you spell C-R-A-Z-Y?


I had it all planned. I asked my nanny to go on her day off tomorrow instead so she can line up with me when we go to Richwell after lunch. But then, my youngest brother sent me a text, asking me to bring RL to a photoshoot today at 2PM (the little one will be modeling for GetBlued).

So now, my schedule's all messed up. Not to mention that I'm still at work! Argh.

Anyway, if you see me shopping at any of these two places today (avec two noisy, crazy kids and a distraught nanny), do say HI. :) Happy, crazy shopping, everyone!

~~~

How does your Christmas List look like? Mine's super long! I'm thinking if I should cut off a few from my list this year? Hmmmm... my wallet's dying!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Are You Ready?



Christmas Kidz Kraze 2010!
The Richwell Annual Christmas Toy Sale

November 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28
December 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 19 to 22
9:00am to 6:00pm Saturdays and Sundays
1:00 pm to 6:00pm Weekdays & Fridays

Creative Trade Center No.6 Industria St., Bagumbayan, Quezon City


Girls - Barbie, Polly Pocket, Dora, Arts & Crafts, Beados, RoseArt, Fruit Factory, etc.
Boys - HotWheels, Matchbox, Bakugan, TechDeck, Battle Strikers, Spongebob, McFarlane, etc.
Infant - Preschool: Vtech, Megabloks, Shelcore, Leapfrog, Baby Einstein, Kids II, K’s Kids, Noddy, Disney, Step2
Baby - Pigeon, Safety1st, Chicco, Babisil
Shoes - Barbie, Chicco, HotWheels, Pokemon, Elle & OshKosh

Plus! New Brands! - Webkinz, Russ, First Act Music, Games, StarKidz, Bikes

Good luck! And don't forget to bring a helper to fall in line for you and tons of baby wipes and hand sanitizer. Leave the kids, if possible as it gets crazy in there (and hot!).

...

The kids are asleep and I am sitting here reflecting once again on life.

Yesterday was a sad day. I realized that some friends are friends only because they need something from you. Behind your back, they just don't care about you as much as you care about them. Yes, a friend and confidante failed me yesterday. This friend threw our friendship out the window with all her lies. I even made it a point to ask her point blank about something, and yet, she lied straight-faced (ok, I didn't know that exactly since I asked her about that something over the phone, LOL). But you get my drift.

I always tell R that a single lie creates a rainbow of lies. You need to lie to justify or cover up the first lie, and so forth. There are things about other people I don't understand. But I guess, it is mostly because I am not like them, and they aren't like me. When I enter into friendship with someone, I value it and care for that person the way I hope she or he would care about me.

But I guess it isn't the same for everyone. There are friends that know how to be real friends and there are those that just don't know what to do with the friendships they keep.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

22 Months, 4 Weeks - Naughty Stage

That's what it said on the subject of the email that came in today. Can you believe it's been that long?

My little boy is almost 23 months old. And yes, he is at that naughty stage. Fancy how the email from a parenting site came at just the right time. Just last night, I experienced this to the maximum. We were at an outlet store, and I was attempting to shop with a hyperactive little boy, who didn't care that there were others in the shop with them. He was reprimanded over a dozen times, to no avail. I could sense that RL didn't care; He was having fun! There was another kid in the store and they were playing tag.

Sigh.

Then he didn't want to sleep. He stayed up watching videos of Special Agent Oso on his Achi's laptop. Fell asleep on the chair, because he refused to move to the bed. My little boy has a mind of his own.

Where did all the time go? I no longer have a baby!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Kaye Says...

When you feel like the World has crashed down on you, look around... others have the whole universe squishing them! You are still blessed compared to what others are going through. Doubly blessed, when you have God holding your hand. Others have no one, and know not where to look for grace.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Special Agent Oso - The James Bond of Cartoons...

...well, more or less. LOL!

If you have your Telly tuned to Playhouse Disney 24/7, then you'd know who this yellow fluff is. Special Agent Oso was created with James Bond in mind. He helps kids solve problems (in his case, in 3 special steps). This is RL's favorite cartoon. He can watch a single episode over and over again, and laugh at the same funny scenes (over and over). Yes, Oso is oh-so-special. And he endears himself to toddlers and preschool kids.

We noticed RL's fascination for this special agent of a bear early this year. He'd scream each time Oso's on and would watch intently. Eyes on the screen. That type of intent.

When we took K's PSP with us to Hong Kong in July, we had Mickey Mouse Clubhouse videos saved on the memory card and one Special Agent Oso episode. RL took to the episode like glue. And watched that single episode (The Girl Who Cheered Me) from start to finish, every single day, all day, all those 7 days we were there. And yes, laughed at that one part Oso fell on his tushy. Laughed out loud.

I've been scouting for the plush since. The Disney Store had it. Yes, had. It has since sold out. I have been writing to them for updates, but they aren't sure about stocks coming in time for the holidays.

And the toys aren't available here either. I've scoured the shelves of toy stores, both here and in Hong Kong, but no Oso. :( And I so wanted to surprise RL with some Oso stuff for his 22nd Month-day.


So, I did the next best thing. I went and had a few shirts made with Oso on it. This was no easy task, since the nearest mall to our place didn't have Transfer It! I went to 4 malls before I finally got to one that allowed personalization (transfer photos via usb) and had smaller shirts for kids. I finally got in touch with someone from Transfer It! at Ever Commonwealth, who confirmed they could help me with my project. So off we went, with the jpeg files saved on my trusty usb.

I'm glad I went to the Ever Commonwealth Branch because the guy who helped me was meticulous with his work! He had rulers and would really make sure the design was perfectly aligned (not too high, nor too low, in the middle, etc). Perfect! I hate crooked shirt designs (I'm kinda OC, too! LOL!). I can't say much about the girl manning the booth with the guy though, she was busy chatting with someone on Skype (but it looked legit, since the guy she was talking to was from Transfer It! Big R Fairview/Nova). Ok, ok, none of my biz. But it took a while before I got her attention.


After my designs got transfered to their PC, the girl resized and printed them on transfer paper. The guy then made sure the shirts were pressed and ready, and voila! RL's Oso shirts were made!


Needless to say, I had a happy and ecstatic little boy that evening.


But that was all part of the plan, more or less. :)

FEATURED PHOTO/s

My little boy was Bible Bearer for my BFF's wedding. These photos were taken at Joaquin's Bed and Breakfast in Tagaytay. (Beautiful place, by the way) The wedding was held at Calleruega, so we had to hike up to Tagaytay on a Friday night. It was so foggy that we reached my aunt's townhouse at a few minutes after midnight! That's almost 4 hours on the road!


*My Super Serious Little Boy.

RL was in the mood before the whole thing began. But when it was time to walk down the aisle, he chose to hold a lollipop instead and made momma's partner hold on to the Bible. :P Oh well.


*The groom teaching RL how to pose for the pic.


*Lookin' snappy, eh?


*And my BFF, J. Beautiful bride!

We stayed in the city for 2 nights and drove back down Sunday afternoon, after flying kites at People's Park. RL was finally in the mood to smile for pictures. Finally, but yes, he got in the mood at home. :P

*My handsome little boy, with Mickey, finally smiling for the camera.

The Circle of Life.

I was down in the dumps yesterday. Sick again. Yes, again. Been coughing my head off all day, and was (sadly) feeling sorry for myself. Same old story - alone, lonely, self-pity. Hohum.

Today, when I opened my FB account, I saw that 1. My friend T finally had her baby. And 2. My other friend, J lost his baby a few hours after birth.

Sigh.

One is celebrating. The other one grieving. How can one fit those opposite extremes (of emotions) into one heart, in one day?

Friday, October 22, 2010

Same, Old Sh*t

I knew it. I was right. My intuition didn't fail me. Yesterday, when I wrote that blog post on R being here, I had this itchy notion that he was being too good to be true. And I was right. Last night, while talking about the future, he casually mentions that he was leaving in the morning.

What time? I had asked.

Morning.

But it was midnight, and the kids were already asleep.

He never gave me an explanation. I guess it didn't matter that he didn't get to say goodbye. Over one week in Manila and roughly an hour and a half TOTAL with the kids. Yes, your guess is as good as mine.

What a crock.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

What Matters Most.

R is back in Manila. He's been here for over a week now. When he first texted to let me know that he was flying in, I was a tad hesitant to reply. Over messages sent back and forth, he made it clear that he wasn't coming back for good, and that he was setting up a business down south, so this was just a buying trip.

So I had to brief A on this. Your dad is here to visit, so don't expect much.

A has been somewhat cooperative. Not as much as I had hope she'd be, but I suppose it's her way of coping with the situation. She isn't the same around her dad, well, not the same as how she was before, when he lived with us. She used to be daddy's girl. And now, she avoids looking directly at him. She'd resist, and wouldn't even go near him unless prodded or, worse, forced.

She has retreated into her shell. This little girl has been scarred.

So I am trying to remedy the situation here. R is reaching out, albeit temporary. And the little girl is shielding herself; preparing herself, and avoiding the fall. RL doesn't even care. After a few minutes with his dad, he was his usual, noisy, funny self. When his dad left, it wasn't like he was gonna miss him. But A? She'd rather not open up. The void is there and she has filled it with all sorts, refusing to let her father into her life, just so he can leave it again. What to do?

Last night, I tried to get that message out to R. Don't leave. Not just yet.

But he says life is worthless when you have nothing to do and no money to spend. His absence shall be temporary. Once he's got his business set up, he will hire managers to take over.

Right. Managers.

But then, you're setting yourself up for the fall. When you're away, the devil flies, pounces, chases, et al. Why are you doing this anyway?

Life's bull. (Pero hello, syempre tinagalog niya kasi 'di naman siya inglesero. LOL!)

You don't get it, do you? 10 years of bull and you still don't get it. You work hard for yourself, and yet, why? What for? You feed yourself with sin, and you forgo God's blessings. You tread on rocky ground, and you expect life to be at its fullest? You're missing the point. Fulfillment doesn't come when you're successful but empty. The void can never be filled by success, money, booze and flings.

Obviously, you don't know what matters most.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Flashback

I am having flashbacks. Yes, a serious case. It started while I was browsing channels and came across a new TV commercial. On it was my old schoolmate, J, and with her was... lo and behold, this (reference deleted, too revealing) from an earlier post (see here). Not that I am bitter, but I do wonder sometimes about her. How this good and sweet-looking woman can do such a thing. I bet her husband is still in the dark about her once-upon-a-time uh... hanky-panky. I once had the urge to knock on their door, slap her across the face and leave their family in shambles, but nope, I wasn't brought up to ruin families.

She once wrote R a lengthy email. On it she claimed she was serious about their whachamacallit, and that she didn't want to share him with anybody, not even with me (hello, sino nga ang kabit?). I wonder how she felt when R moved on to the next fling. Yes, the feeling was never mutual (ako na sasagot) because he had others while you were around and while you thought you were the only one.

So... I stalked and checked her FB. True enough, she is now friends with J, and a good number of schoolmates who are in the same biz. I want to spill the beans about her, you know, ruin her career. But I am reminded that vengeance isn't mine.

!!! Yep, I have that engraved on my forehead.

Sigh.

~~~

So this flashback started the domino effect. I've been having a serious case of it, I tell you. I need a push, you know, or a whack in the head - something (anything!) to help me let go.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Payday Sale.

I went to SM Megamall early this morning to catch the extra 10% discount for Advantage Card/ BDO Rewards Card Holders during the first 2 hours of today's payday sale (whew!). Rushed to Ace Hardware to get some stuff for our closets at home, brought the stuff back to the car and decided to check out Forever 21's first-ever SALE - The SALE that won't last forever...

...NOT!



The line to GET IN the store snaked all the way to Gingersnaps (that's about 300 people waiting in line to get in!)! Nyar!







So I snapped some pics and decided to head back to the office. Was actually planning on catching the tail-end of the sale today (might not catch anything good tomorrow), but after reading about how horrendous traffic is in Ortigas, I guess I can always head back tomorrow. I used to live in Ortigas, but believe me, I do not miss the traffic (might drop by Banchetto later tonight though. I miss my Korean Tapa!)!

Oh well, tomorrow's another SALE day. :)

Great Deals!



Visit Bread Talk at SM Megamall today through Sunday and get a FREE FLOSS or FREE HOT CHIC with every purchase of 5 breads (ok, so I thought it should say pieces of bread or something to that effect, but learned from wiki that it is fine to use breads with the S to mean its plural version, so my bad).

I got 4 Kick-Kicks and 2 Cheezmans today, and you know how they're priced at P 29 each? And it doesn't matter! 5 breads is 5 breads, regardless of price! I got myself a Floss for FREE! ;)

~~~



Thought of getting a Subway sandwich for lunch and was already dreaming of a Tuna 6-inch Sub (P99 on Fridays for Subways' Sub of the Week) when I saw Subway's new 69er offer! Get a 6-inch Sliced Chicken Sub for only P69!

That's an irresistible offer. I got one with everything on it (well, sans the pickles, but i love olives and jalapeños in mine) on white with oil and vinegar. Nom! The promo ends on the 15th of November, I think, so it looks like I'll be having Subway for lunch a lot this month. ;)


~~~

What's your favorite Bread Talk uh... bread? Mine would be the Floss, and the Kick-Kick. Comfort food! I've always loved Ma-hu (floss)! I remember getting bags of it from my Granny and aunt! I checked out Bread Talk today and saw they had new versions of bread with the floss. Didn't get to try 'em though, but I shall!

How about your favorite Sub? I love Steak and Cheese! Any sub, in fact, basta with everything on it and with oil and vinegar. This blog post is making me hungry again. Hmmmm...

Let's Twist Again!



Guess what? It's back! Twister Fries from McDonald's, that is! Was listening to the news over the radio and heard an ad! I wanted to drive-thru, but A was late for school (we did a sidetrip to SM Megamall to get the extra 10% off during the first 2 hours of their 3-day sale; finally got my closet rods!).

But thanks to McDonald's Delivery, I shall be getting my fill of Twister Fries in a bit. McDonald's delivers for a fixed delivery charge of P40. No minimum.

Just call 8-McDO (or 8-6236) or go to www.mcdelivery.com.ph.

Twister Fries is here for a limited time only, so hurry!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Blessed!

T'is another story of yet another Facebook contest involving Fitflop. This time, Shoe Salon was giving away a pair of Fitflop Supertone Sneaks, the new toning sneakers from Fitflop. I've been using my Electra's as everyday shoes, and was thrilled at the idea of winning another pair.

But after sending an entry on why "I thought I deserved a pair", I thought of sending another entry, this time nominating A's teacher. Every time she sees my Fitflop sandals on me, she never fails to tell me how nice they look and how she'd love to own a pair someday. So I told her I'll resend my entry and scrap my self-nomination and try to win a pair for her.

And guess what? Today, when I opened my account, there was my name, winning the grand prize for Teacher Maricar! I can't even describe how happy I feel. She truly deserves to win a new pair of sneaks. I am soooo ecstatic just thinking about it. I called her up and told her, and she cried.

Thanks heaps, Fitflop and Shoe Salon!

God has been so good. He truly knows the desires of our hearts.

~~~

Fitflop SuperTone is Fitflop's new muscle-toning, energizing, shock-absorbing sneaker.

After more than a year in engineering, Fitflop's product technology and design team has managed the perfect merger, amalgamating their patent-pending, muscle-loading Microwobbleboard™ technology with the all-weather wearability of a classically-shaped, trend-conscious leather sneaker.

Cleverly designed to hide the ‘toning sole’ (so you can wear it everywhere without anybody knowing you’re getting a workout) the FF Supertone™ has an ageless, cool, go-everywhere style, with our thigh-toning, foot-flexing, bottom-benefiting biomechanics built-in. Best of all – it doesn’t look like a shoe that’s ‘good for you’.

The Fitflop Supertone will be available at the following stores: FitFlop store in Mall of Asia, Shoe Salon (all outlets), Res|Toe|Run (Ayala Cebu, GenSan, Laoag and Dumaguete), and at FitFlop kiosks (Rob Ermita, ATC, Trinoma and Greenbelt3) beginning OCT 16, 2010 (Metro Manila) or OCT 22 (Provincial).

Credits: Photo and product spiel from Fitflop's Facebook Page and Photo Album on the new FF Supertone!

Check out Fitflop on Facebook here. And Shoe Salon on Facebook here.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tubigggggggggggggggggggggggg!!!

Ok, so we've been at our new place for about a month now. More or less. Maynilad cut my water supply on the 6th of October. According to them, our account's under their condonation program. See, prior to us moving into the new place, my uncle had "sold" the unit to a lady who stayed there for about 3 months or so. This was over 6 years ago. The lady failed to make her monthly payments so she lost the unit. When she left, she also left a mountain of utility bills.

So over two months ago, when we decided we were to take over the unit, I had our maintenance guy at the office check on water and electricity. Found out that the old unpaid water bill racked up to about P11,000!!! We paid for this in CASH as this was the only way we could get a new water meter installed. Maynilad actually gave us the option of enrolling the account in their condonation program (pay the past due in installment), but we had opted to pay everything in cash and in full. Clean start. No problems.

No way. I received a bill on the 13th of September (this was about a week after we had moved in) and on it were the words "NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION". Way (nods head). So I brought the bill to the office the next day, called up Maynilad, and questioned the bill. Remember, we had paid all previous balances in full. But the bill came and on it showed I had owed Maynilad about P2,000 worth of previously unsettled bills. I asked the girl on the other line why this was so, she gave me a reference number and told me to check again in a week's time. This didn't sit well with me. I didn't want my water supply cut off (especially with a baby at home), so I asked our maintenance guy to go to the Maynilad business office to sort things out.

Turns out they made a mistake. I only had to pay current charges for the past 2 bills (which amounted to about P400). I didn't even see the other bill. But I paid anyway. Because, like I said, I didn't want my water supply cut off.

Last week, on October 6, someone from Maynilad rang our door bell, and told our nanny he was disconnecting our water meter. Our nanny told him we had already paid our bill, but the Maynilad guy refused to accept this as valid reason to check with his office. I mean, hello, couldn't he make one call to check?

Our nanny begged him to be allowed to get a couple of pails of water before they cut our supply, but the man yelled at her (and cursed!), telling her he'd get into trouble. He told her to have me go to the Fairview Business Office if we wanted to get our water back.

My car was coded that day so I got home late. It was too late to visit their business office so I called up their hotline. I spoke with a rep, KC Tutero (I think her name was), who couldn't help at all. She told me it was their protocol to cut off the water supply of a customer who fails to make payment on or before the due date, when the account is under condonation. I mentioned that we paid the past dues in full so how would that make my account under the darn program? "Yun po kasi patakaran ng Maynilad, pasensya na po."

I also mentioned that I specifically made it a point to send someone to their business office just to make sure they didn't cut my water off. How could I have paid all past dues in full on the 20th (she said this was when my Bancnet payment got posted in their system, but I actually paid on the 17th, a day after that visit to their office) then have their office issue a disconnection order on the 5th of October (that's two weeks!)? They could have checked the account first before they issued the job order!

No answer. So much for having a hotline. Yup, no thanks to her, we had to go back to the office to take a bath and get some water for washing, etc.

I personally visited their Fairview Business Office the next day, with our maintenance guy in tow. I was ready to hurl out a lot of angry words to the Maynilad people, since I was so frustrated with their hotline guys the night before. But the man we talked to was just so nice (a certain Mr. Dela Cruz). He was quick to help, checked my account and found out their corrections weren't committed until that same day! Turns out, they had mistakenly enrolled the account in their condonation program, hence a first installment for the original debt of P11,000 was being charged to me. But my account ISN'T under condonation because I no longer had past dues since we paid IN CASH AND IN FULL. He went down to this other lady who was very apologetic and promised to have their field people visit my house asap.

True enough, 20 minutes after that visit, we had our water supply back.

Two days ago, I received another bill from Maynilad. It still said "NOTICE OF DISCONNECTION" on it and reflected the P2,000+ past due from the old payables. Yesterday, I called up their hotline to check on this and according to LJ (the girl who assisted me), this has been corrected in their system and all my balances have been paid for.

Finally! If someone from Maynilad rings our door bell again in two weeks, he's sure to lose his ears.

Finally!

Finally got to change bags today, as my trusted sling needs washing before the next trip to the homeland. I promise to keep this one organized. Wait, did I say promise? LOL. I shall try to keep this one organized. There.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Someday, My Prince Will Come...

...back! Nyahaha!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Robinsons Galleria... Ay... Why?

Took a quick trip to Robinsons Galleria over lunch to drop off a special order. I haven't been back to Robinsons Galleria since the 19th of September. It gave me this melancholy feeling, to be back in a place I used to frequent almost everyday. Yes, I am having Ortigas withdrawal symptoms. Living in the Ortigas area the past 20 years had its perks. Mall access is one.

I love Robinsons Galleria because it isn't as crowded as nearby SM Megamall, plus it has mostly everything. My added plus would be FREE parking, if you're in the mall for 30 minutes or less.

But FREE parking no more. I was surprised to be greeted by this sign as I entered their basement parking today.


"Effective October 1, 2010, passing through Basement Carpark will be charged a minimum of P40.00." - Apologize for the blurry pic, was on my way in, when I took this.

Yup, there goes the 30 minute leeway. :P Nyar.

Robinsons Galleria -- you used to be my fave Ortigas mall because of this. Getting a quick snack, take-out, or paying a quick visit to Robinsons Supermarket to get a couple of groceries used to be so easy. I CHOSE your mall because of this perk. But sadly, you took it away. Oh well.

At least I don't have to get pissed much about it because I no longer live near you.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Look'it!

I thought my bag was extra heavy today. So after lugging that thing around all morning, I decided to check what made it heavier. Voila! This is what I found. I saw my little boy holding this little pouch last night. I asked him to put it back. I remember saying, "put it back, in momma's bag." I didn't specify which bag, and so it ended up in my handbag. At least he followed instructions. Haha!



This is my Hong Kong pouch. I stash my cash, coins, Octopus Card, keys and receipts here, such that I don't have to look all over when we're granted a last-minute, emergency trip back. Haha. Yes, I love Hong Kong.

Recipe

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Yesterday, I got a surprise call from R. He was asking for the recipe to a classic dessert I used to make when we first got married. I love to have my way in the kitchen, and used to cook a lot when we didn't have kids. We didn't have a maid either, so we alternated in the kitchen. There is this particular dessert that my family loves. I made it for special occasions or on days when there was nothing to do.

My dad's sister loves this dessert so much that one time, when I gave her a pan of this for Christmas, she specifically labeled it as hers so the rest of her household stayed away from it. It really isn't anything spectacular, but takes a lot of time and love to make.

R always expressed his love for this particular dessert. Make a batch and a pan will disappear in a matter of hours. I knew he looked forward to it, especially when he sees me prepping the ingredients. So when I got the call yesterday, I was not surprised he asked for it.

He said he wanted to use it for his dessert menu. He's supposed to be opening a food joint somewhere south.

I asked him to Google for it.

No way I was giving him a classic, family recipe (yes, our old cook from our old guesthouse passed this on to me before she passed away from heart disease. It is one of three special family recipes I have been able to perfect). Especially since I was not gonna benefit from it. I do not even know who his business partner is! And knowing R, it's probably some girl willing to part with moolah just to get his eye. :P

As much as I want to help out and be unselfish, I cannot bring myself to part with something as special as this. Even my aunts and cousins in the US look forward to my visits because of this particular dessert.

Call me selfish, but I will not give some other girl a chance at a recipe that has found its way to my husband's heart.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Pagbabago (Change)

Ok, so the cliche goes... "There are only two things that are inevitable, one is death, and the other, change."

I've been absent from this blog for quite a time for exactly those reasons: death and change. Death... well not literally, I meant figuratively. Needless to say, my marriage has gone through battle after battle, with it ending in (sob!) near-death. Yes, my marriage situation has neared non-existence. Its heartbeat faint, and pressure, low. :( But what's new? It has been this way since who-knows-when. And finally, R has thought it best to keep his distance, and it has been a surprisingly, welcome change.

Yes, one year after the whole news brouhaha on R's womanizing and the scandal broadcasted on LIVE television, our lives have forever been changed. Normal, to us, isn't even close to normal. My kids have (thank God!) fairly adjusted to the whole situation, with occasional outbursts from A who really misses her dad. But RL? He doesn't even think his dad's part of our little family. Sad, but true. Every waking moment to him at our home sans R is a normal day for him. He doesn't know what he is missing, true, but that's how it is. What's important is: he is happy. He isn't missing something that was once part of his life, because this was how he saw it from the beginning. With A though, it has been a tough change. From daddy's little girl, she is now the independent Ate. She has, in my opinion, lost the most out of all these. That, plus she had to grow up overnight, with her nanny leaving to take care of her two babies.

Yes, life has been hard for us. But God has been faithful through everything! I mentioned in some of my previous posts how He has guided us through the changes in our lives. God has been nothing less than wonderful. He is awesome in this area, in carrying you through the storms of life. Let me tell you what He has done to cushion the change.

1. HE PREPARED US FOR THE STORM. So much so that when the news came out last year, I didn't even cry about it. I didn't even make a big thing out of it. I spoke with R, told him I forgave him and that I was ready to work things out should he decide he wanted to fix things. Forgiveness never comes easy, but 9 years of working on something certainly has its advantages. And asking God to teach you to forgive every single day is another one!

The kids were used to not having their father around. When R still lived with us, he was out most of the time. Spending everyday at work, in the gym, and who-knows-where-else. So yes, the distance didn't seem like a new thing when the separation happened.

2. RL IS GOD'S LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY. Our little boy has been a constant joy to us. A and I love him dearly, and although so much of who he is reminds me of his father, he is certainly a son of God. I have been praying for him constantly, and have promised to teach him how to respect women and how to be a good and responsible provider, son, husband and father.

3. GOD'S BLESSINGS ABOUND! The past year has been amazing! I might have lost my husband to his self-absorbed decision to move away and fool around, but what I've received in return has overshadowed all that I've lost. Truly, blessed are those who are persecuted for doing right! I know I am not deserving of all the blessings I have received in the past months, but God must think otherwise. Over three months ago, my uncle offered to have us live in his somewhat-new townhouse for FREE! Yes, after years of throwing away thousands (maybe even millions!) of pesos to rent, dues and utilities, I am now on my way to paying my debts and being debt-free. Thanks to my uncle whose kind heart has made me see how God uses people! My aunt also worked out a way for me to pay off tuition and past dues by releasing dividends from the life insurance plans I have with her. Plus, in the past month alone, we were given a free 30" LCD, a free aircon, a free trip to the mainland, another free trip end of next month, plus I won a celphone from an online promo on Facebook! Amazing! God is not only close to the brokenhearted, I tell you, He is SUPER close. Haha!

So yes, we are in the process of dealing with and adjusting to the new changes in our lives. My little family has now settled into our new home. I know A and I are still adjusting to non-condo life (we've caught a gigantic spider, killed 3 small snakes, fumigated for extra large dengue-looking mosquitoes and had 2 maya birds in the master's bedroom already), but the little one seems happy with the change. He has more room to play, and has mastered counting the steps to the 2nd floor and attic already. Every day to him is a new adventure. I guess it's an adventure to all of us, since God's mercies are new every morning. In spite of the pain, we wake up with a fresh load of grace to tackle the day.

Three weeks ago, R decided to move to another city (I think I mentioned this in last week's post). Although I must admit I wasn't too keen on accepting the news, since this would only mean free rein on whatever escapade he has up his sleeve. It was a change we welcomed. I no longer have to deal with his constant bickering on what needs to be done (he nags each time he visits, ha! That, or he'd lazy-around and watch TV for a good 5 minutes, then leave). At least every contact now is a bit more pleasant. He is nicer on the phone, plus he misses the kids. Oh and it is way easier to pray for someone who doesn't irk you constantly. Haha! The kids are ok with this, although A is mostly unsure of what she really feels (she says, "Maybe in December, I'll miss him..." or something to that effect). But overall, we're ok.

Not to say that I don't get caught up in the tangle of emotions sometimes. Just last week, I was feeling down after realizing that being alone isn't such a cool thing. But God fills in the gaps. The void is quickly replaced by love. My kids are adorable and I am feeling marvelous!

So cheers to change. Like I've said in the past, change is a good thing. Or wait, scratch that. Change can be a great thing. ;)

~~~

A week before our big move up north, we took a side-trip to Robinson's Galleria for some home shopping. We had to buy knobs and lighting fixtures for the new house. A and I got hungry and decided to have dinner at good ol' Goldilocks. I've noticed the change in their logo a few months back, and knew that the transition from old to new has long been expected. We live in a world where change is constant, so much so that we find ourselves catching up in order to keep up. But you know how people always say "It might look like I've changed, but deep down, I'm still the same ol' me"? Well, that's exactly what happened with good ol' Goldilocks. It got a well-deserved face lift - a fresh face to match our ever-changing times, BUT has remained the classic same-old. Thank goodness, I say! Goldilocks is classic comfort food at its best!

The moment I took my first bite, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of assurance. I've been having second thoughts about moving, with so many things unsure. Transition is always hard, especially when you're so used to what has always been there. It's the same when R and I first separated. There were so many things I was unsure of. With the help of friends, I took my first step on shaky ground. Eventually, I realized all was well. I still had my kids, and that's what's important. I wasn't the one who lost a family, R did.

But while we were having dinner at Goldilocks, I had the chance to think things through. We may be moving to a new city; we may be getting a change of pace, a new, fresh change, but my family would always be with me. We'd still be the same old K, the same old A, the same old RL. And yes, I will still wake up to the same smiling faces - of kids that love and adore me.

Things in life may not remain the same forever, but the change could be a good kind of change. Good change brings out the best in people. And when you finally get to sit back and reflect on it, you'll see that the change did indeed do you good.




Add the official Goldilocks fan page on Facebook here. Or visit their official website here.
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