my 2007 birthday!

I just turned 33 (yesterday)… not getting any younger... but happy. I am so blessed with such a loving husband, family and of course real friends. There wasn’t really any grand celebration, IFC and I just went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

lobster tail


14 oz ribeye with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and fresh steamed veggies


no rules pasta


tassie's buffalo strips


raspberry iced tea


outback's loaf bread starter with butter



Gift from IFC…




What more could I ask for, almost everyone remembered my special day! I got phone calls from Aou (also spoke with her husband Dun and my niece Daighne), Mama & Papa, Tito Ariel, Tita Baby Evelyn, Tita Laling and Tita Gie. I also got birthday greetings through friendster, text messages and emails from families and friends...

Hi faye! Wishing you a happy birthday. May ur wishes b granted. God bless! Take care.

Ellen

***

Happy Birthday!

Malu

***

my friend!
Happy, Happy Birthday to you!
kumusta na?
God Bless!

Pat, Sheh,Nui and Nina

***

happy b-day classmate...
GOD BLESS YOU....

Aristotle

***

Hey Pepay

Maligayang Kaarawan sa iyo. Many more to come. Painom ka!!! Regards to your hubby. Ingats

Umlas/Marnie

***

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST!

DAHLIA

***

happy birthday faye..!

our warmest regards...

dick and Elena

***

Happy Birthday, Faye!!! :)

God bless.
Weng

***

wish you all the best!!!!

have a wonderful birthday...

love yah,
caryl

***

happy birthday!!!!

Jane

***

Hi, Ate Faye!

Fionna: Knock knock
Ate Faye: Who's there?
Fionna: Honda
Ate Faye: Honda who?

Fionna: Honda-ran dan dan!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to you!

I pray na lagi ka maging safe, healthy and happy with kuya irvin.
God bless.

Love,
Fionna : )

***

Happy Birthday Faye!

Hope that all's well.

Take care.

Regards
Herbert

***

Happy Birthday! Wishing you more blessings. Enjoy & happy 4th as well.

Regards,
Tzie

***

MALIGAYANG BATI! :)

Adoy

***

Wish u all d best on ur b’day! Khpon p bnbngit ni na2y n bday mo today ok na cya ngaun check up nya uli sa ktpusan. Rgds to irvin.

Tito Paqui

***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & WISHING U SUCCESS, take care. Regards 2 irvin. PRAY & TNK GOD 4 D GIFT OF LIFE

Papa

***

Sup dude? Hapi bday… ingat kyo dyan…

Mickey

***

Hapi birthday po :)

Glen, Hazzel and kids

***

Hapi bday pepay! May d Lord richly bless u n ur fam alwyz!

Ella

***

Hi Faye,

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Many happy returns!!! Take Care!!!

Best Regards,

Lito Castillo

***

hi!!!!..happy berday po!!!!...churi po, di kta nabati nng tumawag kaw....
ehehehe..muah muah!
GOD BLESS

Sha-sha

***

Happy natal day Faye ! Have an awesome one !

Cielo

***

hallo faye.happy happy birthday to you.more to come,happiness.good health and good luck.may all your wishes come true 

tita baby

hello geburtstag kind!!!!
HAPPY HAPPY BITRHDAY TO YOU!
May you have a wonderful day.

titababy and raphael

***

Dear Faye:

"Happy Birthday To Faye " 05/07/2007
God Bless U

Love Tito Toni/Tita Winnie/Johana/Erika/Mahendra

***

Hi Faye!!!!

happy happy birthday!!! ayan tama lang ang greetings ko ha, ngayon pa lang July 5 dyan sa New york, hehehe....

hope you have a blast.. more birthdays to come...

greetings from us:
roland, caryl and Migs

***

Hi Faye,
Happy Birthday to you my friend. May the blessing of our Lord be with you today and everyday.
We miss you...

Penny Lagrimas

***

Happy Bday Pepot! Tara Lunch tayo libre ka namin...

Fatima

***

Happy Birthday, Faye….. Wishing you all the best!
Jeng

***

Happy birthday Faye !!

Hope to see you soon..

Thank you and Warm regards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
Sarah Joy M. Villaor

***

Hi Pepay! Happy Sweet 16th Bday!

Dapat nagla-lunch together tayo pag merong me bday satin, kahit pa nasa abroad, para me excuse tayong mag-lunch out. KKB para fair =). What about next week, July 10? Try natin ung Earl's Deli dyan sa may Columns...sarap na sarap sila sa paninda nito e. Me dine in area naman daw sya.

Cheers,
Dudes

***

Happy birthday Faye and belated happy birthday to Jonel...grabe 1 year lang pala ang tanda ni Faye sa akin....akala ko mas bata siya kay Kris Aquino......

Joey

***

Faye, happy 40th bday...

Cheers,
Rommel

***

Happy Birthday, Pepay!

Ruby

***

hey,

how have you been? dropping by quickly to say hello and happy birthday, of course. hope things are cool on your end. reagrds to irvin and hoping that family life for the two of you is great.

take care. have fun ;)

aileen

***

hello ate!!! july 5 n d2 ngyn...HAPI BDAY!!! Ingat and enjoy ur Outback..hehe!!

Aou

***

FAYE,

Happy Birthday, girl!!! May your life be filled with
joy, laughter and good health.

Wasn't able to send you greetings via snail mail, 'coz
I forgot to buy a card. tsk! tsk! With age, comes
forgetfulness. ...

Regards to Irvin.

Song

***

Hello Faye,

All the very best to you on your birthday Faye and Happy 4th of July na rin.

Malu

***

happy bday faye!! hope all is good with you.

Rachel

***

dear faye,

happy birthday!! wishing u only the very best and all the happiness this world can bring to u and ur family.

God Bless..

regards,

Indira

***

and to you too, Faye. Wow, pang ilang birthday mo na
ba dyan? See you soon ha, we'll have a blast pag uwi
mo sa Manila... Have a great birthday!

Marivel

***

Dear Faye

I wonder what's cooking for your birthday. Any plans since it's also a day after the holiday?

I hope you'll have a fun day. Share pictures ha.

Love you, miss you mwah mwah mwah....

Irmee

***

Pepay!

Birthday mo na. He he matanda ka na. How are you? Heard you're comin home for Christmas. Wow good for you. Cge nga uwi ka reunion ulit tayo. I am now working with Vel. Ok naman ang work , pati mga tao. Just like old Castrol days, parang isang maliit na pamilya. Maybe that's the reason why Vel fit in.

So how are you celebrating your birthday? Siyempre special, ikaw pa.

Take care,

Jing

tagged!

A tag from Litzie!

1. Food you hate - Okra!
2. Fruits you hate – Not that I know of…
3. Veggies that you hate – Okra nga eh! :)
4. Celebrities or people that you hate – P_ _is _ i l _ o _ & Jes_ _ c_ S_ _ _ _ _ _
5. Event/Incident/Situation that you hate – Late-comers
6. TV Shows or Movies that you hate - I can’t think of anything right now. In the 1st place, I can live without TV.
7. Type of Music that you hate - Heavy Metal just like Litzie.
8. Household chore that you hate – Washing clothes by hand.
9. Things you hate about the world - Corruption and Poverty. If I only have the resources to help everyone…
10.Things that you hate about yourself - I easily get annoyed.

I won't tag anyone but if you want to do it just for fun, consider yourself tagged. :)

"drenched"

We had a really bad storm yesterday. It was pouring and the wind was just unbelievable that my umbrella was useless. I just had to cross the bridge to take the bus (right after I got off my co-worker’s car) and it left me soaked. I was literally wet from head to toe not to mention including my “undergarments”. It was the 1st time I experienced that in this country… ever.

IFC called me around 841PM to tell me that the subway was down. He was at VanWyck Expressway and he didn’t know which bus to take. I told him to look for Queens Boulevard then I could guide him. But then I remembered it’ll be easier (I thought so) to just go to Sutphin which is nearer and take the Q43. The problem was there was a long line and no bus was coming. And that’s the only bus that he can take there going to our area. He decided to walk 24 blocks just so he could have more choices. Poor him! Well, he got home at exactly 957PM.

Here’s a related article courtesy of abcnews:

Severe weather leaves Tri-State in a mess
Flooded roadways, Transit problems, Airport delays & Power outages

(New York - WABC, June 28, 2007) - Heavy rain and powerful thunderstorms ripped through the area on Wednesday night causing heavy flooding throughout the tri-state area, especially Queens and creating a transit mess.

Powerful thunderstorms swamped roads and train tracks, tore down tree branches and knocked out power in parts of the city. Cars were stalled on flooded roadways in Queens, including the northbound Van Wyck Expressway, Grand Central Parkway and Jackie Robinson Parkway.

Long Island also took quite a beating from the thunder storms.

Read the full article here.

Excuses for not blogging...

1. There is something weird in my blogspot account for quite some time now. I can’t see my shout box when other readers can. I still have to go to my shout box account to retrieve the messages. Sometimes I also don’t see the links on the side but if I click the refresh button, it works. There are also instances that when I open it, you can literally see a "philips screw driver" and a "spanner"... that when you click the image, it says this:

Page Not Found

The requested URL was not found on this server. Please visit the Blogger homepage or the Blogger Knowledge Base for further assistance.

Notice the new template? I changed it thinking that it will correct the errors but it didn’t. I already asked Caryl, who said that everything seems to be working fine after she did some tests.

2. I ran out of topics. And even if I want to, I couldn’t come up with “good” titles for what I like to blog. I just feel like my mind is so stagnant these days maybe because there is too much going on in it.

3. I’m slowly losing the enthusiasm to blog. Hopefully I won’t lose it completely?! This is the best way so far for families and friends to get updates about me… us!

it's a girl "thing"

Did you ever experience something that you were so embarrassed about?! Not that it happened in front of other people but… simply because you were caught in a situation that you don’t know what to do unless someone gives you a hand!

Well, I had my most embarrassing experience (as far as I can remember so far) yesterday. I’m not going to specify it but just look at my post’s title and maybe you can figure it out. I made a total mess of myself that I had to ask a co-worker to take me to the mall to get this, this (in solid colors), this and this (in white). I really had a total makeover!

Thanks for being my savior Zaida! :)

birthday greetings!

Happy Birthday Adoy! All the best!

compo!

We always listen to music through the computer. I've been telling IFC to decide on what kind of music player to get. And finally, we got this...

give me some MONEY!!!!!!!!!

I usually buy things when they are on sale or better yet when they are on clearance. And since Memorial Day is coming, I want to take the opportunity of the holiday sale. I have to start shopping as early as now for our Philippines trip on December. I’m having second thoughts though since we’ve used our Visa and Amex a lot lately… IFC’s glasses, shopping at Marshalls and Target for me (since I don’t fit anymore into most of my summer clothes last year arrrggghhh), music player from PC Richard, fee for the medical exam (not covered by the insurance) and the plane tickets (which get the biggest portion). All of these totaled $4500. And it doesn’t even include the regular spending like MTA and phone cards Whew! What a pain! Sometimes I wish I’m rich so I don’t have to worry about money huh!

And about the shopping, I have to buy stuff for our families anyway so… bahala na!

" in limbo "

In limbo?! Well, sort of...

A lot of crazy things have been going on lately. I wouldn’t go into details but we were so disappointed with how the supposedly “long wait” seemed useless… and sad to say, it is not within our control. We took that "only" chance to fix it. We had to shell-out a kind of significant (well at least for us) amount of money.

Two weeks later, we received good news for the other request. Sometimes it’s really a matter of timing! If this was just released earlier… ***sigh***

But... it has to stop right there as we didn’t reach their quota. We don't even know how long we have to wait again. Two days passed and they revised it… which means to say, we can proceed. Yey!

Thank you, Lord for making all things possible!

Are you still with me?! I know you’re kind of confused with my story. I’m sorry but I just can't say what IT really is... for now. I hope you understood it in a way?!

Oh and one more thing…

I called my agent last Tuesday just to say hi. I had no intention of inquiring on the tickets or anything because she said some time last year to call her around August for that. Then, she just blurted-out… “uy when are you going to book your flight?” I was like duh it’s only May! Who would ever think that most of the airlines are already booked this early! I didn’t even file for my leave yet. Everything just happened so fast… and voila! We have our plane tickets! Yes, we’re spending Christmas in the Philippines! Another Yey!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Mommy! (my mom-in-law) Wish we could be there to have some spaghetti! I Hehehehe.

Happy 33rd wedding anniversary, Paps and Ma! May you have more happy and meaninful years together.

Saving or not?!

This very great and helpful idea came from Glo. Thanks, Glo!

Anyway, I’ve been freaking out trying to think of ways to save money considering that I already have a budget for everything. All this time I was thinking we’re not saving at all. I feel so especially guilty whenever we’re buying food or dining in at a restaurant. I always tell myself I should cook no matter what. But on the contrary, both IFC and I agree that we need to treat ourselves once in a while… not just in food but also on things like watching movies or shopping.

So I’ve laid out all our earnings and expenses for the last 4 months and made a graph for easier interpretation…

Summary:
38% - savings
18% - rent
10% - padala
09% - other expenses
07% - shopping
05% - groceries
05% - utilities
04% - personal allowance
03% - transportation
01% - restaurants

Notes:
- Rent gets the biggest portion of our monthly expenses… something that is not within our control.
- Utilities include telephone, DSL internet, electricity, laundry and phone cards for overseas calls to the Philippines. We try our best not to use IDD. Our electricity bill only peaks up during the summer because of air conditioner’s use.
- The restaurant expenses only came up to 1% because some of our eat-outs come from our monthly allowances. I still think it is minimal even if you add it up to the allowance’s 4%.
- I am proud to say that the 7% share for shopping included some of the Christmas gifts which we charged to our credit card, thus, paid in January. We’re not really crazy on shopping or should I say, we know how to control the urge. Lol.
- For the “others” portion, there was just an unexpected expense that we incurred last month. Had we have control of it we could have saved a total of 45% instead of only 38%.

Overall, I think we did great!

TAGGED!

I hate it when days pass and I don’t even have any new post in my blog. My excuse this time?! I can’t think of any interesting topic to blog about. But now I do! :) Thanks to Caryl for the tag!

A - Available or single: Married
B - Best friend: hubby (pakopya Caryl), Caryl, Ruby, Maridel...
C - Cake or pie: Cake
D - Drink of choice: Raspberry Iced Tea
E - Essential item you use everyday: computer
F - Favorite color: white
G - Gummy bears or worms: both
H - Hometown: Manila, Philippines
I - Indulgence: desserts (i.e. crepes, ice cream, chocolates, cakes, etc.)
J - January or February: January (why? I don’t know. I just chose it!)
K - Kids & names: Wala pa eh.
L - Life is incomplete without? God, family & friends… computer & cellphone?!
M - Marriage date: October 1, 2005
N - Number of siblings: 3 = 1 sister + 2 brothers
O - Oranges or apples: oranges
P - Phobias or fears: heights (but I love to fly! Weird noh!)
Q - Fave quote: “Live life to the fullest”
R - Reason to smile: I’m alive and kicking!
S - Season: Fall (I love the changing colors of the leaves & the feel of the weather!)
T - Tag 5 people: Abby, Marj, Pao, Gracita, Mhay
U - Unknown fact about me: I sleep on my chest with my feet hanging on the other end of the bed.
V- Vegetable you don’t like: Okra
W - Worst habit: Pricking blackheads and whiteheads (thus, the black marks!)
X - Xrays you've had: chest & tooth x-rays so far (I think?!)
Y - Your fave food: anything saucy (most esp. Papa’s caldereta)
Z - Zodiac sign: Cancer

The "Incredible" Martin Nievera

A lot of people didn’t make it to Martin Nievera’s concert last Sunday. (The Nor’Easter should be blamed for that. The rain wasn’t that bad though. It was the wind which made it horrible. We were left soaking wet and the commute going home was a nightmare.) Everyone in the back had to be moved towards the Orchestra Level to fill up the empty seats. It started a bit late and Chapter 2 opened the show by rendering a few songs. It ran for almost 2 hours I think.

Martin’s latest CD entitled “Awit ng Puso” was also on sale there. He did an autograph signing and posed for some pictures too. There was even this time when one of the organizers said they only have 30 minutes left and Martin got up from his seat saying… “Konti lang o… tapusin na natin” That was really nice of him!

He also made a correction to what was published in the Filipino Reporter where it said “His marriage to Pops was his biggest mistake!” He said he meant his FAILED marriage. I think he’s still affected by it up to now. He became very emotional when he sang “Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin”.

And while it was only our 1st time to have watched Martin perform live, I would still say IFC and I are such huge fans. His talent not only in singing but as a total performer is just unbelievable. He handled the crowd very well. He knew how to do adlibs... which everyone really enjoyed. We had fun! And having said all that, I came to a conclusion that he is, indeed, THE CONCERT KING!

Sorry medyo madilim lang mga shots... not sure if it's because of the lighting or maybe my camera is no good at all. :)

more pictures here...

Belated birthday greetings to my brother Mickey who celebrated it on April 15th!

Happy Birthday Bro! Hope you had a blast!

Martin Nievera XXV!

I told IFC we have to watch Martin’s (25th Anniversary) concert the very 1st time I saw the poster in “Palengke” (Filipino store near our apartment). He just gave me a plain “yes”… without any excitement in his voice not to mention that I was so giddy about it. :) That was in February if I remember it right. We always talk about it but there was nothing definite until today. Yes, we are going to be at the Lehman’s Center in the Bronx this Sunday and we’re going to be seated at Row O of the Orchestra Left Center area. I convinced him to get the $78 ticket so we could be near the stage compared to the $58 (that he initially wanted) in the mezzanine. Yey!

Happy Easter!

IFC's bday celebration

Irvin’s birthday fell on a Friday so we couldn’t eat meat (in observance of Lent). We have agreed to just go out this Sunday for lunch. It’s more practical that way than cooking for just the two of us. I told him I’ll just cook sardines for dinner.

On my way home yesterday, I told him I would pass by Kohls and check on the items on sale. The truth is I went to Tai Pan Bakery in Flushing to buy him a birthday cake. I also ordered Shrimp Parmigiana, 2 slices of Cheese Pizza and 2 slices of Mushroom Pizza from Romeo’s as soon as I got home. The thing is he got here before the delivery. *Sigh*

Tita Laling sent him the Eagles’ Farewell I Tour DVDs earlier this week. And I got him the Lacoste Shoes that he wants along with some Green paper bills.

IFC's Birthday!!!

Happy birthday, Sweetheart! May all your wishes come true! Keep in mind that I'll always be here for you no matter what. And that I love you... today... tomorrow... and forever.

Snow/Ice Storm on Friday, March 16th

Here are the pictures I took on the way home during the storm…

IFC's birthday card from Miggy

It’s IFC’s birthday on March 30th and he received a card made by Miggy… a 5 year old kid who’s very creative…







Thank you, Miggy! From Tito Idols...

WifeSpeaks' Anniversary!

Happy 2nd anniversary to WS! And as a reader, I would like to share my As to the “Misis Slumbook” Qs as follows:

THE BASICS:

1. What is your (screen) name, and why did you choose that as your screen name? faye070574… it’s a combination of my name and birthday so it’s easy to remember.

2. How long have you been married? Have kids? A year and a half… with no babies yet…

3. What is your favorite color? And how has your color preference influenced your life (if it has)? Red. Many people perceive it as bold and strong. I think I have been one having surpassed all those times that life seemed to be a little harder.

4. What are your hobbies?
Blogging
Listening to music
Cooking

5. What is your motto in life? Nothing can be achieved the easy way!

6. Do you have pets? Nope.

7. What are the three adjectives that best describe your spouse?
Kind
Loving
Responsible

8. Give three songs that best describe you.
I am what I am by Gloria Gaynor
When I See You Smile by Bad English
You’ve got a Friend by James Taylor

9. What satisfies you about the work that you do? Talking to different kinds of people… difficult to deal with or not.

10. Do you blog? Where? Can we visit? Yup… right here. :)


CHIKAHAN:

1. Define Love. Love is patient and kind.

2. Kakaibang talento mo. I easily remember numbers… be it money, telephone number, etc.

3. Share your adobo recipe. Palpak adobo ko eh. Pwede yung kay Irvin na lang?! Hehehe

4. Describe your current screensaver/wallpaper. A picture of the beach I took in Club Paradise Palawan.

5. During your teenage years, what fad/s did you follow? Why? Wearing mini skirt with hi-cut shoes… Nenuco… Angel’s breath… and Aqua Net. Lol. Uso nga po eh.

6. How many times have you had a broken heart? Which was the worst and how did you recover from it? I think only once. I just realized one day after losing so much weight that it’s not worth crying for. Besides, I was young then. I told myself someone would come along and then there was hubby.

7. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? I want to be RICH so I can help the less fortunates.

8. What frightens you about getting old? The feeling of being alone… the feeling that people seem to care less for you or simply that of being neglected.

9. Do you have a guilty pleasure? None that I could think of.

10. What's your favorite chore? Cleaning... that's why some calls me a "neat freak" Lol.

11. Describe your wedding ring. It’s white gold with 5 princess cut diamonds.

12. If you could have a tattoo, what would it look like? Sorry but I’m not really crazy on tattoos.

13. What book would you like to be made into a movie? Who would you like to star in it? The books I’ve read so far (based on what I remember) have already made into movies... I think?!

14. Share something that you do not believe in. People tend to overuse the term “busy”. No offense intended but for me, a simple hello whether through emails or on the phone can mean a lot to someone. It wouldn’t take much of your “busy” time to do this don’t you think?!

15. What qualities are important to you in friendship? Trust and constant Communication.

16. So far, what WS topic have you found most helpful? Most entertaining? Most controversial?
Helpful – dealing with sensitive topics like financial issues.
Entertaining – beauty tips.
Controversial – dealing with in-laws/extended family.


QUALIFIED TRUE OR FALSE:

1. First love never dies. TRUE. I believe in the saying that no one forgets anything which happened or felt the 1st time.

2. You can change your partner once you're married. FALSE. It's a commitment that you accepted when you got married so any differences have to be sorted out the way they should be.

3. The Philippines is worth it. TRUE. There's still no place like home. I'm in my adopted land right now just because this is where the opportunity is. But i'll definitely go back to the Philippines.

4. Women are moodier than men. TRUE. I think women easily gets irritated than men. Women in general makes a big deal out of small things. Well at least for me...

5. James Yap is innocent (Sorry Kris!). FALSE.

6. 80s fashion is coming back. TRUE. Hello mini-skirts! :)

7. Angels. TRUE. That's why we're always safe...

8. Good and bad luck come in threes. FALSE. Everything happens for a reason.

9. Destiny. TRUE. It will happen if it's meant to be.

10. It is better to have love and lost, than never to have loved at all. TRUE. Being loved is the bestest feeling ever and that is where you learn your lessons too.


TIPS:

1. What is your favorite skin care product? St. Ives Apricot Scrub

2. What do you do to keep fit? Eating right since I’m already too tired to do some exercise.

3. Where do you do your bargain shopping? Walmart, Target

4. Recommend an effective household cleaning item. Water mixed with a little vinegar

5. Sex. Keep your spouse happy.

Happy Birthday, Tatay!

all sorts...

Thanks to Lea Salonga!

I finally met Nette and her husband Mike in person last Saturday. Thanks to Lea Salonga (LS) who will be performing for Les Miserables from March 6th till summer. Nette is a die hard LS fan!

Maybe some of you are wondering who is Nette. Well I got to know her through an online community which I joined when I was preparing for the wedding. It 1st started with just complimenting and commenting on all sorts of things within the group until a friendship blossomed. We were in constant communication through chats, emails and blogs.

Anyway, I went to Milford Plaza Hotel where they were checked in at around 7pm or so. Nette was all smiles as she was coming near to where I was seated in the lobby. I too was so giddy that I’m meeting my blogging buddy at last. We were too comfortable with each other that we talked about so much stuff.

Dinner was at Tony’s where I made a reservation a day before. Irvin just went directly to the restaurant since he was working that day. We ordered caesar salad, calamari, linguine with seafood in garlic and olive oil and shrimp and chicken franchese. Everything tasted good and their servings are really huge that we had to take home a lot of left over.

We strolled around Rockefeller Center afterwards. It was chilly though but nothing could be nicer for them since Chicago is colder. We said our goodbyes at almost 11pm.

To Mike & Nette… We really had a great time! Thanks for meeting us... and for the dinner too. Hope to see you guys again.

Recipes from pinoycook

I like trying new dishes from time to time. I think that’s one thing you have to do when you’re married. You wouldn’t want your husband to be eating the same thing repeatedly. I love this cooking blog from Ms. Connie. I learn a lot from her. She even has her own recipes that are just amazing. She has this way of improvising her cooking just so her kids will like it.

Broiled Pork Chops and Onion Rings





Chicken Menudo





Flowers from IFC

It was really nice to have had an early Valentine’s date since we had the snow storm on Feb. 14th. There was no gift whatsoever but the flowers were very much appreciated.





False Alarm

I had the symptoms but they’re very similar to when you’re having your period. It was my 1st time to have used the home pregnancy test kit and I didn’t realize that it was going to be that disappointing once you get a result other than what you expect. *Sigh* We just have to be patient I know. I guess I just have to say it will happen in God’s time…

Tag from Caryl

Caryl... sorry for the late post.

GuiltWhat is yours? Explain yourself Culinary: Beef Stew (Caldereta in Filipino)
I really love Papa's Caldereta so I keep on trying to perfect mine. It's not as good as my father's but I think it's still good.
Literary: BloggingI don't mean to copy Caryl but I just like it having new found cyber friends and of course keeping track of what's happening to them.Audiovisual: Prison BreakI just love the thrill of events that I couldn't stop wishing to have a complete DVD collection of it.
Musical: Soft MusicIt makes me feel at peace when the world around me seems so complicated.
Celebrity: Hugh JackmanHaving seen him in person with no make up wearing just a shirt and jeans, I have to say that he is really good-looking and neat.

Now I tag:-

Pao, Nette, Abby, Alynn and Kitts


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It's been a year for IFC!

Yesterday marked the 1st year since Irvin came to the United States. How time flies huh! I can’t believe it’s been a year already. I think he has already adjusted to the environment, people, etc. I remember how he was complaining about the weather when he arrived. By now he knows how it’s like after experiencing his 1st winter storm on V-Day. Well pretty much… he didn’t experience a blizzard yet. I’m just happy the homesickness he had wasn't that bad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Gail... Hope you had a blast! All the best!

HaPpY bIrThDaY, Caryl!

I know you are happy and contented with what you have right now but I still wish that He will continue to shower you with blessings that you truly deserve.

Sama naman ako sa Jollibee! :) I really miss that!

Happy Birthday, Joe! Hope you're enjoying your stay in Cebu. :)

Snow Storm on V-Day!

We had a crazy day yesterday with the snow storm mixed with rain and sleet. I didn’t think it’s going to be that bad wearing only my regular shoes to work. But as time went by, the road has become more messy and slushy. What a Valentine’s Day Treat huh! Still it didn’t stop some people from delivering the flowers. They did whatever they could to still celebrate a special day. :)

And despite that crazy weather, many people said we’ve had a long drought this winter and having a day like yesterday was the best. Well not for me. I mean yes I’m thankful for not having a bad winter season this year but I definitely don’t want too much snow.

It is sunny today and many are expecting the snow to melt. I guess not since temperature is very low. I don’t think it will since it is very cold.

I feel bad for Irvin though not having snow boots. I brought him to the store before for a few times asking him to pick one. He may be thinking that we’re having a really nice winter then so he kept on saying next time. And he didn’t like anything that was on display too. But come to think of it… snow boots is snow boots. You buy it for your protection and not for fashion. Oh well! I hope he learned his lesson.

Pictures of yesterday’s storm courtesy of CNN…

And here’s more snow storm coverage…

Happy Valentine's Day!

An Early Valentine's Date!

We went to see the movie Night at the Museum yesterday at the Lincoln Square’s IMAX Theatre. The tickets were given to me by my superior a few weeks ago. I also want Irvin to experience IMAX. It gave us a headache though with the big screen and all.

Anyway, I think the movie was nice. We both liked it though Irvin said the movie was very simple where they basically just concentrated on the museum as their location. Though the title already says it, we think it could have been better considering those great actors in the movie. But overall, I would still watch it. :)

Synopsis: Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley, despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he's destined for something big. But even he could never have imagined how big, when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he's history's fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt , who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.

We had a hard time finding the theatre location. Lincoln Sq. is on Broadway which is supposedly 2 blocks away from 5th Ave. if you in 34th St. So I was thinking we can just walk when we get off at Lexington Ave.-63rd St. and 5th Ave. but it’s not. We still had to take a cab just so we could be there on time.

After the movie, we headed towards Times Sq. to have dinner at Olive Garden. The wait time was 45 minutes so we decided to just dine in at another restaurant of which the name I’d rather not say. Irvin and I were both surprised when we looked at their menu. The prices were almost double compared to the same one we have near our apartment. I understand they may be paying higher rent and for other expenses being in the city but had we realized that soon, we could have just gone to the one that we usually go to. Oh well just charge it to experience!

TGIF!!!

It’s been a long and tiring week for me at work. Audit went on for three days that I couldn’t even do my regular tasks. They asked for too much information compared to what has been done the previous audit year.

Also, I wasn’t able to do my normal weekend routine… apartment hasn’t been cleaned… I had to do my laundry on Friday after work… I didn’t go to Flushing to do food shopping so we just settled for canned goods, breakfast foods and orders from the restaurant this week. I was in NJ last Saturday and we went to a birthday party on Sunday from noon till 8pm.

TGIF! At least I can have some rest this weekend…

Groundhog Day

Hooray!!! We're going to have an early Spring this year!!! Well, this was Phil's prediction if you believe it.

What is Groundhog Day anyway?! I can’t really relate the 1st time I heard of this. A co-worker explained it but also suggested that I research it in the internet for a better explanation. Here’s a brief history of how it all started…

European Roots

(Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson)

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

Read more…