Picnic at Cunningham Park!

More pictures here...

Fun Day in the City!

We’re off today because of the 4th of July holiday. Anyway, we went to see the movie Transformers at the Imax Theater AMC Empire 25. Well what can I say! It’s so good! We enjoyed it a lot. It’s highly recommended.

When MJ died, Madame Tussauds immediately put out his wax statue as a tribute. We were hoping to see it earlier and maybe take a picture but it’s no longer there. Instead, we found Morgan Freeman.







We had lunch at Yoshinoya and headed to SOHO. We’ve been in NY for years and I must admit it was our 1st time to go there. It was alright! I mean there are a lot of stores if you are there for shopping. We explored every single street and there were many people enjoying the nice weather. We bought ice cream at Tasti d lite and ate it outside the store while watching the passersby.

Then, we called it a day!

through the years...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

FaIr in 2008!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

"GC" granted!

It’s been a while since my last update on this blog. I was too busy with work and the fertility treatment that I couldn’t really find the time to blog.

Anyway, I got a phone call Friday afternoon and received the best news ever. The long wait is over! After almost 5 years of uncertainties, we finally got the approval! I am so overwhelmed with happiness that up to this writing (1208AM), I am still wide awake and hyper. I can feel my head throbbing but I just don’t feel sleepy.

We celebrated it with a dinner at Olive Garden… our favorite restaurant. The food was great as usual but “nothing could be greater than being on cloud nine”. :)

recollection of sorts

I know this is long overdue... and please, bear with me if this is some sort of jumping from one topic to another. Another post will be made for our “airline experience”.

Anyway, we had a big storm (as mentioned in an earlier post) the day before our flight. We were so worried that we might have some delays or worst, cancellations. Thank goodness the sun came out! :)

The plane landed around 1020AM and we were cleared at the immigration in just half an hour. It felt good being “home” again. And you can definitely tell as it was very hot that we were sweating like crazy. IFC started sniffing and sneezing (allergic rhinitis which he doesn’t have here) as soon as we got out of the airport. His parents and sister was waving… his mom crying with joy as they approached us. But my family was no where in sight and my brother Adoy wasn’t picking up his phone when I called. I just started feeling annoyed! It wasn’t that long and I saw Papa and Mama walking towards us. I was just happy to see them. We had a quick stop at Duty Free and bought some chocolates, cookies, cigar and liquor.

Lunch was at Seaside, Mall of Asia. What a nice way to start our vacation! Different kinds of grilled seafood in front of us! Oh I missed that tuna belly! It was just full of fun… everyone was all smiles. We were so loud for all you know it! One funny thing was we didn’t have the appetite to eat because of the hot weather! But hey, sweating like a dog is really an effective way to lose weight! I mean we’ve eaten salad for almost 3 months but I don’t remember ever dropping the pounds. So much about that… I’m also glad they liked our “pasalubongs”. And if ever you’re wondering, I didn’t have any jetlag but not with IFC! He was actually asleep during the day and awake at night for the 1st 2 days at least.

IFC and I were mostly at our respective parents’ houses. We separated upon arrival which was earlier agreed on the fact that our vacation was only for 2 weeks.

I had my 1st taste of Jollibee when Daighne and I went to see Tita Aba in Marikina the next day. Hmmm… if only I could eat everything at once! :) I also got a Starbucks 2008 planner without having to complete the stickers required. Thanks to my cousin Gail!

Nanay stayed with me in San Andres till Christmas. IFC even made me feel guilty saying I asked Nanay to stay and yet I’m always out! I think Nanay was ok. I just made sure I was home come night time. Of course I didn’t forget to visit Tatay at the cemetery. IFC and I were off to Laur on 12/21 which happened to be Tatay’s 10th death anniversary. Tito Erik cooked grilled bangus and “tiim” as requested by IFC.

I did see some of IFC’s friends/former officemates from CBC Paranaque. We also visited “Ninong” Anson and “Ninang” Nene at their shop who in turn invited us for dinner that same day at Saisaki Restaurant in Alabang Town Center.

Tita Necie has prepared “merienda” for us (different kinds of “kakanin”! Oh I love that embutido with “pandesal”) when we paid a visit. She also asked Kuya Louie to get us some sweet delicacies.

It was also nice to have spent time with my friends from Castrol.

1st round: Lunch at Max’s on 12/20 with Mars, Ernie, Ruby, Fhatty and Dudes. Vel and Jing later joined us.
2nd round: Lunch at Italianni’s on 12/22. Vel, Joey (thanks for arranging that!), Daisy (with her son Sean), Jing, Noel, and Dudes (with hubby Chris and son Bo) were all there. To Daisy and Dudes… I really enjoyed your kids! They are so cute!
3rd round: Lunch at BP office on 12/27. Thanks guys for the promo items…Ruby for the planner, Fhat for the vintage shirts and Badoodles for the mugs. Yey! :)

We also had a fun day at EK! It was a perfect time of bonding with our siblings. I may have not enjoyed the rides (since I can’t anyway) but I had fun taking pictures.

Ate Irmee even suggested that we go to Sonya’s Garden but believe it or not, it rained during midday… the exact time that we originally planned on going. We had lunch at Barrio Fiesta instead.

Christmas celebration was great too! I was at Pilar for lunch. Mommy’s barbeque is really the best! IFC was counting how many sticks I had. Dinner was at San Andres. It was some sort of Christmas cum Reunion celebration. Many relatives came but it could have been better if everyone made it.

There were actually so many things that we wanted to do or could have done if not only for that short time that we had. It was literally like meeting different groups of people almost everyday. The kids… Miggy, Daighne, Kyle and my cousins were just all fun to be with! I exceedingly enjoyed the company of our family… which also left me thinking why we haven’t done these things before! Anyhow, we still tried our best and made the most of our trip. I guess it’s going to be another 2 years (minimum) for us to go back there…

"Pinas" adventures!

Christmas in Pilar

Family Reunion

happy times with family & friends

@ Tito Paqui's house

The Fort

EK

"Dampa"

bpocp

Story to follow...

it's a little "hot" here!

I'm finally here in "Pinas". We arrived yesterday... had lunch with the whole family including IFC's at "Dampa". This place is well known for great selection of seafoods. The weather is kind of uncomfortable though. I never had jetlag whenever I travel but I was having such a bad headache yesterday PM. I had a good night sleep. It was cooler this AM when I woke at 5. Yes that early! :) But an hour hasn't even passed and I'm starting to have head pains again. Oh I will have to deal with this for the next 2 weeks but it's ok! I'm still glad to be here!

8 more days... and counting!

I have not updated this blog lately. I’m too busy at work aside from the fact that we’re leaving for the Philippines next week. I just can’t wait! IFC and I are just excited… even the people back home. I’m sure our Christmas this year will be full of fun knowing we’ll be with our families and friends.

It's been 2 years!

How time really flies! It’s already been 2 years since we got hitched. But having said that, I’m still like an ordinary woman always reminiscing her very “big” day. Everything is so fresh and if I could just do it over again, I definitely will!

Anyway, I have to say that I am so blessed for having IFC as my husband. I may have said this before but I think he is the most understanding person I ever met. He very much know how to deal with my “so easy to get annoyed” attitude. And most of all, I am thankful for his unending love and support.

Happy 2nd wedding anniversary ‘Theart! Thank you for everything! I love you! Mwah!

jolly good!!!

This is rather late…

Anyway, IFC has received his EAD. This is really good news for him as he can now work legally in the US not to mention that he is now eligible to apply for Social Security #. He went to the SSA office on August 27th and received the card a week later.

And since we’re going for a vacation in the Philippines this Christmas, he said he’ll start looking for a job January next year. We are just so happy that things are getting better for us.

on the contrary...

- I'm lucky to have a loving and caring husband

- being thousands of miles apart from family improved our relationship… made us close (not to mention my mom now being vocal on how she loves and misses me)

- having a decent job enables me to help family/relatives in times of need

- I'm healthy (well aside from my “allergy” which I have no control of)

- 3 months (or so) to go for our Philippine vacation

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...

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!

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!

quality time!

I feel relaxed… well not really. I suddenly remembered sometimes you feel more tired if you had too much rest. Haha! But yesterday was one of those happy and stress-free days. We just stayed home practically the whole day talking, giggling, watching NBA, eating and feeling guilty (as charged) for not having gone to the church. I cooked 3 dishes yesterday and I didn’t feel beat up at all.

Backgrounder...
We’re always tired during the week being at work for 12-14 hours including traveling... 12 hours for me and 14 for him. It’s as if we don’t want to do anything anymore when we get home. And so we have to cook 5 dishes every Sunday for our one whole week’s food. We refrigerate them and just heat up whatever we’re going to eat. I try to finish all the chores (cleaning up of the apartment, laundry and food shopping) on Saturdays while Irvin is at work.

Bottom line is… I definitely had some quality time with my hubby. :)

the movies we recently saw

Synopsis: Pete Garrison is a U.S. Secret Service agent who saved a president's life by jumping in front of a hail of bullets, over twenty years ago. Well-liked and respected by his colleagues in the Secret Service, Garrison is a career agent who now heads the First Lady's detail. He lives in a high-level, orderly world of hierarchical structure, plans, maps, motorcades, code names, lingo and procedures. It's a universe that makes sense, until secrets begin to tear it apart. Pete's fellow agent and friend, Charlie Merriweather, hints at wanting to share critical and confidential information. Before that can happen, however, Merriweather is shot dead at his house in a crime that is made to look like a botched robbery.The investigation falls to the Secret Service's top investigative agent, David Breckinridge, a volatile combination of by-the-book and hothead, Garrison's protégé, and, until recently one of Garrison's best friends. Breckinridge follows the evidence and only the evidence and scrupulously tries to avoid working from his gut. That's what being a great investigator requires. Garrison, as perhaps the greatest protective agent in the service, often has to work from gut, from pure instinct. In protective work that is often all you have. Garrison's and Breckinridge¹s recent falling out was triggered by Breckinridge's mistaken belief that Garrison was having an affair with Breckinridge's now ex-wife. Jill Marin, a tough, sassy and ambitious young agent who just graduated second in her class at the Secret Service Academy, arrives for her first field posting. She has requested a work detail with Breckinridge because Garrison, while leading a field instruction exercise at the Academy told Jill that Breckinridge was the best investigator in the entire Service. Together the trio begins to uncover what appears to be an inside job to assassinate the president a traitor in the ranks of the Secret Service. It's never happened in the institution's 141-year history. Suspicion ultimately falls on Garrison, who's going to find it extremely difficult to clear his name because someone is framing him. Whoever is framing Garrison knows he's vulnerable because he's devoting considerable effort to hiding a monumental secret. Suspected of being treasonous, Garrison goes on the run, pursued by Breckinridge and Marin ­his own colleagues ­ as he tries to nail the real mole and save the president's life.




Synopsis: Manny (Ray Romano) the woolly mammoth, Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) and the hapless prehistoric squirrel/rat known as Scrat (Chris Wedge) are back and enjoying the perks of their now melting world. Manny may be ready to start a family, but nobody has seen another mammoth for a long time; Manny thinks he may be the last one. That is, until he miraculously finds Ellie (Queen Latifah), the only female mammoth left in the world. Their only problems: They can't stand each other – and Ellie somehow thinks she's a possum! Ellie comes with some excess baggage in the form of her two possum "brothers"...Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck), a couple of daredevil pranksters and cocky, loud-mouthed troublemakers. Manny, Sid, and Diego quickly learn that the warming climate has one major drawback: A huge glacial dam holding off oceans of water is about to break, threatening the entire valley. The only chance of survival lies at the other end of the valley. So our three heroes, along with Ellie, Crash and Eddie, form the most unlikely family – in any "Age" – as they embark on a mission across an ever-changing, increasingly dangerous landscape towards their salvation.




Synopsis: When a rogue wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, a small group of survivors find themselves unlikely allies in a battle for their lives. Preferring to test the odds alone, career gambler John Dylan (Josh Lucas) ignores captain’s orders (Andre Braugher) to wait below for possible rescue and sets out to find his own way to safety. What begins as a solo mission soon draws others as Dylan is followed by a desperate father (Kurt Russell) searching for his daughter (Emmy Rossum) and her fiancé (Mike Vogel), a young couple who hours before couldn’t summon the courage to tell him they were engaged and now face much graver challenges. Along the way they are joined by a single mother (Jacinda Barrett) and her wise-beyond-his-years son (Jimmy Bennett); an anxious stowaway (Mia Maestro) and a despondent fellow passenger (Richard Dreyfuss) who boarded the ship not sure he wanted to live but now knows he doesn’t want to die. Determined to fight their way to the surface, the group sets off through the disorienting maze of twisted steel in the upside-down wreckage. As the unstable vessel rapidly fills with water each must draw on skills and strengths they didn’t even know they possessed, fighting against time for their own survival and for each other.




Synopsis: Super-spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has retired from active duty to train new IMF agents. But he is called back into action to confront the toughest villain he's ever faced - Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience. Hunt assembles his team - his old friend Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), transportation expert Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), background operative Zhen (Maggie Q), and fresh recruit Lindsey (Keri Russell) - to travel the globe pursuing Davian and rescue Hunt's love, Julia (Michelle Monaghan).

sleeping good

mood:

I’ve been trying to go to bed early these past few days but I just can’t sleep right away no matter what. Maybe it’s because of the hot weather… or because of stress! Last night was different. I had a really good sleep for almost 9 hours. Yes! 9 hours! I’m a person who should have at least 8 hours of sleep. And it helps a lot. I don’t feel tired. I don’t feel sleepy. I don’t feel cranky. I just have the energy that I need! I hope it’ll be like this... always.