Busy Bee

I haven't updated my blog for like days now. It's funny that when I have so much to write, and so much to talk about, I don't seem to have the luxury of time to write here.

Well, at least this cat is not busy. :)


Since Brian's sister is in town, we've been going here and there, doing a little shopping and doing a lot of eating. Fortunately, we got to squeeze in Episode III last Saturday night. For me that was the best Star Wars ever! Don't you think so? Then last Sunday was Julia's baptism.

Baby Julia. Isn't she so cute? :)

Little photo session in the car after the baptism. :)



Also, for the past two weeks I have been running to the tv every night in an effort to catch the season finale of my favorite shows. Dinner (and all the other chores) has to be planned around these tv shows (Ooops! Commercial, I can wash the dishes now! Hehehe.)

So far, I've seen the Smallville season finale last, last week (a bit disappointing though), The OC last week, I missed the 2 hour season finale of CSI (Rats! And it was directed by Quentin Tarantino too!), and last night's 24 season finale was the bomb. :) The last in line is the season finale of House M.D. tonight.

I say 24's season finale was the bomb not because of how the whole nuclear war head thing was resolved. If you ask me, the climax was cut just like that, when they "disarmed" the nuclear war head thing. What excited me was the little preview of the next season that they gave. Makes me go "Ohhhh.... I can't wait to see what happens next!!!!!". But I have to wait till next year to find out. :)

Ok, need to go back to my little "job". All this backlog is stressing me out. :)

To Run And Hide

Have you ever experienced those times when you just want to crawl into the tiniest crevice you can find, to be invisible, and just stay there to cry all day?

Have you ever had those times when all you want to do is lay on your bed and just stare up the ceiling but you just can't, because you are literally thousands of miles away from the comforts of your own room?

What do you do when you are at an unfamiliar place and you just want to run like a coward and cry like a little child? I feel obliged to swallow my own tears until I feel a lump the size of a basketball growing inside my throat. I feel the need to walk around people, with a forced smile plastered on my face --- to act normal, as if everything is ok.

This is one of those times when I wish I could just click my heels and say "There's no place like home..... there's no place like home....", and then find myself sprawled on my own bed the next minute, having the freedom to soil my sheets with my own tears.

This feeling of not having a safe place to hide at is almost like running around your neighborhood naked ---- the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. I have no choice but to hide every ugly feeling that's gnawing at my core ---- to hide it in my pockets, or in any part of my body. To hide it good so I can trick my self into thinking that I don't need to retreat to my place of solace, my room, to feel free and safe.

"Kitty Porn"

Here are some "seductive" pictures of Spike. (The Title used above is actually made-up by Brian's sister.). :)

Spike's Shoe Fetish


Spike, are you trying to seduce other cats with that pose?




Slurp, slurp, slurp. Camera loves you, Spike!



Meeeeeooooowwwww...... That's a wrap Spike. Good shots! :)

Friday the 13th...... Bad hair cut day!!!!!

Today, I told myself I was finally going to get a haircut. All was set. Then Brian called.

Joni: "Magpapahaircut ako later."
Brian: "Ok, ingat ka. It's friday the 13th nga pala ngayon."
Joni: "Ha? Nyek, ayaw ko na magpagupit! (I'm OC, I sometimes get superstitious)"
Brian: "Ok lang yan. Have your haircut. :)"
Joni: "But...... Ok, I'll think about it (mumbling, and groaning)."

A few hours later........

I now have THE WORST haircut I've ever had in my whole life! It was so bad that I was on the verge of tears. I used to think that people who cry when they get a nasty haircut is a little bit OA..... that was until this mini-mullet happened to me.

I think now is the appropriate time to ask me that haircut question...... "Buhay pa ba yung gumupit sa iyo?". I know that is usually meant as a joke, but in my case..... That question can be taken seriously. :)

It's gross. I said to the stylist, "Just up to my shoulders, lots of layers, but still sort of like a bob". Was that a lousy description? Now, I look like Tina Turner! It looks like a little mullet!

Just yesterday I was feeling like an ugly duck(ling), and now I have a haircut to complete the look.

The nasty haircut (it may not look as bad in the pictures, but believe me, it's gross.):


No amount of "pacute" would actually improve the haircut, but oh well.....




Short hair does not flatter me at all. Do I look like J.A.S. (Clue: an actress. My friends and some of my old college classmates know who I'm talking about. Want to guess? Hehehe.) with this hair?????? :)

Friends Episode 23 Season 9

Mike: Phoebe, will you marry me?

Phoebe: (smiles at him happily for a few seconds before answering) No!

Mike: Uhm... Ha ha!

Phoebe: I love you. But I never needed a proposal from you. I just needed to know that we were headed somewhere, you know, that we had a future.


And I say AMEN to that Pheobe! Those are my words, those are my words.... That's exactly what I want to say. :)

Bulging Wake-up Call

I've been in a slump since I stepped on the weighing scale yesterday. Who wouldn't? I almost fainted when I saw that I tipped the scale at 135 lbs (add bloating to that). Waaaaahhhh! I'm starting to worry big time because I have gained a total of almost 12-15 lbs since I left Manila last September. Ever since I started college (1996) till last year, my weight has always been between around 116-120lbs (highest was probably 125lbs). I left Manila last year weighing 118 lbs.

I've been known to be a notorious eater by almost everyone. I go crazy at any buffet table (or any dining table for that matter)Everyone who knows me knows that I stuff my face with food almost every hour and still manage to somehow "maintain" my weight --- either because of my metabolism that keeps up with my eating habits or because of the anaconda that has been residing in stomach.

I have never changed my eating habits since I left Manila. I would simply die if I did. I guess the lack of activity and the cooler weather in North America (I barely sweat in a day) contributed A LOT to the unwanted adipose being deposited all over my body.

It doesn't help that Brian seems to be losing weight everyday, while the opposite is happening to me. If only I can transfer all this fat to him, that would make us both happy. :)

Don't you have those days when you feel absolutely ugly? This is that day for me. I get a lot of comments from people who are "shocked" at my weight gain. Even my own boyfriend jokes about my weight.

He has always been teasing me about my monstrous appetite (so does the other people I know). I can laugh at all the teasing before (in fact, I joke about it myself) because I don't I feel anything when people comment about my appetite. But now, ha-ha-ha..... As in dry laugh. The comments are starting to hurt because they are becoming more real each day (truth hurts huh?). I still laugh sometimes, but more often than not, I don't see the humor in it anymore (there is nothing funny about cellulite!). I feel absolutely fat today..... and...... I will knock the living daylights out of anyone who dares to remind me of my current weight problem!

And I'm also talking to you, WEIGHING SCALE! I don't want to see no "ugly numbers" flashing when I step on you! Hahaha, I sound like a psycho. This weight stuff is depressing....... I need to eat something......(Oh, so there's the real problem.) :)

Sunday Morning and Sunday Afternoon . :)

(This entry talks about my Sunday. I was too tired to write about it on the actual Sunday night.)

What a beautiful Sunday! Waking up to warmer weather was such a nice treat! I started the day with my usual morning rituals, then off we (Brian and I) went to hear mass and met up with Erwin inside the church.

I just have to say that the weather was so great! You can actually see the people outside enjoying it. Almost everyone had their car windows down, people in convertables enjoying the breeze, people were playing with their dogs in the park..... the weather was almost perfect. People were already wearing clothes that actually show some skin!

When I walked out the apartment lobby, I realized I was wearing brand new stuff from head to toe --- the only thing that wasn't new was my worn-out black bag. I bought a whole bunch of clothes and some shoes in anticipation for spring ---- which by reading my previous posts, you would see that it arrived a little later than expected. So when I found out we were having warm weather that day, I pulled some of my clothes out of their shopping bags and snipped all the tags off -- I was so thankful I can finally wear them! :)

After mass we decided to satisfy our hunger with a hearty lunch at one of the restaurants in Oak Park. It was such a fine sunny Sunday that day. (Blue sky, temperature in the 80's -- Yehey!) that I didn't mind walking around Oak Park in my 3 1/2" wedge heel shoes to find a resto with a good al fresco area (but of course! Al fresco is the way to go on a day like this!). Finally, we decided on Flat Top Grill. My first time (also Erwin's) to eat there and our friendly waiter was kind enough to walk us through the whole Mongolian thing --- a little more complicated than what I was used to in Manila.




Food was great. My first Mongolian concoction was a little too hot though. Why? I'm a huge oyster sauce fan so when I saw it on the buffet table, I poured more than usual. "Why is this oyster sauce red kaya?", I thought to myself. Checked the sign several signs, and it does say oyster sauce alright. "Oh well, that must be how it is here.".

A few bites into my meal, I swear, my nose started to run ...... my food was too spicy! Anghang talaga! It turned out that that red oyster sauce was a hot one. No wonder it was sitting there along with the different chili sauce(s). They should have placed a "VERY HOT Oyster sauce" sign right above it.



Anyways, I went back for seconds -- staying away from the hot oyster sauce this time.

iPod..... youPod.... wePod..... Hehehe :)

Woohoo, Brian finally got one! He has a new little toy and though it is not mine, I'm just glad he has something to tinker with (and that goes for me too, hehehe.). I love playing and tinkering with those cute little gadgets. I would love to be a "techie" myself (since the gadgets out there just interests me.) but I would need a few more years to afford a real "techie lifestyle".

Have you ever wanted to try something, thinking that it is one of the best things in the world, and then when you finally get your hands on it you are just so disappointed? That's what I felt about the iPod. I don't know if it was just plain PMS that clouded all the excitement that I should have for that cute lil' thang, but ......

Probably I expected too much of the iPod. With all the hype about it, I expect it to virtually have no flaw at all.

First the software. We had some trouble importing some songs, converting, and transferring them. Probably because we just inserted the CD and just hoped to figure it all out as we go along --- hence the somewhat difficult time we had with the song transfer and all. I'm no techie moron and Brian is not either --- it's just the impatience and the tiredness we felt (after moving a dinning table and 4 chairs --- on foot!--- from his Aunts condo on the next building to where we are at, probably added extra stress to our already tiring day) that made figuring that darn thing out a bit more difficult. We just wanted to fill it up with songs already and just listen to it. Hehehe. :)

In fairness to the iPod, the sound was exellent! Crisp and nice --- just right, coming out from a tiny rectangular thing. But when we hooked it up to the stereo that Brian has, using the iCable...... Ngerk! The sound was not good at all. To think the stereo was a Bose for goodness sake! So he changed the cord placement a bit and the sound improved a little but still it was nothing compared to the orig sound that comes out of the Bose stereo. Hmmmmm...... That was disappointing. We just stared at the stereo with pure disappointment on our faces.

We did read some reviews the the available hook ups out there were not as good as people expected. And they were right.

What happened to the crisp sound? Sigh. So Brian has to return the cable and he (we) just have to be content with listening to it through earphones for a crisp sound.

Probably to get really superb sound, the iPod needs to be docked directly on those Bose Soundock Speakers. Well it should sound better than using those $30 cables -- those soundock speakers are a little pricey at $299.

Now that Brian has a new little toy to accessorize, it would now be easier for me to get him little gifts. Incase sleeves, chargers, remotes, iPod car stuff ---- those would be like "kikay stuff" for boys. Hehehe. :)

Game Over

Bulls lost game 6 of the playoffs. I swear I thought I was going to have a heart attack while watching the game! Sigh...... they were so close. Oh well, it was good to reach the playoffs. Relive the dynasty some other time guys. Some other time. :)

Oprah and 7 Cheating Husbands

Click here for the show

I have just finished watching the Oprah. Pretty interesting topic. Seven men all in one room, spilling it all out, with their wives listening in the backstage. While watching, I thought to myself that if I were in the backstage listening, most likely I would lash out and storm into that room where the men are and beat the heck out of each and everyone one of them. "That's for all the women in the world!", I would say. Headline na lang sa Manila, "Pinay, lost it during Oprah show.". Hehehe. :)

Seriously, I got paranoid watching Oprah. I mean, those men were married for several years (one guy was married for 15 years before he had an affair), and that happened. No one is spared!

I mean, the wives didn't see it coming. Some never expected it, some thought all is fine. It just made me realize it could happen to ANYONE. So, if you men out there dare say "Nope, never. Not to me.". Ha! That's is one big lie. Even the men in the show admitted that if they were asked a few months before the affair, if they would even consider entering one, they would say that they would never do it --- and yet there they are.

It's so hard to trust someone, isn't it? I mean, I'd like to say I trust Brian, but the truth is out there --- men could cheat. Giving your trust to your man won't do a darn thing to prevent it from happening. Even the most trusting wives get burned.

So how do you stop it? Most of the men on the show admitted that they never planned the affair. "It just happened". It happened with a co-worker (that's my greatest fear), with a woman working at his son's daycare (Goodness! Your son is an "instrument" to the affair?????). Another guy said he had 2 girlfriends, he married one of them, walked down the aisle and all that, then two days after the wedding, he still went to hook-up with his other girlfriend. I just shake my head in disbelief.

I feel the pain the wives are feeling. Any woman knows HOW PAINFFUL that is, so why are there girls/women out there willing to have an affair with a married man? Don't they know that if that happened to them, the pain they would go through is beyond words? WHY?????

I'm not perfect either. I don't want to think I am condemning the cheating parties, it's just that I don't understand it. The men said they love their wives. Then what happened???? Love is not enough? The men said the affair fed their egos, gave them a boost, made them feel wanted. That's selfish, if you ask me.

It's scary to know no one is saved from this. How on earth can you prevent it then? If there is a book out there that describes how to make a relationship fool-proof, like an owner's manual to a relationship, I would seriously read it several times, follow it to the letter ---- I would do ANYTHING to avoid this. But can I really avoid it? I'm just scared of the fact that no one can be spared.

Oprah even mentioned a book called "The Script: The 100% Absolutely Predictable Thing Men Do When They Cheat". A part of me wants to go out and buy it. But I'm afraid it would be like opening Pandora's Box. Paranoia would probably get the best of me. I'd be looking for clues everywhere, reading between his lines every second. I would be like Sherlock Holmes on crack!

The book sound interesting (truth is interesting). Here's what it's all about:

From The Publisher:

Is your husband or boyfriend "on script"?
Does he look at other cheating men disapprovingly and reassure you, "I would never do
that"?
Has he ever told you, in the heat of an argument, that "you should seea psychiatrist"?
Does he often get irritated and say, "I keep telling you to…" get a job/a gym membership/a degree?

If any of the above sounds familiar, be on your guard: Your husband may be following The Script. The Script: The 100% Absolutely Predictable Thing Men Do When They Cheat is a wake-up call to women everywhere. Statistics show that 35 percent of men cheat on their wives. Authors Elizabeth Landers and Vicky Mainzer contend that every one exhibits the same signs along the way.

In fact, they follow the same exact script. After interviewing over 100 people across the county, listening to hundreds of real-life stories of unfaithful husbands, they realized they were hearing the same things over and over again.

The script begins with a prelude. You see a friend leave his wife, and your husband promises "I'd never do that to you." Later—even years later—the curtain goes up. He starts to get distant…he starts hiding money…he gives you an unexpectedly expensive gift.

Don't be fooled: the script is underway. Like a screenplay for a movie you never wanted to see, The Script spells out what signs to look for, red flags you might not have noticed before, and how to turn the tide of disaster before it's too late.

Why can't everyone just be honest? I speak like I've been burned before. I
have. It teaches you to be on guard -- be paranoid even. There is some truth to the phrase "What you don't know won't hurt you.". But who wants to live in ignorance? Walking like a fool, not knowing there's something going on under your nose.

No one wants to be betrayed. But being on your toes every second is no way to live. What shoud be done then? All we can do now is to love, let go, and hope.

Love like you've never been hurt (love like you will never get hurt) -- that's a good way to love. Let go and surrender EVERYTHING to God. And hope that "we" can handle WHATEVER it is that would come our way --- and if we can't, let go and give it all to God. :)

Bulls lost. Boohoohoohoo.....

Bulls lost game 5. Waaaaaaahhhhh!

Depressing. I don't watch that much basketball but I see to it I watch at least the second half of a bulls game. It's soooo sad. They almost had it. The wizards just had to shoot that ball in what...... the last 0.2 seconds?

Deafening silence followed after the last shot. Brian and I just stared at the tv in disbelief.... devastating loss.

Heartbreaking. Don't worry Hinrich, you still are the man! :)

Shopaholics Anonymous

Things I need to keep in mind:

1. It is not how much you earn, but how much you save.
2. Salary - Savings = Expenses
3. Don't spend money you don't have (yet).

I was surfing Girltalk earlier and came across this thread with the title "Shop-a-holics, how do you budget your money while shopping?". Hmmmmm, interesting topic. So I opened it and got a few pointers. It was an interesting thread with inspirational anecdotes too. Some of the girls shared their horrific experiences with that tempting piece of plastic -- the credit card.

I never owned one in my entire life, and I'm glad too in a way. The previous job I had doesn't pay a lot so if I had one that time (or if ever an extension of my parent's), being the impulse buyer that I am, I would be in so much debt, I might even be forced to sell my own dog! Nnnnoooooooo! Sorry Keanna (my dog's name) I even entertained such a thought.

Am I a shopaholic already? I must admit, I LOVE shopping. The thrill and the rush of adrenaline I get with every purchase...... But how much is too much?

Everytime I have a little trip to the mall or to State Street or Michigan Ave, I come home (more often than not) with a little purchase. As I walk towards the apartment, my heart beats a little faster as I imagine Brian yelling, "Bumili ka na naman?????". So I hide my purchases until I can come up with a "speech" that I will give to Brian as I "present" my little purchases one by one --- sort of like to justify why this and that is indeed a "very good buy".

I'm bad with money. When I have it, my hand just itches to, I don't know.... spend it? Not that I have a lot. In fact I am just living on my "pocket money". But I know when to step on the brakes. Well, maybe sometimes a little too late.

Yesterday was my first time to visit the Forever 21 store at State Street. My gulay! I didn't know their store was that huge! 3 floors of the cutest and nicest (and relatively cheaper) clothes! One floor was even dedicated to nothing but clothes on sale. It was like how I felt when I "discovered" how nice a store H&M was -- I fell in love with their 3 storey store in Michigan Ave. The retail stores here in the US are enough to drive any woman crazy!

Anyways, shopping is a good distraction --- retail therapy, as they say. Ok, if I analyze it really, the reason I turn to shopping is probably because of some underlying issues that I may have. That's what Dr. Phil might say. I probably use it as a substitute for something I've been missing terribly. Like going out with friends (I miss all my friends back home), spending time with my family, homesickness perhaps? Yeah, I remember shopping with my mom back home. Doing it here sort of reminds me of that I guess. :)

So, I tell myself:
- Too much of anything is never good.
- Always "keep it real" when you enter the stores. (Do ya really need that thing?) :)

Another day in the windy city :)

Yey! I had an excuse to go to downtown again. :)

I had to return this skirt and top to H&M. Ok, that's what I told Brian (and myself), but at the back of my head, the main reason is to do a little shopping and buy the latest Cosmo Style magazine. I get bored a lot, and "retail therapy" (and that's what they call it) really uplifts my mood. Anyways, my trip downtown would've been perfect had it not been for the cold weather. I even heard this guy behind me say, "This is the worst spring weather ever!". I was tempted to turn towards him and jump in on the little conversation he was having with his buddies. I totally agree! It is my first spring in the Midwest so I have no other "Midwest spring" experience to compare it to (unfair to compare Chicago spring to that of sunny California's). But this has got to be one cold spring. Waking up to 30+ degrees? In May? Is that how it is really?

Poor me, born and raised in the tropics, can't stand cold weather! I remember back in ECODE (my previous job in Ortigas), people in the office would actually assign me to the cubicle that was farthest from the airconditioning unit --- as in the warmest part of the office. Just so I will last a work day without shivering to death or else, all they will hear from me the whole day is "Brrrrr, ang ginaaaawwwww......". :)

How was my weekend?

Last weekend was pretty busy. Brian's mom and dad (with his sister and neice too) stayed over for the weekend.

I turned into a Chef-wannabe last Saturday night. Brian's dad brought with him some uncooked beef meat (beef meat? A very chef-like term, Joni.). Not knowing what to do with it, I searched the internet for a pot roast recipe. It was my first time to cook pot roast and I'm happy to say that it turned out ok -- that is, everyone who ate it is fine after the meal.

After dinner we met up with fellow UST peeps downtown at this Tapas restaurant. Here we are:
(Swats, Nel, Mabby, Me, and Brian).


The next day, we drove Brian's parents back to his sister's house. We see Spike again. Spike, spike, spike. Brian's favorite cat.


Ok, Spike is cute. Brian accusses me of not liking Spike. I am a dog person, so cats don't really amuse me (Ah, the memory of a young me throwing our neighbor's cat over our "fence" for scratching and hurting my dog suddenly comes to my mind.). But I'm starting to like that cat. He has bitten me almost 5 times though ---- that does not earn him points. Ok, maybe we are even. I accidentally stepped on him one dark night. I guess Spike just smells the doglover in me, so the urge to bite my hand (whenever he gets the chance to) is always there.


Look at Spike getting irritated with all the rubbing. (Excuse my messy hair.). :)