Piglet is back…and I couldn’t be happier.

Someone I consider my best friend told me I lacked self-confidence.
No, she doesn’t discount the fact that I’m an arrogant bastard. She just thinks that when it comes to relationships, I always end up selling myself short. Like I always feel that I am inadequate because I am unable to provide financial security and stability.

Something tells me…she’s right.

Now that the girlfriend is the States and I’m left on my own for a few weeks, I’ve been feeling a little down and depressed. It’s not that I miss her (although I certainly do), it’s just that without someone else to fuss over, listen to and take care of…I’m left with a lot of time to do a lot of thinking and that isn’t always good in my case.

So I try to keep myself busy. The demands of my day job and the store take up most of my time. If I find free hours, I usually just use it to stay at home, catch up on sleep or watch some DVDs. Andy tries to show that she hasn’t neglected me by showing up once in a while but I really want her to focus on her thing right now, so I try to give her some space.

I did play at the Filipino Poker Tour where I played safe poker. Unfortunately for me, some guy called my push with a measly K-9 (had it dominated with my K-J) and he ended up hitting a full house when a K hit the flop and two 9s showed up at the turn and river. I also sat down in the featured table where I basically folded every hand that was dealt to me. Definitely not good TV.

Another thing I’ve been doing is learning how to cook seafood. Some time ago, I believed I was allergic to any form of seafood, nuts and chicken. Lucky for me, that turned out to be psychosomatic (which is a fancy word that basically tells everyone I’m a little crazy), so I’m now whipping out garlic-butter prawns and toaster-oven fish fillets in my small kitchen.

That’s it for now. Just a small update to let everyone know I’m still alive. A little beaten and worse for wear but I’m still here. Give me a few days and I’ll be as good as new.

Almost six months after the fact...

You still leave me dazzled, frazzled...

And hopelessly, irrevocably in love

WALK THIS WAY: The Launch!

On Friday, September 12, 9pm-Onwards, FriiSpirit (the place to eat, drink and play Wii at Katipunan) launches the much awaited:

GUITAR HERO: AEROSMITH

Play, eat, drink and enjoy all for Free!

EXCLUSIVELY for Bloggers & FriiSpirit members. If you’re either of those, text 0929-6986738 to RSVP. Or better yet, become a member and join the fun!

No one is a stranger at FriiSpirit.

Featuring, special guest for the evening:

LUIS BENESA – Silver medalist for the 2008 WCG Guitar Hero Asian Championship!

Check out http://friispirit.blogspot.com for more details!

Come on, people! You’ve got to ROCK THIS WAY!

Last weekend, the girlfriend and I moved into the Makati studio (now known as the HoL). The biggest shock of my life was realizing that my life can fit into 3 boxes and 8 large plastic bags, mostly filled with boxes and clothes. Still, despite my lack of material possessions, I am blessed with people who love me. So I know I am actually wealthy beyond belief.

Anyway, moving is a lot of work and it is expensive. By the time we were done, the girlfriend and I were exhausted. When I mentioned I might consider moving again to a bigger place next year when I get the promised salary increase in June, the girlfriend winced and asked that we stay at the HoL indefinitely. I don’t blame her.

The convenience of living in Makati (particularly if you work in Makati like we do) makes up for the increase in my living expenses. I’m cooking again and I’ve even started bringing in packed lunches to work (something I was dead set against doing in the past). Of course, the moving expenses drained my bank account but the money saved in transportation expenses should help me back on track.

The HoL is small but it has its charm. After the first day, it really felt like home. In fact, it’s the first time that I’ve felt truly at home in years. The girlfriend and I are having a good time just hanging out and watching cable TV. On our first day, the girlfriend even went swimming in the roofdeck pool and ended up sporting the sexiest tan lines ever. I’ve checked out the gym and although I’ve definitely seen better, it was pretty well-equipped and should suit our needs just fine.

I haven’t invited people over yet because I’d like to buy a few more stuff before I formally open my door to guests. But for sure, I’ll be having some simple dinner parties soon—although due to the lack of space and furniture, expect small gatherings. Donations of beer and liquor would be most welcome during such events.

The girlfriend and I will take some pictures over the weekend. Until then!

= = =

On a different note, I love Google Chrome. It’s the first browser I’ve ever wanted to make love to.

I won!!

This article I wrote years ago when I was depressed over a dysfunctional relationship:
http://thefool.tabulas.com/2003/10/02/regrets/#1924252

Won me:

Two (2) Orchestra Center Tickets (P2,400 worth) to the Sept. 5, Friday Opening Night of West Side Story
and
One (1) P1,000 Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Gift Certificate

Thanks to Anton Diaz of http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/ and of course, Mrs. OAP for choosing my story. :)

So last weekend, I went off to Sagada, leaving the girlfriend behind because she had other plans and she didn’t want me to cancel on my friends just because she couldn’t go. This weekend, we didn’t spend quality time together because she had to go off on some company thing.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to this weekend (even if it’s just Monday). There’s even a slight chance I’d be able to move in to the Makati condo on Sunday so I was giddy with excitement. I was thinking that the girlfriend and I could finally spend a quiet Sunday together (since it’s my one full day off), setting things in order at the new place.

So I was at my desk this morning, typing away, when my boss informed me that he needed me during a management meeting. I said yes thinking that it would probably take the rest of my afternoon so I’d have to work late (not something I mind). But he suddenly talked about leaving over the weekend and I suddenly felt my heart sink to the floor.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my job. People can attest that although I complain a lot about the stress and the sheer amount of work, I secretly love the pressure. But is it really too much to ask that I spend just one full day with the woman I love?

I've always wanted to go to Sagada. Finally, I got the chance to do it. Since the Kota trip didn't push through for a variety of reasons (my lack of funding, the girlfriend's overnight trip with friends, Justine's work, etc.), Andy decided to go to Sagada instead. Knowing the gf was going to be busy that weekend, I asked if I could come with. Danielle decided to go and it was set.

First, the 13-hour trip wreaked havoc on my 31-year old body. My back was aching and I was cramping all over. I slept like a log during the Manila to Baguio leg of the trip (thanks to the sleeping pills) but the Baguio to Sagada bus trip was simply a nightmare. It didn't help that there were problems at the shop and for a big part of the journey, we were sickened with guilt about deciding to go on vacation when there was a crucial event To make matters worse, my trusty old Nokia phone flaked on me as soon as we arrived in Sagada. I was the only one in the group with ZERO signal!!!! This freaked me out when I realized I couldn't text or call the girlfriend as often as I wanted to. In the end, I was forced to borrow Andy's phone to sneak in a few phone calls and some text messages throughout the trip.

When we arrived in Sagada, we were starving having subsisted on donuts the entire journey. Andy, having been to Sagada before, told us that Yogurt house was the best restaurant so we trudged over there. I made the mistake of ordering a chicken curry (forgetting that I'd be getting tough native chicken). Andy's eggplant pasta was good and Danielle's roasted eggplant sandwich was refreshing but forgettable. The yogurt with bananas, strawberries and granola made me forget my initial disappointment though.

Danielle hooked us up and we were staying at her friend's house. Well, Danielle did good. Ces and Brian's house was simply beautiful! A part of me was tempted to just stay indoors our entire Sagada stay and forget about communing with nature all together. So for our first day and night, that was what we did. We stayed by the fire, working on stuff for the shop and chatting the night away, drinking Generoso brandy Cokes. :)

The next day I woke up last and the two were nowhere to be found. I found them in the garden, lounging around on Andrea's sleeping mat, enjoying the weather and the view. We chatted a bit about life in general before deciding to cook up a meal with some stuff we bought at the Sagada market. Danielle made us a banana and rambutan fruit salad with brown sugar and brandy. Andy and I collaborated on a garlic and olive oil pasta with zucchini, fresh tomatoes and paprika. Andy also showed us how to make blanched fern (pako) with vinegar, onions and tomatoes. First time I’ve tried pako and it definitely won’t be the last.

In the afternoon, the three of us walked 2 kilometers back to town to go on a cave tour. Andy wanted to see the Big Falls but we were informed it was closed because of an accident (We later found out the depth of the tragedy and my sympathy and prayers goes to the family of the departed). Since my physical condition didn’t leave us much of a choice, I held the group back and we ended up choosing the easiest cave tour. The easiest?? Hahahaha. If this was the easiest, you won’t see me back in Sagada any time soon.

A Romanian girl and a Japanese-Canadian joined us for the caving adventure. We were soon chatting like old friends as we walked a few kilometers to the first cave. We went down a flight of stone steps to see coffins. Andy even saw a coffin that was cracked open and had a skull inside. Then the first stage of my nightmare happened. You need to understand. I am around 25 pounds overweight (I just hide it well hahaha) and the most strenuous activity I do is typing away at an astonishing speed. To make a long story short, hiking up that long flight of stairs proved to be too tasking for a body that has been subsisting on chicharon and cerveza for a good 10 years. By the time we got back up to the road, I was flat on my back by the side of the road telling the group they should go ahead because I was quitting. I told them I’d wait for them inside a bar in town, downing glass after glass of ice cold beer.

Andy kept asking me to reconsider but I was dizzy and tired. Soon, they gave up and went their way, leaving me a little red-faced and ashamed by the deterioration of my physical ability. I used to be an amazing athlete for gosh sakes! What the hell was wrong with me? I ended up talking to myself, going back and forth:

“Are you really quitting?”
“An ice cold bottle of beer is looking really good right now.”
“You’re 31 years old and you’re acting like you’re 70!”
“Whoever said that pain was good? That guy was a masochist. Pain means stop.”

Anyway…after a long deliberation, I decided to follow the group. In the end, I realized that fifteen to twenty years down the road, I would no longer be able to do all these things for real. I was only 31 years old. I really should act my age.

After I caught up with the group, the guide brought us down to the Sumaguing Cave. By this time I was feeling a new burst of confidence (thanks to my Kung Fu Panda-like come-back) and I even dared venture to say, “This isn’t too bad!” Famous last words, I tell you!

The trek down was slippery but I believe I held my own somewhat. Even when we encountered the part of the cave that was filled with bat droppings. A group before us looked bruised and battered and they informed us they all fell after seeing the ghost of a girl. There are a lot of ghost stories in Sagada and during my short stay, I ended up with spooky experiences of my own. I’ll be sure to share them in my next blog entry.

Anyway, by this time, I was getting a little winded and admittedly squeamish because you really have to use your hands a lot when climbing up and down rocks. So I kept ending up with a handful of bat shit.

Then we reached the underground river where we were instructed to remove our shoes. That was when I fell for the first time. I slipped on slippery rock and landed heavily on my butt. Fortunately for me, I was able to use my hands to break the fall somewhat. Unfortunately, I bruised my hands badly which affected the rest of the journey since I now had a harder time holding on to the rocks. I lost a little of my confidence and I admittedly started getting scared at this point. The fall shook me up and hurt me enough to make me realize this wasn’t a joke.

Upon wading in the ice-cold water, I automatically stubbed my toe and fell against some rough rock scraping my knuckles raw. Think slapstick comedy at this point. The rest of my cave tour resembled just that. I was drenched from head to foot and bleeding. I told Andy I was happy the girlfriend wasn’t present to witness such humiliation. Hey, humor is a turn-on.

It was tough. The rough rock was cutting up my city feet into pieces (my Tae Kwon Do days when I had calluses that could probably withstand flame and broken glass are long gone) and thanks to the cold water, I was soon cramping. My knees were shaking due to exhaustion and the only thing that kept me going was that it was too late to quit. Seriously. I had to climb back up anyway so I might as well just push on.

When we reached a rope where we had to rapel down, I balked and told Andy I was content to wait it out on top of the rock. As usual, my favorite cheerleader kept egging me on until I just did it with my terrible technique. I did slip and fall but thankfully, I was already a safe distance from the ground when it happened.

Yes, Sumaguing Cave is beautiful. The rocks had magnificent formations and I was in awe so many times. I snickered at the rock that resembled a vagina and marveled at the beauty of cavern after cavern.

It was a long climb back out of the cave. I fell so many times, bruising my knee and scraping layers of skin. I told the girlfriend this morning, “To get out of there, I had to use every part of my body --- my hands, my feet, my knees, my butt, my chin.” I wasn’t exaggerating.

I admit I was unable to climb up the rope. The guide instead offered himself as a staircase and I almost broke his neck. At one point, I was just too exhausted that the guide practically had to hoist me up at every difficult spot. You can be sure, I tipped him well. Andy kept telling me she was proud of me although I didn’t feel the same way. I wanted to berate myself for letting myself go and in the end, I was just more determined to get back in shape.

When we finally saw daylight, I felt myself cheering up a little. I succeeded even if it was an ugly victory and that was something to be happy about. I chose to do what was difficult and hard even if every molecule in my body was urging that I go for a beer instead.

I changed my mind. I will go back to Sagada. I’ll go through the entire trip again and even add the more difficult tours to my itinerary. But this time, I will be better.

We had dinner at Yogurt house again that night and the food tasted so much better. Danielle’s vegetable fried rice was simply brilliant and the sandwiches Andrea and I ordered sated our hungry stomachs. We washed down the good food with some hot mountain tea and we had a truly satisfying meal.

I wish I could say the walk back to the house was calm and uneventful but this is Sagada, a place so bizarre that even the disturbing adds to its mystique and splendor. That night, I personally believe, I could have lost my life…not in the dangers of the cave…but while I was sleeping in my bed.

But all that deserves another blog entry.

Until then.

Rough day at work yesterday…I was feeling tired and frustrated…Just way too many things to do…I really can’t complain…I know I’m blessed…When I got to the shop, I found out we had no kitchen staff…No time to think or relax…Just dove into kitchen duty…The girlfriend came over at around 11:30…brought some really good cake to feed the masses (a.k.a. my friends) because it will be our fourth “monthsary” on Sunday…yes, you can cringe now…being in love brings out the kabaduyan in me…Joined Andy and the gang in the private room to watch a movie…I was so tired that I fell asleep in her arms...the girlfriend’s arms…not Andy’s…The girlfriend went home at 2:30am…I washed dishes that were piled sky-high (gross exaggeration, of course) then I went home too…Looking forward to tomorrow…the monthsary…ang baduy…I know…but I’m loving being baduy…I missed the cheese factor…watching Batman and maybe have dinner after…I am Christian Bale or rather, I want to be Christian Bale…where to have dinner, maybe Mickey’s Deli? Or maybe somewhere in Eastwood…Really tired right now…Another good day at the shop…but just exhausted...There's a party at Jardine's...boohoo...stuck at the shop...i could follow but I'm really way too tired...don't even know if I can muster enough strength to go home...Lasalle trounced NU woohoo…that was brutal…Collapsing on a beanbag sounds like a good idea...MUST do so now.

You can chalk this up to stupidity but here is my attempt to warn others who might fall victim to this kind of scam.

A guy walked into our small office. He was well dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks. He also spoke English well and he looked like a typical office worker. He had a box of perfume with him—Lacoste “Touch of Pink.” I ignored him at first but then he sprayed perfume on me and started going on and on about how Lacoste was doing a promotional thing and they were giving away Free perfume. My ears prickled at the word “Free” and I started paying attention.

The next thing I knew, my officemates started purchasing 50ml bottles of the perfume for 200php. I did say something like, “I thought it was free?” but the man ignored me. He seemed likeable enough, laughing along with our jokes. An officemate of mine bought three bottles. Most of the men bought bottles for their girlfriends. I bought a bottle for the girlfriend too.

He then asked which of us wanted Lacoste paper bags. Since most of us planned to give the bottles as a gift, we thought that was pretty cool. He then promised he’d be back in 5 minutes and he left the office. After he left, we started getting suspicious. Then the president of the company walked in and castigated us for falling for the guy’s tricks. That was when I found out that two of my officemates paid the guy without getting perfume in return. The guy told them he ran out and that he needed to go down to get some more.

I asked one of my officemates (who purchased the bottle for herself) to open her box. The moment the box was opened, we recognized the perfume as a fake. To add insult to injury, it smelled bad. As expected, the guy has disappeared by now. Although this sucked to the bunch of us who got fake merchandize, it sucked even more for the people who got absolutely nothing in return.

I don’t mind being stuck with fake perfume. Honestly, I was an idiot. I should have known it was too cheap. That was my fault. But this is a scam nonetheless. I wouldn’t have minded too much if the guy just sold us fake perfume, what disturbs me is that he ran off with the money of two officemates without giving them anything in return. I can live with the fake perfume and the lies that it was authentic. Outright theft is one thing.

So be warned. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can fall for shit like this.

Andy set up a Baguio trip for the FriiSpirit peeps after she got tired of hearing us complain how tired we all were. Expenses were minimal and the company was great. Carol couldn’t go in the last minute and she was missed but we talked about her every single day so in the end, it was like she was almost there.

We had a blast on the way there…mainly because Andy brought a bottle of Jack and by the time we were half-way there, we’ve had enough Jack Cokes in our systems to shrug off the long car-ride (In case you were wondering, I did drink during this trip with the girlfriend’s permission).

It was a very laid-back trip. No one was in a hurry to go anywhere and everyone was just happy being away from the heat and grime of Manila. We stayed at Andrea’s house and it felt great sitting in front of a fire and having some good conversation away from the frantic demands of our jobs.

We did try to be tourists on the second day and we went to Minesview and happily parted with our change (maybe 40 pesos worth) by getting ourselves lured into paying for tourist traps such as “Have your pictures taken with our giant St. Bernard” and “Have your picture taken in an Igorot costume.” We also went to Camp John Hay to visit the Cemetery of Negativity at medyo kinareer namin ito.

It was hard going back to Manila. The girlfriend and I were dreading rejoining the rat race but some things can’t be helped. The only thing we could was to promise each other that we would have more of these moments to somehow alleviate the exhaustion and the stress.

Pictures are uploaded to my Multiply: http://croces.multiply.com

Back in the days when few people had Internet access at home and chatting was cool (we’re talking about way back in 1993 to maybe 1996), I stumbled upon MIRC and #mabuhay which was then being managed by its creator BoyBlue a.k.a. Jardine of poker and Rockband lore. Giz01 a.k.a. Rolly created a spin-off channel and #lasalle in undernet was born. I was founding member of the channel (my e-mail address was one of the 10 listed to get it approved) and admittedly, I still get a kick out of visiting the channel on undernet and just seeing it still exists although I no longer chat.

Last night, we had a sort of mini reunion with the gang and needless to say, it was amusing to say the least. Funny guy Kazmut a.k.a. Darwin who got a lot of ribbing last night for his infatuation with several women in the channel now works for IBM. Bakekang a.k.a. Miles still works for Cathay and we had fun reminiscing how we’d both get drunk during parties and puke by the side of the road as she was driving me home. Giz01 is no longer this skinny Chinese guy whose eyes disappear when he smiles. He’s now an average-built Chinese guy whose eyes disappear when he smiles. But seriously, Giz01 has the best story in chat. He ended up marrying Clio, who he met in chat, and they are now happily married with children. A_x, who now works for a credit card company, has turned into XXX as like me, he has now come out of the closet. Trissie a.k.a. Trissie (baduy!) is still the same Trissie. Seriously. Same hair, same eyes, same built…she hasn’t changed! As for me…well as they were pointing out, TheGirl has now turned into TheBoy and I guess that is the weirdest transformation ever.

I left relatively early and could no longer join them at Max Brenner (we had dinner at Italliani’s where I happily freeloaded off Jardine’s food) because I had to be at FriiSpirit in Katipunan (Aside from the fact that it was my shift, I was seriously itching to play “No More Heroes”). We made plans to keep in touch more often and I set a tentative night out with Miles although we assured each other that no one is going to be puking by the curb this time. Needless to say, I’ll be seeing them all again (especially Jardine of http://iamclockwork.blogspot.com fame).

Saturday at the shop was crazy. We had one of our best days and that is always good but our manager-on-duty Zig took a few days off to attend a wedding and Andrea was under the weather. To make things worse, there was a private party in the lounge room, a Guitar Hero tournament, and it was Burger Night (and Che is the only one who can cook the burgers). The end result? Che and Jen running up and down the stairs, syncing remotes, cooking food, handing out drinks, changing games…all with a smile on our faces (I love talking about myself in the third person). Okay…maybe at one point, I wasn’t smiling. In fact, I was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Thinking it was my business and that some day I will sow what I reap kept me going. Oh…plus Cobra energy drinks.

It also helped that the girlfriend paid me a visit. She brought her sister along so they could play games and hang out while effectively spending time with me. Of course, our disturbingly comfortable beanbags, good food, Guitar Hero and Wii games could also be the real reasons why she showed up but I’d rather believe the former so please humor me. (And the sentence above was my attempt to discreetly plug FriiSpirit).

So after working myself to sheer exhaustion and after the girlfriend had gone home, I stayed at our relaxation area and tried to chat a bit with Carlos, Andy and Larcy. Since I can no longer avail of Jack Daniels to lubricate my tongue, I needed to make an effort to be funny and amusing while I was sober. I don’t know if it worked but Larcy still insists she likes me better when I’m drinking beer.

I was prepared to spend the entire Sunday alone at my condo, sleeping the day away, but who can stay home knowing that your shop was getting “Rock Band” that day and there are songs to be unlocked? Rock Band was finally released for the Wii and we snapped up two sets real quick. So after taking intermittent naps, I rushed over to FriiSpirit to find Andy, Carlos and Carol impersonating “The Police.” I naturally kicked Carlos away from the guitar and started strumming away. I also ended up being the resident go-improvise-and-sing-this-song-no-one-knows-and-make-sure-you-don’t-die-because-we-need-to-unlock-songs dude. So as soon as an obscure song needed to be played, I took over the microphone and tried my best not to fail. Forget about sounding good…I just wanted to reach the end of the song.

I slept early Sunday night because I had to be prepped for my day job. One mustn’t forget that it’s my day job and sidelines that pay the bills. The shop will pay off later but in the meantime, I need to be editor-in-chief-writer-extraordinaire if I don’t want to end up living on the streets (which is naturally an exaggeration because as Andy once told me, “You can always sleep at the shop.”) Come to think of it, even when the shop starts making money, I don’t think I’ll ever earn more in the business than I do in my day job. Which means, I’ll forever be a grease monkey (if I was a mechanic, which I am not…but I can’t think of a cool phrase to describe being an editor).

I woke up early Monday and after my morning rituals (which isn’t much, mind you), I tried to get a cab to take me to Makati. After I kept getting turned down left and right even when I was willing to add to the meter, I asked one of the drivers what the hell was going on. I was told that a tanker filled with alcohol (not the one I like) overturned in Edsa turning all routes to Makati a virtual nightmare. Unfazed, I bargained with him like crazy and got him to agree to brave the madness (and I didn’t even have to sleep with anyone). It was a nightmare all right. I was stuck in traffic for two and a half-hours and I ended up forking over almost four times my usual fare (which made me wish I just slept with someone…have a sense of humor, guys. It’s a joke).

So here I am taking a few minutes off work to type out this long, convoluted blog entry in an attempt to fight off burn-out and keep my sanity. One reading this might immediately deduce that I am tired and unhappy. I hope I am not leaving that impression because in truth, I am exhausted…but I have also never been happier in my life.

In typical Che fashion, my birthday started off with drama. But all’s well that ends well. If anything, it made me realize that alcohol just isn’t worth it. It can ruin friendships and relationships. So with that being said, I promised Leah to quit drinking. Last year, I quit smoking on my birthday. I’m giving up vices left and right…that confirms it…I am getting old! Soon I’ll be like Anna sitting in a housedress, drinking herbal tea and knitting. Hehehehe.

Still, I had one hell of a birthday. I told Leah it was one of the best birthdays of my life. She didn’t take me seriously at first until I started crying. I know…I know…I can be so sentimental sometimes. It’s the sentimental sap in me. Once in a while, it just pops out. But anyway, it was such a great birthday because we did absolutely nothing. Seriously.

In the morning of my birthday, I felt like a kid trying to get a glimpse of my presents. I was even trying to wake Leah up accidentally-on-purpose so I could open my gifts. When I was finally able to create enough of a disturbance to stir her awake without it being too obvious, she was surprised to see me wide-eyed with a grin on my face pointing eagerly to where my presents were located.

And what can I tell you? I loved my gifts. I think that was when I started crying. I told her that the gifts she bought were stuff I wanted for myself but couldn’t bring myself to buy (particularly because when it comes to shopping for myself, I’m a cheapskate). She got me three pairs of shoes (which means a lot when you learn that I only have two pairs of shoes and one of them is broken beyond repair), a moleskin notebook (which I’ve always wanted but always found too impractical to buy) and a bottle of my favorite scent.

After I’ve worn all the shoes at least once, jumped around the room a little bit, sprayed Leah with perfume, smelled my moleskin notebook, hugged and kissed Leah countless times, cried some more, laughed even harder, I bought us both lunch. We ate in the condo, shawarma rice, Aysee’s sisig and mineral water. After lunch, we had plans to go swimming but ended up sleeping instead. I woke up after thirty minutes but didn’t have the heart to wake Leah up since I know she’s been having problems sleeping for over a week. So I opted to lie down next to her and read my new book (The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer). Four hours later, Leah woke up and it was time for dinner.

We decided to eat at Seafood Island because they have these gigantic seafood meals that are good for three to four people. It was nice to see that despite Leah’s appetite being lacking lately, she managed to eat quite a bit (because it’s my birthday, thank you love). Of course, I ate a lot.

After dinner, we went back to the condo where we wanted to talk and hang out a bit. Unfortunately, I suddenly got sleepy which could be a reaction to the seafood which I am no longer used to. Although I no longer take antihistamines, I’ve noticed that I get extremely sleepy when I eat large amounts of shellfish. I wonder if this is psychosomatic again.

Anyway, we ended up sleeping before midnight ending a very relaxing and pressure-free day. I really believe birthdays should be like this, especially for someone my age. I just don’t have the energy to party anymore and drink the night away. Lately, I’d rather spend a quiet evening with the one I love. In truth, despite the gifts, enjoying the company of the person I want to spend the rest of my life with for an entire day is probably the greatest present of all.

I’m 31 and really, it isn’t too bad.

And yes, I really quit drinking.

As some of you know by now, I have a new job. Once again, I realized that I was happiest when I was editing and writing so I took the offer of a venture-capitalist funded U.S. company that delivered knowledge solutions. True to form, it’s a start-up company (No, I haven’t gotten over my addiction to start-ups) so aside from being editor-in-chief, I also do a lot of product development and process management.

I got a simultaneous offer from another start-up company that was a lot higher than what I am currently getting. Although the corporate whore in me wanted to take the offer so badly, I decided against it because I’ve had it with trying to change what I do for a living simply because I want to earn more. I know my current career path doesn’t pay much but it’s what I do and I’m good at it.

I have plans to move to a condominium unit in Salcedo Village by September so to add to my income, I write poker articles on the side and do Internet Marketing for my former company. With my hours at the shop, I guess you can say my days are pretty filled up. The strange thing though is that I don’t feel as tired as I used to. To think I am doing so much more now and the pressures of my new job is far greater than how it was in my two more recent companies.

You might think this leaves me with little time for a social life. The strange thing is, that really isn’t the case. Even I am surprised at just how much you can fit in a day. I’ve been seeing my friends more often (even finding time to attend Jardine’s Graduation Party last Saturday and Rizzie’s Birthday Party tonight), visiting my family once in a while, hanging out with the girlfriend more, going to church regularly, and even reading more (if that was even possible since I already read way too much).

I’ve been doing pretty well over-all except when it comes to the battle with my weight. After I quit smoking, my weight has ballooned. I’ve been trying to go on a low carb diet but unfortunately, it’s hard to stick to it when fast food options are so limited. Since I spend 95% of my waking hours outside my home, I no longer get to cook unless it’s food at the shop (which I am admittedly so sick of). So I’ve made a resolution to exercise and here’s hoping I stick to it this time.

So that’s my life right now. Until next time.

Yesterday was our very first S.L.D. What in the world is S.L.D? That question just begs to be asked. S.L.D. stands for, “Spoil Leah Day.”

So the day started off in regular fashion. This means she was late and I had to move lunch reservations. I’m not complaining. It really is part of her charm and I mean that.

I first took her to Café Juanita, that eccentric place in Bgy. Kapitolyo that everyone has been raving about for years now. I was a little worried because Leah was complaining of stomach pains so I figured she wouldn’t enjoy the food much. When we got there, there was a Sunday lunch buffet but thinking of Leah’s condition I asked if she would prefer to order from the menu instead. She gives me this really wide smile and proceeds to line up at the buffet. I really shouldn’t have asked. Although she was sick, she filled up her plate twice and even had room for dessert.

The food was surprisingly good. In fact, for the price, I think it’s the best Filipino food buffet in Manila right now. I’m talking about taste. Plus of course, eating in a place with such a quirky interior really adds to the fun.

After the meal, I took her to a spa in Greenhills where we both got a massage. She wanted a facial, of course, and I encouraged her to have one. After all, she’s been working so hard and she really deserves a break after the madness of the rat race.

While she had a facial, I browsed through magazines and watched a showbiz talkshow. I haven’t watched television in ages (or read the entertainment pages of the newspaper) so I continuously expressed my disbelief at the showbiz news to the amusement of the girl doing Leah’s facial. “Ano? Break na si Heart at si Jericho?”

We killed a little time at the condo before dinner. I had dinner reservations at Galileo Enoteca and it was her first time there. The only downside was that she couldn’t find a glass of wine she wanted so I ended up drinking her leftovers…wait a minute…did I say downside? Galileo is still the same as I remember it to be. The cold-cuts were good. The cheese was good. The pasta dishes were okay. The Tartufo was excellent. The coffee was good. The bill was amazing in a good way.

Yeah…it was a good day. Leah was surprised at how everything was so reasonably priced. I kept telling her that I was the master of things good and cheap. I think after S.L.D., she now believes me.
I can’t wait for Bangkok.

It was my dad’s death anniversary yesterday. It’s been a year.

I wonder. When would it get easier?

Just because we need every excuse to party...

FriiSpirit is Re-launching!

On May 10, 2008...it's FWiiDOM Night at FriiSpirit Fitness & Fun Center!
Members play for free the entire day!
For non-members, there's a 50% discount in membership.

Come in your glam rock attire and get a free drink.
Party starts 5PM - onwards.

For more details, visit http://friispirit.blogspot.com

Show up, guys. It's also our chance to catch up.

Yesterday, Leah and I gladly took up Carlos’ offer to bring us to his family’s private resort in Antipolo. We both had a stressful week and leaving the grind for even just a few hours was too tempting to resist. Plus, it’s been a month. :)

It was a nice place...understatement of the year again…very peaceful and relaxing. It was fun clowning around in the pool although Leah’s idea of fun was making me swim from one end of the pool to another. Being out of shape, I paid for it the next day (ouch). The food that Carlos prepared was so good. Chicken, pork, fish…I ate everything…screw my allergies…they don’t exist. :)

Carlos then brought us to Mabini, Malate to eat Persian food in one of his favorite places. This guy has been going on and on about this particular food find so we were really excited. In the car on the way to Malate, Leah realized she brought not one camera but two cameras and we neglected to take pictures. There’s always next time.

So we get to Malate and it was Persian food heaven. We ordered food good enough for a party of six and there wasn’t anything left when we were done. The different kebabs were terrific and the hummus was good. Hell, I even went ga-ga over the tea. The servings were huge and it was a good thing we were all hearty eaters (nice way of saying matakaw…hehehe). We made sure to take a few pictures and I’ll be posting them in my Multiply soon enough.

After one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long while, Leah and I just stayed at the condo to hang out. It’s been a month and I have to admit, it’s been going really well (I seem to be fond of understatements today). Despite our busy schedules, what we have is actually working out. I think it’s even getting better over time.

But back to the real world. I need to go back to work.

Until next time…