Quick lunch for a birthday boy

Alan, a good friend of ours, called a couple of hours ago to ask whether he can borrow some train tracks for his son Joel, who needs them for his Science Fair project. He said he'd be dropping by during his lunch break, and that he'll bring in some chicken. As it is his birthday today, I told him not to bother. That we'll have something prepared when he comes over. We also invited Bong to join us for lunch who lives not so far away.

Thirty minutes later, we sit down to enjoy our grilled flank steak on garlic honey marinade, tofu and snow peas hot salad, and a tray of sushi. Best meal I had all week. Hmmm. Well, maybe not the best meal (I did get to indulge on my all time favorite miso salmon and fall-off-the-bones beef ribs at The Cheesecake Factory last Monday). So, pretty close call on that one.

Obviously, you'd expect that our conversation over lunch was about the momentum, gravity and speed (ok, we probably used the term velocity) as factors for the car on tracks experiment. And not to discount the effect of weight (or mass), as you accelerate. For a second grader Science school project, we more than likely projected too much. Or maybe not too much at all, as we also discussed the shift in level of understanding and education our children's generation now has. It's just totally different nowadays. And no, I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing. It's just that our environment and circumstances have changed, that's all.

But not to lose track of the occasion, happy birthday to you, Alan. May you have many more. Cheers!

Gate 4, Flight 1342

I'm at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport waiting at the gate for my 6pm flight back home. I got here early in the off-chance that I may be able to catch an earlier flight, but none was available. So there's nothing else to do now but wait.

I have 40 minutes of waiting to do.

I just checked my work email, and it seems I have a million items to answer, so I'll attend to them and I'll blog back when I get to Dallas. Ciao.

Playing catch up today

It's been a week! I didn't realize it sooner. Time really flies, and even when you're not totally having fun. But who am I kidding? I did manage to squeeze in some fun time.

I've got some stories archived in what's left of my memory cells. I'll tell them now before I forget. I got back home on Friday to spend weekend with my family. I missed them so much they convinced me to eat at Panda Express. What a treat. Not! But there's a good story there. Gabriel ordered chicken and fried rice, and we told him he's big enough to eat on his own. I could still hear Jojo coaching Gabriel, "Yong manok muna tapos punta ka doon sa rice." Now how do you think I could convince Gabriel to speak Filipino when Daddy doesn't even know how.

We had dinner at Aileen's on Saturday and we also spent most of Sunday hanging out with them. We met another couple, friends of Aileen's, and as ice breaker we get to play Taboo and Kabooki. If I weren't so tired, I'd say it was all fun. I guess my mind was also pre-occupied with the fact that I had an early morning flight out on Monday. Yeah, it was back to Phoenix for me.

On a completely different note - there's so much I want to do to fix the apartment. Well, nothing's really broken, but what I guess I meant was to make it more organized and enjoyable. We recently bought a set of frames that we haven't put up yet. So, that's the next project. I'll let you know how that goes.

Good words for the boy

Sometimes, you hear good things said about your son and it makes you feel like the greatest person in the universe. Just yesterday, my family had lunch with Meghna and afterwards, she commented that spending time with Gabriel always makes her wish she has a kid of her own. Now ain't that something?

I felt the sincerity and the warmth of her words. Thank you, Meghna. You certainly know how to make a mom very happy.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

First things first, so I'm gonna talk about Saturday.

The general direction was Grand Canyon but there were stops along the way. First stop: Sedona, Arizona where we had lunch and enjoyed the view. This city was billed by 1,000 Places To See In The USA and Canada Before You Die as probably the most beautiful city in the country. We got there, and I thought, it was okay. It was different but to be billed as the most beautiful city? Maybe not for me.

We passed by a park covered in snow so we had to make another stop. Gabriel totally enjoyed this. Enough to comment, "I'm so happy! I love the snow more than the Wii." So that's pretty big.

We made it to the Grand Canyon National Park just after nightfall so we decided to grab dinner and take a rest as our entire day passed rather quickly and tiresomely. We were up at dawn, and we covered quite a bit of land, so I wasn't surprised at all to be in bed and asleep as soon as I changed into comfy clothes.

On Sunday, we watched as the sun rose over the canyon at Yavapai Point. Now I know why they call it grand. And I'm ever so glad to share the experience with the two most important men in my life. Jojo couldn't stop taking pictures while Gabriel couldn't stop playing with the snow. And I would have sat there staring at the canyons if it weren't too damned cold.

We saw a couple of deers on the way to Yaki Point. And I conquered my fear of heights on The Abyss. The endlessness of the beauty of the canyon was truly majestic. And so it was with a heavy heart, and perhaps there was a bit of an empty stomach factor there as well, that we headed out of the park and into the nearest steakhouse.

It wasn't on the general route, but we passed through Sedona again on our way back to Phoenix. As the sun was setting and the light was playing the greatest shadows and color combination on the red rocks, driving through the quaint little town and even noticing the faint reflection of the rising moon, we made up our mind. This could be one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

I wished there were more time to spend here but all good times must come to an end - until the next good one starts. So until then, we'll cherish our moments and memories.

Busy with work but letting the good times roll

Practically spent the whole of last night on the phone and online, doing webex and calls, and buying airline tickets. I've been informed that I needed to be in Phoenix for a 2-week workshop (which coincidentally, I helped form when I went there last Tuesday). So I'm leaving tomorrow. Truly very busy.

The bright side of it is - I get to go with Jojo and Gabriel to the Grand Canyon! As soon as I learned that I was going back to Arizona, I checked American Airlines for airfare, and suggested to Jojo that perhaps, we should take the opportunity to drive north to Grand Canyon from Phoenix. He readily agreed, we got a good bargain on ticket prices after all. $220 per person! And that will only be for him and Gabriel as the company will cover mine (I'll be in meetings starting on Monday). So, not bad, eh?

So, Phoenix and Grand Canyon, here we come! It promises to be cold (high 39; low 8), but I hear the sight is totally worth it and so we won't let the opportunity pass. We'll bundle up for sure!

Talk to you from our hotel in Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Elastic day

Once a month, our office celebrates Elastic day. All of us bring in food (home-cooked, or else store-bought) for sharing. Potluck lunch. Today was the first for the year, and once again, we had more than we could chew. Everyone brought good food, and over good conversation, there's really nothing more you could ask for.

I was chatting with Michael about university fees in the US and although I've heard that it costs so much, I wasn't prepared to hear just how much. He, for example, owed $35,000 after 4 years, considered as student loan. Now that's a lot, compared to when I was in college in Manila, I believe one semester costs about $150. Multiply that with 8 semesters, only brings the total to $1200. Unbelievable. Our age gap is not that far off, so I'd say you can compare it to being in college at about the same time. Unbelievable (oh, I already said that!).

Cactus right outside the airport

Alright, so I know Arizona is a desert, but a cactus right outside the airport? I thought that was plain being cute. I was proven wrong once again because it is as real as can be. And I don't mean a cactus that can do nicely as a tabletop, but one that's as tall as I (ok, maybe as short as I is the more appropriate line here).

My trip to Phoenix was good, and I was able to spend a little bit more time with Meghna as we chatted the 3 hours back to Dallas. Girl power!

On a completely different note, I tried to make puto today. Disaster. At least I know now what I've been doing wrong, so hopefully the next batch will be a success. I'll tell you all about it.

Finally, mommy left for Manila this morning. It was different in the house without her. We miss her already!

Janet's

A little bit of a trip back to memory lane... we were having dinner at this Vietnamese restaurant in Richardson, when I went out of the ordinary and ordered something else: spare-ribs marinated in korean bbq with rice. As the waiter set it on the table, I immediately saw the yellow rice and thought, "Great, another one of those specialty rice." Yes, there was a bit of sarcasm there. I'm not particularly fond of colored rice.

Anyway, I'd try most anything once, and so I did. Wow! To my surprise, it tasted quite like, and at first I couldn't remember the name of the two-bit restaurant in front of my alma mater. And then, I tried a second mouthful. And there it was, as if I was taken back to Dapitan and crossing the street to -- Janet's!

If you ever lived in the area, or else went to UST at some point in the 1990s, then you know what I'm talking about. That not-so-fancy, smoky, sizzling palace serving inexpensive porterhouse steak with java rice.

Do you know if Janet's survived the millennium?

Phoenix and the Shiner

I have a business meeting in Phoenix so I'll be flying in the morning. This will be my first trip this year, and I hope will be a good start. I haven't flown to Phoenix before so it will be a welcome change. I just wish that the timing would have been better for me, as mom is flying back to Manila on Wednesday and that means, I will lose a day to spend with her while she's still here in the US. But no worries.

You know I'm not a beer-drinker, right? In fact, I would say I'm not a drinker period. But right now, I'm enjoying a bottle of Shiner Bock - a local Texas beer. The Spoetzl Brewery is located in Shiner, Texas - about halfway between San Antonio and Houston. According to the bottle, the Bock beer has been traditionally brewed in Germany to celebrate the arrival of spring. Well I say, it's winter and it's cold, and a cold beer tastes so good!

And since I've written my blog and I've mostly done my chores (except the ones that I don't want to do), I'll need to get back to reading the workshop agenda that will kickoff the project we're offering to our clients in AZ. I'll do my best to blog tomorrow, in the meantime, have you seen our San Antonio pictures?

And the Cowboys lost

The bishop celebrated mass today at our parish. I especially liked the homily. Mom would have gotten a picture with the bishop, but our camera's battery was out. Too bad.

After church, we went to Best Buffet in Plano and met with Aileen's and Anne's family there. It's our going-away party for mommy who will be leaving for Manila on Wednesday. She was surprised to see them there as we didn't let on that we invited them. As we were getting done with dessert, we got to talking about the Cowboys game at 3:30pm. We all agreed to go back to the apartment and watch.

And watch we did as the Cowboys lost. I guess we won't be playing at the Superbowl. We were so ready, and yet, we will be waiting for another year. I was just plain sad because I had a good feeling about the team.

Lone saxophone man

During the holidays, a man started playing the saxophone across the corner of our building in downtown Dallas. Well, it was the holidays so he was playing Let It Snow and I guess spreading Christmas cheer. The only problem was - that was all he was playing. Let it snow. All day long. So thank God for iPod and Windows Media Player. (Did I tell you that our offices are on the third floor and yet we can still hear him?)

Well it's past the holidays now and the sax guy? He's still outside playing us uninterrupted music. He finally dropped the holiday spirit and plays something else that I don't recognize. I'm sure I'll remember him for a long time, if only for his passion and determination to be heard. Impressive really. I should go and pat his back or something, one of these days.

New additions on my blog

I hope you enjoy the new additions on my site: slideshow of our San Antonio trip, list of songs I listened to during the day, and finally, a list of the books I've currently read. Feel free to check them out too and let me know what you think.

Falling into the water

So about 3 weeks ago, we were in San Antonio strolling along the riverwalk just before sundown. Gabriel was running around (what can you expect, right?) and so, just to be on the safe side, I pulled him aside and asked him what he'll do if he falls into the river. He said he won't panic and swim to the banks. Smart, huh? (I wasn't really that worried, I mean it's not that wide a river.)

Last week, we were in Houston and aboard the triple-deck sternwheeler. On the topmost deck, we enjoyed the view and Gabriel once again kept running around and looking over the rails of the boat to look at the water below. And once again, wait, here let me show you instead:

Me: Gabriel, what will you do if you fall?
Gabriel: Don't panic.
Me: And then what do you do?
Gabriel: (after tilting his head to the left and squinting as if in deep thought) Follow the boat?

We burst out laughing! Can you imagine that?

I miss you girlfriend day

Dear girlfriend,

Every once in awhile, I go through this phase when I terribly want to have a girlfriend to talk and hang out with. Today is the day!

I miss you because around here, I haven't yet opened up to someone with whom I could really be myself. Not to care what I say or do, and not having to apologize for things that I have said or done that were not quite acceptable. To a friend like you, everything goes.

I miss you because of the never-ending stories that we can share with each other even after we've just spent the entire day talking . We don't talk about gossip, not news, and definitely not the weather but real life stories, our thoughts and our deepest sentiments. It's not drama, comedy, or even sci-fi just because of the impossibility of what happened. It is real.

I miss you because with you I am more confident of doing things than I am on my own. Shopping is always more fun when we have to be a little bit jealous that the other one saw it first. With you, I can drink coffee even if I'm not a connoisseur or cook a meal even if I'm no chef. We'll end up eating what's on the table anyway.

I miss you because the day seems to go on with you. It doesn't end. Yes, at some point we say goodbye but always with the thought that we'll be seeing each other again. (In fact, immediately after separating we often find ourselves already thinking of the things to talk about when we next meet.)

I miss you because I'm no athlete but you keep me going until I'm able to return the serve or else go the next lap. And yes, I know my limitations so I will not ever go hiking or wall-climbing, but who knows... we can try out skydiving or belly-dancing. Let's do that when we're 40, shall we? I'll reserve the date!

And all these talk? It's just making me miss you more. I look forward to the next time we see each other. Until then, take care. And thank you for your friendship.

A good first day at work

I was real busy in the morning, getting caught up with emails and calls. I'm glad I checked my inbox frequently during my 2-week vacation, and so I am not left reading a lot of new stuff today. I only had to re-read those that I needed to deal with.

I planned to go out to lunch today with a colleague but as Michael was leaving for lunch, I was on the phone and I wasn't exactly keen on excusing myself so he went on ahead. As I was about to head out to join him, I got an important message to go into a call with my boss so before doing that, I gave Michael a call telling him not to expect me. He volunteered to get me something and that turned out to be very welcome as I did not have time to go out and grab lunch. An hour later, I was enjoying my free sausage sandwich with fries on the side at my desk. What a good life!

Also, I caught up with a friend over the phone. It's always good to hear and talk after a long time of not being able to see each other. We exchanged stories and also talked a little about home equity and taxes. hehe. Not that we're both an expert but she's currently based in New York and there's always a good amount of difference when it comes to properties and cost in NY compared elsewhere.

Please don't fast-track 2008

I can't believe my 2-week vacation went by so fast. Now I go back to work in the morning. I'm happy to say though that I don't have a lot of catching up to do as I've been reading my emails and taking care of the things that I can do (that don't require a lot of thinking).

Went to visit The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano because I wanted to check out the Swarovski store. I was disappointed because the studs that I planned to buy for my sister was double the price from when I was window shopping in Boston. So I ended up not buying them and instead got her something else. Good thing I'm not one for regrets. C'est la vie.

Wooh, the feeling that only Omega painkiller can give. I just got a 5-minute massage and it was (in childspeak) awesome! I haven't seen any of those liniments sold here in the US so I have to make sure mom brings back a bottle the next time she visits.

Rest

Mostly, this day was spent sleeping, reading, and eating. What a wonderful day!

I'd say it was a much deserved laziness as we had quite a busy couple of days. Yesterday, after the visit in downtown Houston, we took a detour on our way to NASA. We drove to the San Jacinto Monument where once again, we paid homage to Texas history. See, this was where the Republic of Texas was won from the hands of Mexico. Sam Houston lead the Texans with the famous battlecry, "Remember the Alamo!".

NASA made our trip to Houston well worth it. We also visited the Johnson Space Center and saw huge rockets! I guess the most important take away from this visit is - the future is in space. I learned that the US has decreased the budget that goes to NASA (or it's research) from 10% to half of 1% in the last 3 decades. I also learned that there's much research, planning and preparation going on right now to put man on Mars.

Oh, we also saw the Star Wars storm troopers which to me was the highlight of the whole visit (just kidding)! But it sure was cool.

The trip back to Dallas took all of 4 hours.

Consulate of the Netherlands

Haven't checked out of the hotel yet but close. We need to stop by the Netherlands Embassy to try to submit a visa application - or else ask what the next step is. My visa expired last year and the woman from the embassy has asked me to call first before submitting a renewal application. I've called several times but no one is there to answer. So, after a couple of months, I'm going there personally to inquire. I'll let you know how that goes.

(Postscript) The nice woman from the consulate took my application and requested that I send her a fax of updated company letters. I'll do that on Monday.

Road trip south of Dallas

I'm blogging from a room in La Quinta in La Porte, TX. We drove from Dallas this morning and went straight to Moody Gardens in Galveston Island where we tried the hour-long sternwheeler ride along Galveston Bay. It was freezing but we managed to have fun!

Next stop was Kemah Boardwalk and after braving the cold for an hour, we finally gave in and had dinner in Babin's Seafood Restaurant. It was a nice-enough meal, nice location, and great company syempre. As we were eyeing the dessert menu, the waiter asked Gabriel if there was anything he wanted. Gabriel answered him with this line, "No thanks. I'm watching out for calories!" The waiter quipped back with, "Now there's a modern child for you!"

The conversation did not end there, of course, because right after the waiter left, we told Gabriel that he really shouldn't concern himself with calorie-problems at his age. (Inside I was thinking, Man, if I only had his discipline!) In fact, we always encourage him to indulge in food as he is a bit in the smallish tip of the weighing scale.

So here we are, in a standard double-bed room, using the free wireless internet. Jojo's charging both camera batteries (we kinda abused them today, trying out b&w and sepia and other configurations). In an effort to keep our minds off of the digital SLR we saw in Amazon, we are re-discovering the features of our digital cameras (mine's at least 4-yrs old).

I'm not really that politically-inclined, but I just saw that in Des Moines, Iowa - Obama is leading the democratic polls while Huckabee is leading in the republicans race. It's only the primaries, right? (Here's how unpolitical I am, I don't even know who Huckabee is... hehehe).

Leche flan

Who would think there are a million ways to ruin a flan? I certainly did not. Today however, I've managed 2 unsuccessful attempts and unhappy about it. This being the new year though, I resolve to persevere and not stop trying. Over the past year, I've assumed a backlog of sorts on things that I want to do as part of personal improvement. And so, you'll be hearing more of my next attempts - not isolated to flan, so keep reading!

By the way, I got to try the fruit called persimmon the other day. It wasn't bad. It looks like a tomato but tastes like papaya.

One of these days, I have got to tell you more about touching a dolphin's nose. It was a moment I'll always remember.

Thank God for life.

Happy New Year!

Started the year '08 making noise with our close friends in Garland. We played Taboo and Platinum Cranium and had a lot of fun. By 2am, we were driving home.

Jojo and I managed to squeeze in 2 episodes of Arrested Development, we started a third but fell asleep as soon as it started.

Told Mom I wouldn't be hearing mass in the afternoon and I supposed that made her sad or angry, I'm not sure which one. As it turned out - there was no service in the evenings at St. Thomas Aquinas.

I need to get back to planning our trip to Houston - so I'll be back.

p.s. this '08 journal was Gabriel-inspired... he was writing his own journal the other day and I was really proud. Tata.