DST

Na-Twilight Zone ako kaninang umaga.

I woke up at 8am, my whole body rested and completely ready to tackle the day before me. My body clock was wired just so that I'd be able to move at a relaxed pace until I had to get ready for work (I'm substituting at the Summerhill office until they find someone to work full-time. It's extra income for me, plus the option to check out during the week).

After about 20 minutes of luxurious stretching and keeping toasty under the covers, I went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. I did a double take when I saw the clock read 9:20. PANIC!!! It automatically hit me that DST must've taken effect the night before. It really pissed me off that I had to move in fast forward.

Instead of my original breakfast idea of sausage and eggs, I had to grab some cereal and soymilk. Not a bad option, truth be told, but I learned long ago that if you're craving for something, there's really nothing that can replace it. A quick fix just won't do.

While eating my cereal as fast as I could without choking, my uncle came into the kitchen and told me that he had to adjust the kitchen watches because we were already on DST. ARRGGGHHHH!!! My watch was right all along! I could've had my leisurely breakfast. Bad trip.

Buti na lang may bagong episode ng Desperate Housewives mamayang gabi. If I miss that, then I'll really be pissed... hehehe

So, to all my friends and relatives in the Philippines, you are now officially 13 hours ahead of the East Coast and 16 hours ahead of the West Coast. I believe it's going to be this way until around April.

Bitin

ABC showed back-to-back reruns of Grey's Anatomy last night. The first two episodes of the current season to be exact.

Nakakabitin!

I was so looking forward to a brand new episode this week. Now I have to wait another week. Sigh...

On the upside, last Wednesday's Lost was great! A lot of drama and mystery.

Favorite Movie Weekend

I really enjoyed last weekend. My reasons are four-fold (tama ba?)

1. I was finally able to finish the first and second seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Now I can't wait until Thursday to find out how the series continues.

2. I got started on the first season of House, which keeps me from being pissed at Fox for delaying the showing of new episodes in favor of the World Series (stupid baseball season... hehehe).

3. They showed The Usual Suspects on TNT last Saturday. That's one of my all-time favorite movies. The story is extremely compelling. The writing, excellent. Casting, hello, Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Byrne? Enough said. Love, love, LOVE that movie.

4. Sense and Sensibility, another one of my all-time favorites - and by that I mean I can watch it over and over and over again - showed on Turner Classic Movies. I was actually amused by this because I always thought TCM showed really old movies. You know, B&W stuff; stuff shown in the 50's, 60's, 70's. Sense and Sensibility came out in the 90's. 1995 to be exact. Hardly TCM material. At least not yet.

McDreamy talaga

I just can't get over how hot Patrick Dempsey is now.

Who would've thought that this...


would grow up to be this...


Naman...

Wednesday

Project Runway is over. Fan favorite - and my favorite to win, Michael Knight (insert obvious Knight Rider joke here), lost to my least favorite designer, Jeffrey Sebelia. To be honest, I had a feeling Jeffrey would win because of the way his story was developed, especially towards the end. Plus, I'd been reading some pretty good reviews about his designs for NY Fashion Week. And, even though I'm very disappointed that Michael didn't win, I'd have to agree that Jeffrey's collection was the most forward-thinking. So, congratulations to him.

Anyway, I think this season's final four are pretty much in for a career in fashion. They each have their own strengths and are all extremely gifted designers. I'm sure they'll be getting calls from varios fashion houses or clothing manufacturers or what have you.

***

This week's episode of Lost wasn't as compelling as the previous ones. Probably because the focus was on Locke's storyline. Although it is interesting why a killed-off character seems to be making a comeback - via a vision... No rising-from-the-dead developments here (Maybe in future episodes... hehehe).

I am very interested in next week's episode, though. Will Kate finally choose between Jack and Sawyer? We'll see!

***

Grey's Anatomy. I am so hooked on this show. I was finally able to get my hands on boxed sets of the first two seasons of the "#1 show on television" (according to ABC), and I must say that I'd be more than willing to believe that claim.

First of all, who would've thought that Patrick Dempsey would turn into such a hottie? He was such a dork in the 80's! I still catch myself shaking my head in disbelief sometimes. He's just so HOT!

I didn't like Meredith Grey's character so much at the beginning. I mean, I couldn't understand what made her more desirable than, say, Izzie who's physically better looking. And she didn't have the same interesting personality as Cristina. But she became more likable with every episode.

I believe the turning point for me was the episode with the patient who accidentally shot 7 nails into his head and who needed surgery for a tumor; a surgery that would make him lose his memory. Also, the episode where she convinces a father with Parkinson's disease to undergo a procedure which stopped his tremors and, therefore, made it possible for him to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. And the episode where her mother is brought in? That was just heartbreaking.

Mental note: New episode tonight.

***

Got my first official scare since arriving in Florida almost 3 weeks ago. Had to take a detour coming home yesterday because I noticed a huge SUV following me. At first I thought he was just in a rush and that's why he was driving so close behind me, so I changed lanes to let him pass. Guess what? He changed lanes as well. So I ended up taking a quick trip to the mall just so I could lose him.

It was the first time I felt scared at the house. I became very aware of every little noise that it made: the ref auto defrosting, the clock chiming every 15 minutes, the blinds knocking against my window. My imagination started running wild and I'd be afraid that someone might come up via the waterways and just smash through the sliding doors or something.

I hate, hate, HATE that feeling.

Thank God nothing happened and I woke up to a gloriously warm day.

***

Mental note: New episode of Smallville tonight, too.

Color Your Mood

-- RED --
Closest red thing to you?
My red cocktail ring.

Last thing that made you angry?
I don't remember

Do you have a temper?
When pushed too far

Are you a fan of romance?
I'm a sucker for romance.

-- ORANGE --
Closest orange thing to you?
My orange shirt

Do you like to burn things?
Like a pyromaniac? Nope. Like Phoebe's brother? Nope.

Dress up for Halloween?
Was looking forward to it in Virginia. Not so much here.

Are you usually a warm-hearted person?
Yeah.

Do you have anything against redheaded people?
Nope

Are you usually full of energy?
Just enough.

-- YELLOW --
Closest yellow thing to you?
The ceramic fish my uncle decorated this room with.

The happiest time[s] of your life?
Times with Bukas Palad. High school. Times with my family.

Favorite holiday?
Christmas still makes me feel warm inside.

What makes you smile?
My dogs, Friends, friends, family, Michael Jordan, Will Smith, Johnny Depp...

Are you a coward?
I don't think so.

Do you burn or tan?
I tend to burn if I'm not careful

-- GREEN --
Closest green thing to you?
The shirt I was wearing earlier

Do you care about the enviroment?
Yeah

Are you jealous of anyone right now?
Nope

Are you a lucky person?
I never really thought about it. But I guess I sorta am.

Do you always want what you can't have?
Not always.

Do you like being outdoors?
Sometimes.

Are you Irish?
Nope

-- BLUE --
Closest blue thing to you?
My pillows

Are you good at calming people down?
Usually

Do you like the ocean?
Yes. I remembered how much I loved the water when I went boating last Sunday.

Are you a logical thinker?
Sometimes

-- PURPLE --
Last purple thing you saw?
The towels in the other room

Like being treated to expensive things?
Sure. Who doesn't?

Do you like mysterious things?
Only if there's a happy surprise at the end

Ever met anyone in royalty?
Nope

Are you creative?
Yes

-- PINK --
Closest pink thing to you?
My current sleeping attire.

Do you like sweet things?
Yeah

Are you sensitive?
I can be

Do you like punk music?
Not really

-- WHITE --
Closest white thing to you?
The piece of paper on my side table

Would you say you're innocent?
Definitely not

Always try to keep the peace?
More often than not

How do you imagine your wedding?
Definitely filled with music. There are too many other details to mention here.

Do you like to play in the snow?
Not for too long

Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist?
I'm not afraid. In fact, I enjoy going to the dentist.

-- BLACK --
Closest black thing to you?
My laptop

Ever enjoy hurting people?
Only when they deserve it.... hahaha. Seriously, I don't like hurting people. At least not intentionally.

Are you sophisticated or silly?
An equal mix of both

Would you like to go to space?
Why not? I'd give it a go if I had the chance

Do you have a lot of secrets?
Not so much. My life's pretty much an open book

What are your favorite colors?
Orange, Teal, Red

Does the color you wear affect your mood?
Not really.

How has 2006 been... so far

[In 2006, have you...]

1. Had more than 5 different serious relationships?
No. Not even 1

2. Had your birthday?
Yes. Last April

3. Been to church?
Yes

4. Cried yet?
Yes

6. Pulled an all nighter?
Yes

7. Drank Starbucks?
Yes

8. Gone shopping?
Of course

9. Been camping?
No

10. Been to the beach?
No. But I live by the water now. Does that count?

11. Bought something for over $200?
Yes. I'm using it right now :)

12. Met someone?
I've met a lot of people since January

13. Been out of state?
Yes

14. Gone Snowboarding?
No. Don't think I'll be able to try it here in Florida... hehehe

[In 2006, have you...]

1. Hugged someone?
Yes

2.Slept in someone else's bed?
Yes

3. Snuck someone over?
I'm 30 years old. I don't have to sneak anyone anywhere

4. Snuck out of your own house?
See previous answer

5. Gotten drunk?
Oh yeah

7. Gotten a car?
No

8. Gone over your cell phone bill?
No

9. Been called a whale?
No

10. Driven somewhere?
Yes

11. Done something you regret?
No

[Lasts...]

Last thing you bought?
Toiletries

Last person you hugged?
Thrina

Last person to call you?
Moks

Last time you took a shower?
About an hour ago

When was the last time you felt stupid?
Hmmm... yesterday, when I realized I forgot to close the garage door

Who was the last person who saw you cry?
Bukas Palad people during our last US tour

Who was the last person who made you cry?
My ex

Who was the last person you danced with?
Hehehe... Tony at eCitie

Who did you last yell at?
I don't remember. Probably some stupid driver

What did you do today?
Answered calls, printed out documents, did some research

[Ten Facts... That's actually Seven]

01. Hometown?
Pasig City

02.Natural hair color?
Brown

04. Hair style?
Shoulder-length and slightly layered. Am getting it trimmed on Monday.

05. Eye color?
Brown

06. Height?
5'

07. Mood?
Excited

... Sabi sa inyo 7 lang eh.

[Ten Things About Your Love Life]

01. Have you ever been in love?
Yes

02. Do you believe in love?
Yes

03. Why did your last relationship fail?
He cheated on me

04. Have you ever been heartbroken?
Yes

05. Have you ever broken someone's heart?
Yes

06. Have you ever fallen in love with your best friend?
No

07. Have you ever loved someone but never told them?
Yes

08. Are you afraid of commitment?
No

09: Would you ever date one of your exes?
If depends

10. Have you ever had a secret admirer?
I wouldn't know

[Ten Things]

01. Love or lust?
Love

02. Liquor or beer?
Liquor

03. Night or day?
Night

04. One night stands or relationships?
Relationships

05. TV or Internet?
Both

06. Pepsi or Coke?
Neither

07. Wild night out or romantic night in?
It depends on my mood, but I'm more of a romantic night in kinda girl

08. Black or white?
Black

[Ten Emotions]

01. Are you missing someone right now?
Yes

02. Are you happy?
Yes

03. Are you talking to anyone right now?
No

04. Are you eating right now?
No

05. Are you german?
No

06. Are you Irish?
No

07. Are you French?
No

08. Are you Italian?
I'm Filipino

09. Are your parents still married?
They're separated

10. Do you like someone right now?
Yes

Tagged...

... by Jowi :)

1.How often do you blog? I blog whenever I can. If something pops into my head that I want to blog but can't, I have a little notebook I jot everything down in first.

2. Online Alias: I pretty much use my name. But I do have a secret alias... hehehe.

3. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? Yes.

4. What do you do most often when you are bored? Sa Manila, I'd watch DVDs or tv, or go online. Minsan magyayaya ako mag-sine o mag-kape. Minsan makikipag-daldalan ako sa mga kaibigan ko. Now, I pretty much do the same thing, except the DVD and coffee thing.

5. When bathing, which do you wash first? Hair.

6. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? Yes.

7. What color looks best on you? Reds/pinks, black, white, blues, greens, earth tones, yellows. I have a fair complexion so I can pull off almost any color.

8. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? White Russian or any vodka-based cocktail.

9. Do you believe in heaven and hell as a real place that each of us will go to after death? Sometimes.

10. Do you find that you have more online friends than offline friends? Nope.

11. What was your favorite subject in school? My Comm classes.

12. Are you a perfectionist? I don't think I am. I do have my OC moments, but I'm hardly a perfectionist.

13. Do you spend more than you can afford? Nope. Kuripot nga ako eh.

14. Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved before? Yes.

15. Do you consider yourself creative? Yes.

16. Do you give yourself the credit you deserve? Hmmm... I try to.

17. Do you donate time or money to charities? Not as much as I did in Manila.

18. Have you recently done something that you’ve criticized others for doing? Not that I recall.

19. What’s on your mind right now? Sana magkaron na 'ko. I hope my papers are processed soon. I can't wait to get a car and a kayak... hehehe.

20. Say one nice thing about the person who tagged you and the five people that you are going to tag. Jowi - mysterious and fiercely loyal

Tag! You're it!
Carlo - computer wiz and musically gifted.
Dia - a great mother
Erwin - funny
Happy - extremely creative
Candice - mabait at maganda ang boses

Lunch Break

Got this from Jowi. Haven't answered one of these in a while, so...

How do you like your eggs? Sunny-side-up. I like my eggs to be crispy around the edges, but with the yolk still uncooked.

How do you take your coffee/tea: For instant coffee, 2 packs of Nescafe 3-in-1 is just right. For brewed, I like to add a little more cream than people are probably used to and 2 packs of Splenda. For tea, I take mine as is.

Favorite breakfast foods: This is a difficult question. Syempre, Pinoy ako, so I'm the "Silog" - basilog, tapsilog, sardinsilog, vienna sausilog... - kinda girl. But sometimes I'll have wheat toast with egg or cereal.

Peanut butter: smooth or crunchy? Smooth

What kind of dressing on your salad? Ranch, ceasar, italian vinagrette, or this dressing my mom makes.

Coke or Pepsi? Neither.

You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?

You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order? Hmmm... probably a meat lover's

You feel like cooking. What do you make? It'll depend on my mood. But I'll probably make some sort of pasta dish.

Do any foods bring back good memories? Oh, a LOT. Steak, lamb chops, salpicao, aglio olio pasta and fruit salad will always bring back memories of my childhood and fun times with my family. Not any particular occasion. Just the regular gatherings that we have. Sunday dinners, birthday celebrations, mahjong sessions. The same goes for manggang hilaw ang bagoong.

Do any foods bring back bad memories? Nope

Do any foods remind you of someone? Steak, lamb chops, salpicao, aglio olio pasta and fruit salad will always remind me of my family. The same goes for manggang hilaw ang bagoong. Dinuguan, yema and sampaloc remind me of Lola Ninang. Salads remind me of Moks. Nori and budbud remind me of Noah, Marco, Thrina and Joey. Diet coke (does that count?), chicken stir-fry, chicken ala kiev and penne pindown (tama ba?) remind me of Jowi. Pesto chicken penne pasta reminds me of Jennie. O Kitchen's adobong kangkong reminds me of my brother, Carlo. Sinigang na hipon reminds me of Candice.

Is there a food you refuse to eat? Chicken feet and frog legs. I've actually tried frog legs, so I'm sure I'm never going to eat them again. Chicken feet I will never try. Ever.

What was your favorite food as a child? Kadyos, aglio olio pasta.

Is there a food that you hated as a child but now love? Well, I don't love it, but I used to not eat ampalaya.

Is there a food that you loved as a child but now hate? Nope.

Favorite fruit & vegetable: Strawberry, mango, brocolli, kangkong

Favorite junk food: Cheetos Puffs, Clover Chips (plain cheese, thanks), Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheese, Lay's Salt & Vinegar

Favorite between meal snack: Hmmm... I don't think I have any.

Do you have any weird food habits: I always smell my food before eating it. I believe you can usually tell by the aroma whether or not a dish tastes good. So if I don't like the way it smells - and this has nothing do with whether or not it smells good - I probably won't eat it. I also set aside the skin on my chicken and eat it (read: save the best for) last.

You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on? I cut back on carbs and don't eat after 7PM.

How spicy do you order Indian/Thai? Mild.

Can I get you a drink? White Russian or Grey Goose/Belvedere with cranberry juice and a splash of lemon/Sprite or a Hypnotiq martini.

Red wine or white? Either.

We only have beer: No thanks.

Favorite dessert? Chocolate decadent cake at Jack's Loft or strawberry cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory or the chocolate fondue at Old Swiss Inn

The perfect nightcap? Hot green tea while watching Friends/SATC reruns... hehehe.

Sunday Barbecue

I'm about to turn in for the night. I just wanted to share the rest of my Sunday.

Brian, Tito Benny and Tita Nita's son came over to deliver the seafood we were going to serve for dinner. Before the cooking started, he took the kids out on the boat and I, of course, came along. The boat ride was great. Scenic and very relaxing. I even got to drive on the way back! Can't wait to do it again. I'm even thinking of getting a kayak so I can go explore the springs in the area.

When we got back, we had about an hour and a half to prepare for the guests. More than enough time. Our menu:

Appetizers: smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, crackers with crab and lobster dips, scallops
Entrees: steak, steamed crabs, shrimps and mussels, mixed vegetables
Dessert: 4 kinds of cheesecake (it was a sampler tray), a pastry platter with about 4 or 5 different varieties, ice cream, coffee, tea

YumMY.

Month of the Holy Rosary

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. I was reminded of this during the 10:30am mass I attended with my Tita Nita earlier today.

This afternoon, at around... oh... 1pm, I received an email from a college batchmate. Now a deacon studying at the St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, he thought of starting a blog to keep everyone abreast of the goings-on in his life as well as to share some of his reflections and homilies.

I checked it out and came across this entry: The Rosary as the Epic of Our Salvation; and thought I'd share it with all of you.

Sunny Florida

Well, I'm here. I arrived this morning on United Airlines flight 1571 --- 30 minutes early, I might add. After a quick trip to the restroom and baggage claim, I waited on one of the benches outside Tampa International Airport for Tito Benny and Tita Nita.

On the hour drive back to the house, Tito Benny filled me in on the position I'd be interviewing for. He also told me about the company I'd be working for. Apparently, they're into more than just real estate. They're also into property management and insurance.

Had my first interview after a quick lunch and got a tour of the all the offices. Second interview is tomorrow to iron out all other details that need to be discussed. All in all, it looks like a promising prospect. I’m psyching myself up to getting a license/ID and buying/leasing a car.

Composed on October 2, 2006

Early Dismissal

Got off work early today – 2:30 to be exact – because my boss and his family were going to a party at a relative’s house and needed to lock the house. They have a home office, see, and I don’t have a key yet, so I couldn’t stay even when they left.

Since it was still early, I decided to visit the Crystal River Mall. I wanted to find out what the closest mall to the house had to offer.

Composed on October 6, 2006

Friendster Horoscope

My horoscope for today. My comments in red italics.

The Bottom Line

Today you are in for a pleasant surprise --what you thought was a problem is not.

In Detail

Today you are in for a very pleasant surprise. It seems that what you used to think was a gigantic problem in your social life is actually a blessing in (a very convincing) disguise (Really? I'm curious to know what good thing is in store for me). The people you were starting to get annoyed with will either shape up dramatically or ease themselves conveniently out of your life (People I get annoyed with? There aren't any. Annoy is too strong a word. Besides, I choose to not get annoyed). There are some intriguing new puzzles you need to solve, and they will keep you entertained all day (Like how I'm going pack all my stuff into one suitcase... hehehe). Tonight, get ready for a new adventure to begin (Oh yeah!).