Monday Night And Striptease

I was in the mood to get it on at the gym and sweat away on a Monday night. Good thing I was able to convince Jacky, one of my girls from work, to join me. (Party people reunited? ^_^ ) We hurriedly left the office at the strike of 5:30 p.m. and got on an FX going to Landmark. Whew, the FX ride was a mini workout itself. We were packed like sardines all throughout that 10-minute ride, with hardly any trace of air conditioning to console us. When we got to Gold's Gym in Glorietta, we were pleased that it's not as crowded as it usually is during Monday nights. For tonight we chose to attend Cardio Striptease class scheduled at 6:30 p.m.

The good thing about Cardio Striptease is that we hardly notice ourselves being wasted and all sweaty 'coz we got to groove with hip-hop and rnb sounds. Funny thing was, Jacky was oblivious to the fact that it was a combo class; she thought we were just doing cardio moves.

"Ahhh, kaya naman pala..."

She was referring to why we each had monoblock chairs for workout props.

On our way home we passed by the supermarket to buy some stuff for Jacky's dinner - cauliflower and grapefruit. Naks, healthy noh? Oh, and we also bumped into Sabrina when we passed by Glorietta, another one of my girls at the office and who's also currently enrolled in our gym.

Too bad the Cardio-Striptease class is only during Mondays. I hope I could get my other girls to join as well. Hmm.. next week?

^_^

Series Galore

I just can’t stop raving about the fact that my fave tv series are back after their respective season breaks in the US. Here are the A-listers for me so far:

1. Gossip Girl Season 2 (I’ve seen the 4th episode already; looks like Queen S is back on the throne! XoXo. Hahaha!)

2. Grey’s Anatomy Season 5 (I’m curious whether Meredith’s and Derek’s happy ending will be all for good.)

3. Smallville Season 8 (Wow, the Green Arrow becomes a regular in this season, which means we’ll be seeing more of Justin Hartley alongside yummy Tom Welling. Oh yeah, I’m also glad Lana’s been put out of the picture, FINALLY!!!)

4. Heroes Volume 3 – The Villains (Yeah, Claire Bennet is still invincible but so is Sylar, plus I also get to see Hiro Nakamura, the Petrelli brothers, and other new characters as well.)

5. Prison Break Season 4 (Two things to watch out for: 1) Sara may STILL be alive and, this one is all-too obvious, 2) Wentworth Miller. ^_^ )

6. House Season 5 (It’s never lupus.)

7. Supernatural Season 4 (If every male siblings are as hott as the Winchesters, then I guess the world would be a whole lot better place, don’t cha think so ladies? ^_^ )

8. Ugly Betty Season 3 (I wonder what Her Royal Evilness Wilhelmina Slater will be up to this time…)

How about you? What are you’re A-listers when it comes to tv series?

^_^

Bangkok, Steak, And A Whole Lotta Shia!

I missed those weekends when I’d hang with my family on either a Saturday or Sunday, enjoying lunch out and enjoy a movie or two over popcorn and soda. We haven’t been going out much after mom’s surgery since she had to take some huge resting time at home to help her post-surgery recuperation, which meant weekends were usually spent at home. Good thing this weekend was a whole lot better, because mom had been fully recovered and me and my family were now ready to roll and make up for the previous ho-hum weekends. ^_^

First on the agenda: movies! We haven’t seen a movie on the big screen for quite some time now, so the first thing we did was to check whatever’s showing at the box office this week and the screening times as well. Bangkok Dangerous and Eagle Eye were on our top list. Dad wanted to see Bangkok Dangerous for the obvious reason: hardcore action. I, on the other hand, preferred Eagle Eye since it’s being top-billed by two of my favourite Hollywood celebrities these days – Michelle Monaghan and Shia LaBeouf – the latter being my ultimate crush ever since I saw the movie Transformers with friends. To solve our dilemma, we decided to just check out both movies. Wow, talk about an action-packed Saturday!

We saw Eagle Eye first, and may I be biased in saying that Shia’s performance was very becoming, plus the light trace of moustache and beard was well suited for him, at least as far as the role is concerned. Michelle Monaghan was just as oozing with appeal as she was when I first saw her in The Heartbreak Kid and Made of Honor. Only this time, her role deviated from that girl-next-door sweetheart in which she portrayed in her recent flicks. Still, she was able to pull it off pretty well. I haven’t read any reviews on the movie as I don’t want any spoilers coming my way prior to watching the flick. Overall, it was a pretty good movie with a surprising twist towards the middle part, especially that part where you get to know who the villain is. I give it a four-star rating, considering the actors, overall visual effects, and the originality of the storyline. Oh, and did I mention that I have this huge crush on Shia? (Yeah, I think I did. Hahaha!)

We had lunch in-between movies, and the menu for today is American. My family and I were craving for steak and Caesar salad, so we headed to T.G.I. Friday’s in SM Mall of Asia for lunch. We ordered for a well-done New York Strip Steak with Rice Pilaf and Dried Tomato Pesto, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (Served with additional bacon and cheese! Yummy! ^_^ ), Tortilla Crusted Chicken Fillet, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and a couple of fruit shakes for our beverage – Tropical Runner (Fresh banana, pineapple and piña colada mix frozen crushed ice decorated with cherry.), Strawberry Surprise (A strawberry-pineapple-papaya-apple juice combo, all in one soda), and Grape Freeze. What’s the verdict? Well, there was never a time when I’d leave ANY branch of T.G.I. Friday’s without having satisfied my palate. I must say that ever since I’ve had a taste of their Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad sometime a few years back for the first time, not even Antonio’s Foie Gras could come close. (No offense to all Antonio’s patrons, though; I’m a patron myself but I guess I prefer a lot more simplicity and a very cheesy and bacon-y taste when it comes to salads – something T.G.I. Friday’s has achieved with perfection, in my opinion.). The steak was just the right taste and serving. As for their customer service, they were very attentive to the customers’ needs – something which has become a signature of their every branch. I’ve been coming back to Friday’s countless times already, and I’ll probably never get tired of it.

For the next movie, it was my dad’s turn to get excited over the movie. I, on the other hand, was kind of timid to see the flick since I never liked Nicholas Cage anyway. Although I must admit he’s a very good actor ever since. But as far as Bangkok Dangerous is concerned, it seemed like Cage’s facial expression was tied to one – gloomy! (Oh yeah, and I wish he’d screw the terrible hair he had on the movie! Geez!!!) Moviewise, it was pretty boring for an action flick. Good thing there were ample sceneries of Bangkok in it, plus the action scenes were ok except that it wasn’t at all very edgy. Overall, it’s a two-star for me, simply because there were lots of elements in the movie that do a lot more workup.

After the movie, mom had to do an impromptu shopping for some shoes and stuff she needed at home while I played chaperon and carried her shopping bags. We left around 6:00 p.m. and headed home just in time for home-cooked dinner. ^_^

I Just...

Today's morning was a little dull than usual. In fact, it isn't just the morning - it's the entire day itself that's pretty dull. (Not just because of the gloomy weather.) I’m with my girls laughing and talking gossip, yet somehow my mind was distracted and preoccupied.

Where are you?

*Sigh*

This is one downside of having an office crush - while the mere sight of that one unsuspecting person can bring the sincerest of smiles, one day of missing a dose of that quiet guy with shy eyes behind those eyeglasses somehow makes the September rains a little bit more unbearable. (Well, I've always hated the rain anyway.) I hope I get to catch a glimpse of him tomorrow, a treat to suffice a quiet infatuation over the weekend. And if not... Well, there's always the next week.

I just miss you.

What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted...???

It's a sad thing that even the best of relationships fail and come to end. When you see two people who's obviously still very much in-love with each other yet chose to live separate lives, I can't help but ask out loud, "Huh?! But WHAT went wrong?" And then there are those relationships that seemed wrong from the very beginning - two über incompatible people with neither penchant for compromise nor acceptance of the other's flaws. The latter are those kinds of relationships that, when it fails for all-too-obvious reasons in due time, people take a grateful sigh as if breaking up was the wisest thing to do.

I've had my share of, err, people who have come and gone in my life who somehow made permanent imprints in my life - good ones and otherwise. One key lesson I’ve learned is that breaking up with a person who's supposedly so damn wrong for me does not actually erase the mistakes I’ve made nor the naive decisions I chose against better judgment. It doesn't undo anything - what's done is done. I can only force myself to get up lest I opt to stay stuck from where I am, and gather enough will to move on, one painful step at a time. And I guess the same goes to everyone - guys and ladies alike. But the bestest lesson a breakup can give a person is learning to fight a battle of his own. Sure, friends will be your cheerleader minus the pompoms, giving you as much moral support as they could until it's actually just a little bit sickening. But to win or lose is solely up to you. After all, only the person can fight his inner demons and triumph over the internal battle that kicks off the moment "This.Is.Not.Working." is spoken right in the face. (Oh yeah, there also the It's-Not-You-It's-Me and I-Need-To-Find-Myself speech.)

*Sigh*

Honestly, I can't seem to find the words that will put a decent ending to this blog. I guess I'll just have to put my two cents in the matter: It no longer matter who gets to do better in the guilt-trip department, who moves on first, however did one cope with the break-up (Yes, break-up sex included, for some. *wink*), nor which party was right or at fault in the first place. What’s important is that at the end of the whole ordeal, a person gets to have himself back together again and say to himself, "Yeah, I guess I'm a little wiser now."

The One That Got Away

There’s no special occasion as to why I’m re-posting this article (Hmm… or maybe THERE IS! ^_^), but it seems rather a good idea to share the article to anyone and everyone who hasn’t read it yet. I’m sure a lot of guys and ladies alike can relate to the article in some way. It’s a long read, I know, but one that’s definitely worth the time. :)

Source: The Manila Times

By: Mark J. Macapagal

In your life, you’ll make note of a lot of people. Ones with whom you shared something special, ones who will always mean something. There’s the one you first kissed, the one you first loved, the one you lost your virginity to, the one you put on a pedestal, the one you’re with …and the one that got away.

Who is the one that got away?

I guess it’s that person with who everything was great, everything was perfect, but the timing was just wrong. There was no fault in the person, there was no flaw in the chemistry, but the cards just didn’t fall the right way, I suppose. I believe in the fact that ending up with someone, finding a long time partner that is, does not lie merely in the other person. I can actually argue that an equal part, or maybe even the greater part, has to do with the matter of timing.

It has to do with you being ready to settle down and commit to someone in a way that goes beyond the little niceties of giddy romance. How often have you gone through it without even realizing it? When you’re not ready to commit in that mature manner, it doesn’t matter who you’re with, it just doesn’t work. Small problems become big; inconsequential become deal breakers simply because you’re not ready and it shows. It’s not that you and the person you’re with are no good; it’s just that it’s not yet right, and little things become the flashpoint of that fact.

Then one day you’re ready. You really are. And when this happens you’ll be ready to settle down with someone. He or she may not be perfect, they might not be the brightest star of romance to ever have burned in your life, but it’ll work because you’re ready. It’ll work because it’s the right time and you’ll make it work. And it’ll make sense, it really will. The day comes when you’re finally making sense of things, and you find yourself to be a different person. Things are different, your approach is different, you finally understand who you are and what you want and you’ve become ready because the time has truly arrived. And mind you, there’s no telling when this day will come.

Hopefully you’re single… but you could be in a long-term relationship, you could be married with three kids, it doesn’t matter. All you know is that you’ve changed, and for some reason, the one that got away, is the first person you think about. You’ll think about them because you’ll wonder, "What if they were here today?" You’ll wonder, "What if we were together now, with me as I am and not as I was?"

That’s what the one that got away is. The biggest "What if?" you’ll have in your life.

If you’re married, you’ll just have to accept the fact that the one that got away, got away. Believe me, no matter how fairy tale you think your marriage is, this can happen to the best of us. But hopefully you’re mature enough to realize that if you’re already with the one you’re with, that this is just another test of your commitment, one which will just strengthen your marriage when you get past it. Sure, you’ll think about him/her every so often, but it’s alright. It’s never nice to live with a "might have been," but it happens.

Maybe the one that got away is the one who’s already married. In which case it’s the same thing. You just have to accept and know that your memories of that person will probably bring a nice little smile to your lips in the future when you’re old and gray and reminiscing.

But if neither of that is the case, then it’s different. What do you do if it’s not yet too late? Simple… find him, find her. Because the very existence of a "one that got away" means that you’ll always wonder, what if you got that one? Ask him out to coffee; ask her out to a movie, it doesn’t matter if you’ve dropped in from out of nowhere. You’d be surprised, you just might be "the one that got away" as well for the person who is your "the one that got away." You might drop in from out of nowhere and it won’t make a difference.

If the timing is finally right, it’ll all just fall into place somehow. And it would be a great feeling, if in the end, you’d be able to say to someone, "Hey you, you’re the one that almost got away."

Thanks to Tintoots for this... ^_^

For The Week That Was

The week that has been was one hell of an exhausting week for me, as far as the month of September is concerned, that is. And boy, am I glad it’s over!

As I’ve mentioned in my previous blog, my mom had to undergo an ordeal at the hospital for surgery. Because of this, she had to stay in the hospital for at least five days straight. I myself had to stay at least 3 nights in the hospital to watch over my mom. Good thing the surgery went well and that her recovery is all going according to plan. She got cleared for discharge last Wednesday and is now recuperating at home. Ah, yes! Home sweet home! I’m just too happy for my family that hospital-food days and sleepless nights are over. Trust me, I’ve nothing against hospital food but they’re not exactly the best that one can have.

Rain has been pouring like crazy in our side of the metro as well as in the South, which hindered me from attending the first day of class for graduate school. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing against commuting in the rain; it’s just those stupid cab drivers who didn’t agree to drive me all the way to Taft because, according to them, traffic is “unbearable” and the roads are not passable due to flood. Oh-kay… I gave up eventually and just decided to head home.

Then came Friday.

This Friday is what I call the Mother Of All Fridays – the bosses are out on a strat planning session in Tagaytay, a long overdue lunch out with my office crew was in tow, and for some reason workload was pleasurably light. For the lunch out, we made a pit stop at Recipes by Café Metro in Greenbelt 3. We were a crew of 9, and boy it was a yummy gastronomic treat – Gising Gising, Adobo Flakes (With really BIG serving size that's good enough for 2-3 pax.), Lechon Kawali (That comes with Kangkong!), Café Metro Chopsuey, Spicy Squid, Korean BBQ Short Ribs, and Pork Inihaw. I’d summarize the overall experience in three phrases: GOOD food, BIG servings, and PROMPT service. Pixies are up in my Multiply site so feel free to check them out.

*Sigh*

So goes another week. I wonder what the coming week will be bringing in next. Oh well, bring it all in… I’m pretty much up for it. ^_^

Confessions

Today, I was surprised to hear from someone whom I haven't talked to in a long time. It was this guy who, for quite some time about almost 2 years ago, almost became a full-pledged suitor. Things obviously didn't work out, but we're still good friends despite the time and distance (He's currently based in Dubai and occasionally comes home in Pinas for brief visits.) He sent a YM message to inform me of the good news - he's getting married next year with his ex-girlfriend whom he'd gotten back together with.

*Sigh*

Oh well, I guess in this case one can say that love is INDEED sweeter the second time around.

To be honest, an unwelcome thought crept at the back of my mind: Had I given him a chance before, could I be wearing his fiancé’s shoes at this very moment?

Truth be told, he was one of those good guys who can really make me happy, only if I choose to. He was a good son and brother, and as far as I'm concerned he's one of the sweetest guys I've known. So why didn't it work out between us? Maybe because his commitment and dedication scared the hell out of me; it was as if I felt he was too good to be true for me. And foolishly enough, I let my hesitations and pride get the best of me. I avoided him and didn't return his calls and messages. My closest friends laughed and almost mocked his sweet gestures, tagging him as baduy and corny, and I laughed together with them. But deep inside, I thought it was all too very sweet. He eventually gave up and left for Dubai. The next time we talked, I said sorry for having acted the way I did, and being the good person that he was, he just shrugged it off with a smile and a joke.

I know he's very happy now, and I’m sincerely happy for him. I know he will be a great partner in life and a good provider for his future family. He said he'd personally bring my invitation and that I should come to the wedding. I said I would, but honestly I'm not so sure. I don't know why, but for some weird reason there's this tint of sadness inside me that I can't seem to shrug off. Maybe it's that little voice inside that's telling me that I let go of a good man and a potentially happy life with him. But it's too late for those thoughts now. I guess the only best thing to say now is that it was all for the best.

Officially Lovin' It - X.0.X.0.

It's official - I'm now a GG fan since... uhh... last Sunday?! Hahaha! Oh, what the heck? I know most ladies who'd even spare some time to read my blog would raise their eyebrows saying out loud, "Huh?! Bakit ngayon lang 'eh ang tagal na ng Season 1?"

Frankly, I thought the series would be all too teeny boppy with the all-too-classic mushy stuff in it. Well, it did - only it's got class and posh which probably makes it addicting as it is. My fave characters so far? Serena van der Woodsen and Chuck Bass, on top of others. I like Serena because she's got natural grace and poise without having to shout it out to the world that she's got 'em. Plus I love her hair - the kind that's just-got-up-from-bed-but-still-look-fab-just-the-way-it-is. As for Chuck Bass, well I've liked him since that part where he was asked why he should be an usher for Dartmouth and he arrogantly replied, "Why? Because I'm Chuck Bass." Hahaha, 'love it!

I was able to finish my Gossip Girl Season 1 marathon in one day, and now I can't wait to get my hands on Season 2. I heard episode 1 is up, and based on the spoilers I've been following on the net, looks like there's gonna be lots of actions between Chuck and Blair (Raunchy and otherwise, hehe! ^_^), while Serena will get an equal dose of innuendos and drama for the new season. That's on top of the other crew's personal dilemmas. A handful to watch out for, huh? ^_^

Dilemma 101

I'm thinking of him, and in the process i try to discern whatever it is in him that make my senses go gaga whenever i catch a glimpse of him. For whatever it's worth, though he's not what one might consider a strikingly good-looking guy, he's got this shy yet kind aura about him that's kinda cute actually.

*Sigh*

I want to know him - the kind of person behind those wire-rimmed glasses and quiet exterior. I think it wouldn't serve as a selfish wish to want to become his friend, but how?

Friday Night

It’s a Friday night, and instead of spending the it on a night out (Like, perhaps, the Octoberfest which I’ve always been wanting to go to since I heard that Third Eye Blind will be playing on the kick-off party.), I’m spending the night (and probably a couple more) at the De La Salle University Medical Center because my mom will be undergoing an operation called thyroidectomy tomorrow morning around 9 a.m. Mom had to undergo some pre-surgery preps and her vitals monitored for the next 12 hours prior the operation. In a nutshell, thyroidectomy is a process where the thyroid gland (or parts of it) will be removed and submitted for biopsy. Nothing serious actually, but it would require some recovery period afterwards.

Okay, enough medicalspeak for now.

*Sigh*

It’s been a very busy week – as in B-U-S-Y! Work has been a little busier and crazier these past days because of priority tasks on top of other priority tasks and some other priority tasks in between. Oh, and there are also some priority tasks that seem to pop out at every corner of the workplace at random times of the day. GEEZ!!! Still, I’m pretty much pulling through – thanks to the help of extended working office hours, 45-minute lunch breaks, caffeine overload, and an office crush. ^_^ (Oh yeah, ranting about it in my blog also helps.)

*Yawn*

It’s one of those REALLY rare moments in our family when we’d have to spend a night (or in this case, a couple of nights) at the hospital. Good thing they have cable TV. (Wow, Shaider is showing on Hero Channel!) I also brought my notebook with me because I plan to do a marathon of Gossip Girl Season 1 (I haven’t watched a single episode of the series, thinking it’ll be another one of those teeny bopper series which I’m not really into; but since a LOT of my friends have been raving about it – of both sexes, take note – I’ve decided to take look into the craze and decide for myself whether it’s all worth the rave.)

Oh-kay, time for some Ex-Oh, Ex-Oh galore…

Tell y’all about it next time. ^_^

Who Do You Tell?

"Who do you tell when you love someone, hoping that someone's in love with you?" - Tamia

I'm crushing on that quiet boy with the shy eyes and smiling face. Oh, and he wears eyeglasses by the way. This is nothing big, really; it's just that I find myself looking forward to seeing him during early (and I mean EARLY) mornings, when all is still hushed and the metro is just starting to buzz. He's making me smile these days, ever since he did some changes - positive ones! - to himself. It made me take a closer look at those eyes - shy behind those glasses yet as if ready for a smile to anyone... to me?! (Yeah, right! Ambisyosa! ^_^)

*Sigh*

No one knows yet... But who do I tell?

*wink*