Still Alive! August Week 1

Yes, I'm still alive, like it or not. Hehehe. In fact, I celebrated my birthday just a few days ago. Yay for another year! *Thank you for all the greetings and gifts, so touched! Danke, grazie, thank you, gracias, salamat!*

This August, we've been so busy with travels and activities. I'm just thankful I was able to schedule everything before the trip. More importantly, I DIDN'T PROCRASTINATE *fist pump* *achievement* -- which means less stress for me. I don't like traveling with pending work -- di ako makapag-concentrate sa fun, fun, fun.

♥♥♥

During the first weekend of August, we went to Manila to celebrate Sharkteeth's birthday. We took the first flight out. Nasa Dumaguete airport pa lang kami, text na ng text si Madear. Pati si Auntie Dear. May bagyo daw sa Manila. Kebs. Dumaguete was bright and sunshiny naman. But during the trip, sobrang turbulent -- nahilo talaga ako. Meanwhile, ang aking dalawang kasama, tulog na tulog. Hmmmmppp...

Malayogenic. Huwag nyo nang i-zoom. Utang na loob.

We hitched a ride with TheHusband's officemate. Pagbaba namin sa may Roxas Boulevard,  ang lakas ng hangin! As in feeling ko eh natatangay ako. We had so much fun walking, or rather, being pushed by the wind. Buti na lang may cab kaagad. Otherwise, I dread the amount of conditioner I would have to use on my heavily tangled hair. Mahihiya si Bob Marley sa buhok ko.

Love you, anak.

We went to UST for S's pedia checkup. Then kain muna sa family favorite, Pancake House. UST is soooo different na. Ang dami nang relatively upscale food places. Dati mga coop lang ang kainan (miss ko na ang yummy beef mami na amoy aso daw sabi ng friend ko, saka yung siopao meow meow *kidding* sa taas ng Main Building); pinaka-upscale na nun yung Janet's sa Dapitan and Shakey's sa España.

I brought TheHusband and S to the museum. It's on the mezzanine, and walking up the steps always make me feel sentimental (the reason is here). The museum doesn't have too many artifacts, but there are many preserved animal specimens.

Kalasag

Steampunk?

That is one long boa!

Fauna

In the poon wing

There are also a number of paintings from the not-quite-old masters.
 

Amorsolo

Amorsolo

Manansala

Manansala

Nuestra Señora de la Palona (unknown artist)

Portrait of a Young Balinese Girl (Locatelli)

  

Shady...

For a moment there, I briefly toyed with the idea of staging a heist and stealing that tiny Miss Virginia Grace painting by Amorsolo. Kaso may CCTV cams covering all angles. Hehehehe!

JOOOOKE lang!!!

Actually, yung Locatelli painting talaga gusto kong nakawin. Eh sobrang laki, mahihirapan ako.

JOOOOOKE uli! Baka may maniwala and makita ko na lang bukas ng umaga ay may pulis nang aaresto sa akin.

♥♥♥

The rest of the weekend was spent with my family, celebrating S's birthday. After the luncheon celebration in a Chinese restaurant (can't remember the name -- it's the one in Centris, Yang Cha? Yam Cha? Uggghhh, memory lapse...anyway, love the food, but the crew were all unsmiling -- little TIP for you then), we went to SM North EDSA, and I realized that it has been so long since we last went there. May mall-wide sale. Ang daming tao. I'm getting old and grumpy na -- wala na akong patience sa malls na napakaraming tao.

We spent the last night in Manila. Nakuuuu, bago kami nakaalis ng bahay, nagpabaha pa si Madear and S. Iyakan na naman ang dalawa. Lagi na lang. Sumasakit lang ang loob ko pag nakikikita sila. Hanggang makarating kami ng hotel, may shade of sadness pa rin mukha ni S. Buti na lang binigyan ng concierge ng back copies ng Total Girl. She brightened up. We were supposed to visit our home in Laguna, but TheHusband, a mallrat worse than I am, requested that we just go to the mall. Ang dami na namang sale. Got some Martha Stewart glass containers with pistachio green rubber/plastic cover for only 120 each. Sayang, di ko pa binili lahat yung nakalabas na stocks. :( Madami pa akong small anik-aniks na nabili, pero pinaka-value for money yung containers. Saka yung Black & Decker na plancha (500?). Nakakainis kasi yung old plancha namin, sobrang ikli ng cord. Although the new plancha isn't exactly inspiring me to learn how to iron clothes...

Our flight back was early. And per family tradition, muntik na naman kaming maiwanan ng flight. Well, hindi naman tipong nagsasara na yung pinto ng plane... It took us so long to check out because I stained the towel a bit pink, as I wrung my red dress with it. So I paid for the towel and the housekeeper took his sweet time bringing the towel down. And when we reached the airport, we queued on the last call line. Then a CebuPac ground crew told me to get off the line as it was for the last call passengers. When I told her that we're bound for Dumaguete, which was leaving in a few minutes, she said, "Next pa sa last call ang Dumaguete." So umalis kami sa line. A couple (literally) of seconds later, ni-last call na Dumaguete and we had to go back to the queue we were asked to leave. Uggghhhh... Anyway, eventually, with much running, naka-abot din, and we got home safe and sound.

Home, sweet home. TheDog was ecstatic.