Christmas 2015 Recap

Kamusta naman, February na, ngayon pa lang ang Christmas post ko. Like I mentioned in my previous post, nasilaw ako sa salapi and I accepted way too much work.

The days leading up to Christmas were a blur of shipping orders, wrapping gifts, shopping, etc. Despite me setting a cutoff in my IG selling account, buyers were still placing orders up to the last minute. Hindi ko naman matanggihan. It's like saying no to money. Tangent thought: When I was young, I didn't understand why my parents, despite sleeplessness and exhaustion during Christmas season (i.e., peak firecracker and firework season), never turned down a buyer. Kung minsan hating-gabi, may kakatok para bumili, and kahit antok na antok, they'd let the customers in, give them hot food, and prepare their orders. They had this group of customers na taga-Angeles who always wanted the biggest, loudest, and baddest ass firecrackers -- yung nakakabasag ng bintana. Eh bawal yun, talagang palihim gawin, and talagang special order lang. Ang siste, they'd go sa bahay namin sa gabi and saka lang gagawin ni Fadear. Yung mga customers naman, they'd sleep in their car and wait for Fadear to finish the firecrackers. Tapos uuwi na sila ng madaling-araw. *Sana buhay pa sila and intact pa lahat ng kanilang daliri/kamay/binti/paa.* O hayan, nawala na naman ako. Mabalik tayo. So, I accepted orders despite being past the cutoff. Then I had to prepare TheHusband's and Sharkteeth's gifts/tokens. TheHusband set a budget of 30 pesos(!!!) each for the tokens. Juskopo naman. San naman ako kukuha ng tag-trenta pesos?! Huwag naman ganyan. In the end, I found some nice floral cups for 24 pesos each and I just added a bag of tea. *Victory!*

For TheHusband's gifts naman, I bought some Mason drinking jars and placed assorted chocolates inside. Sayang walang pictures. Nabalot ko na kasi. I discovered my stash of Christmas-themed gift tags and stickers used them to decorate the brown paper I used as wrapper. *Victory!*

Sharkteeth's tokens to her classmates were chocolates and various kiddie stuff like character rulers, stickers for Lego figures, erasers, etc. May separate pang gifts for her friends. Haaaaay...kapoy jud. Due to insistent public demand, pastillas ang contribution ni Sharkteeth sa class Christmas party. Buti na lang, she helped in the preparation. I gave her the recipe and she was the one who mixed it. TheHusband helped and balled the mixture. *Family effort, wagas!* I added some royal icing snowflakes to make it Christmas-y. :) *Victory!*

Christmas pastillas

For her  teachers, I packed some chocolate mix and porcelain spoons in Cath Kidston mugs and decorated the handle. Hindi ko na binalot. I was bleary-eyed already. *Powerless na si Darna.* *Still a victory!*

Aside from my Christmas wreath, eto lang ang Christmas decoration ko. Tssskkk. Oh well. *Not a victory.* *sad trombone*

We left for Manila on the afternoon of the 23rd. Gabi na rin when we landed. Surprisingly, getting a cab was a breeze, and the traffic from NAIA 3 going to the expressway was very light. Kaso pagpasok ng EDSA, ibang istorya na. The traffic was barely moving. TheHusband and Sharkteeth proceeded to the hotel, but I went to Makati to meet up with Onyxx, kaso when I got there, past 10 pm na and papasok na si Onyxx sa cinema. We just had a brief exchange of gifts and chismis (of course!). In fairness, I was able to squeeze in a bit of shopping pa. Hehehehe. Paglabas ko ng mall, isang kilometro yata ang queue sa cab and walang Uber maski isa. Juskopo. I so wasn't prepared to ride a bus. But I did. Isip ko malapit lang naman ang Pioneer. Malapit nga, di naman umuusad ang mga sasakyan. Hay naku. Nung makita kong malapit na ang Guadalupe bridge, bumaba na ako ng bus. Eh malayo din palang lakarin yun, at disoras na ng gabi. What was I thinking?! Binilisan ko na lang lakad ko, para kung may mag-isip man na mang-holdap sa akin eh mahirapan sya ng konti na habulin ako. Hahahaha!

On the morning of the 24th, I woke up early and visited D in Heritage. Using Uber to and fro, it was fairly quick. I had an interesting conversation with the driver, who hails from Davao, about Duterte. I won't repeat it here kasi baka biglang tumimbwang na lang ang driver. *cough* *cough* *cough*

Heritage

Nag-Trinoma muna kami and bought gifts for the kids, then we went home na to spend Christmas with my family. As always, riot! Ang mga kids, flushed with cash! Inggit ako. Meanwhile, ang bulsa ko, luhaan pa hanggang ngayon.

Christmas mornings be like

The next morning, I left for Pampanga for my friends/college roommates' annual party. I didn't add the pictures anymore. Puro gilagid lang namin ang makikita dun kasi tawanan kami ng tawanan. I found a remote shutter for my camera phone and kung ano-anong shots ang na-take. *facepalm*

Somewhere in Pulilan

Per family tradition, we went to Baguio. *blah blah blah* You know the drill: KaTuGa (kain-tulog-gala). Add ukay-ukay (flea market) to that, and you have our itinerary. Oh, we had to shoot some spiels for Sharkteeth's vlogging project.

 \

 

 

We got back to Bulacan on the early hours of the 30th, and we spent New Year there. It's been so long since I celebrated New Year in the firecracker capital of the Philippines, pero pansin ko, it's not the same anymore. Dati parang kumukulo ang paligid with all the lights and noise, pero last New Year was a bit more sober. O baka naman kasi tulog lang ako kaya di ko napansin. We left early for our trip back kasi ayaw naming maiwanan ng eroplano. Kaso ang aga naman namin and we had time to go to Makati pa. I gorged myself on Kumori cheesecakes! Yes, "cheesecakeS" -- plural! Hahahaha!!!

The flight was on time and uneventful.

Heto ang tragic. Pagdating namin sa bahay, Sharkteeth noticed that Bacon, TheHamster, lost weight. When I held her, totoo nga. She was sooooo light. I could feel the bones. It turned out the damned ants stole all of the hammie's seeds and pellets and stored them on a mound a foot away from the cage. It must be so sad for Bacon to see all her food being taken and stored a foot away and she couldn't do anything about it. Nagtiis na lang sya sa tubig. Kaluoy. Good thing she didn't die of starvation. Meanwhile, I'm still waging a war with the ants. It's ON. It's SOOOOO ON!!! "You want war? I’ll give you war. I’ll be there in my red stilettos!"

Ipaglalaban kita, Bacon! Babangon ako at durugin ko sila!

Masamang damo. Hehehehe.

Reneging On My Promise

I miss my dear friend, D, so much. So, so, so much.

When I find myself chuckling at an anecdote I read online and I proceed to write an email to her, forwarding her the link...only to realize she won't be replying anymore.

When I see something new in the grocery and think of sending her one, being the foodie that she is...but sadly it's now "being the foodie that she WAS."

When I see Kate Spade, Pylones, Fully Booked, Snoopy, Sanrio, and remember how much she liked  beautiful things.

When Christmas came and went without a present from her and realized that it wasn't even the actual present that I was longing for but the knowledge that anything from her was well-thought of and something she subtly picked up from one of our conversations, showing that she truly listened.

When I'm about to whine about services, helpers, products, etc...only to be reminded that she won't be there anymore to support  me in my endless DTI complaints.

When I open my Facebook and see that she hasn't logged for a long time now...she used to spend as much time as I do on Facebook.


When I'm in a conundrum and I get reminded of how she guided me on doing the right thing, never imposing, never rebuking, always gentle and kind.

When I'm about to do something rash, crass, downright cheap and jologs and pause long enough to think, "what would D do?"

When I was in Abest writing the waybill for the silvanas I sent for her wake and found myself teary-eyed and disoriented that I was addressing it to her husband, not to her.

And so on and so forth. Ad infinitum.

♥♥♥

I visited her grave in Heritage on the morning of the 24th last December. When I reached the area and I alighted, I saw a fresh grave and I was immediately emotionally overtaken by the sight.

The reality that D is gone and her ashes are buried underneath shook me...bumuhos talaga ang luha ko...until I looked away and saw that there were two more fresh graves nearby. And most likely hindi nya grave ang iniiyakan ko.

I dried my tears and texted her son. Her son gave me a map the day before, but I didn't realize that he sent the coordinates as well. True enough, hindi nga yun ang grave nya. After another wrong grave, I had no choice but to send a picture of one of the fresh graves to confirm D's final resting place.

By the time I got to the correct grave, lit some candles, and was ready to (re-)pour my heart out, a hearse carrying a body for burial arrived, along with the relatives of the dead. It was my first time to watch an "alta" burial. Nobody was wailing or hysterically supplicating to be buried(!) with the dead. It was a very quiet and dignified affair. Being a card-carrying member of hoi polloi, I was strangely, morbidly fascinated by the sight. Good thing I was able to check myself and stop staring. (Siguro kinalabit ako ni D to stop gawking.)

I left soon after. I couldn't seem to regain my "conversation" with D with so many people around.

I can just imagine D chuckling at the sight of me.

♥♥♥

Aggie mentioned her conversations with D in one of her posts, which was ominously about funeral songs, and where she posted part of the lyrics of All We Leave Behind:

None of the things we leave behind
Will tell the story of our passage here
Not the symbols of wealth, or of glory
It’s the legacy of love
That remains engraved in those we hold most dear
In the people we touch
It is the essence of all
We leave behind

There is nothing that holds more true that this, and D's death is an all too stark reminder. Indeed, her legacy of love remains engraved in those she held most dear and in the people whose lives she touched -- her son, her husband, family and relatives, friends of her son, parents of friends of her son, co-workers, co-parents, friends, friends' kids (I was planning to ask her to be Sharkteeth's confirmation ninang), tutees, former students, blog friends, even Rustan's personnel. As one of her friends said in D's Facebook wall, "It seems most of us [D's friends] were in for the same surprise and it is this: even if we each had thought so all this time, hindi pala kami ang most special friend ni D. Madami pala kami na feeling 'D's Most Loved'" -- because she treated each one of us in the most special way possible. I've said this once, but it bears repeating, her passing left a hole on this earth, in this universe, that seems impossible to fill.

I know, I know, I said no public tributes -- sorry, D (huwag kang magalit and huwag mo akong multuhin). I'm not exactly looking for closure, but I need to deal and this is the only way of dealing I know. See you again, dear friend, but not too soon.

The 2015 Year-End Survey

Thank you, Aggie, for the tag.

What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?

Nothing much. Does online selling in Instagram count? I've only traded in Ebay before.

Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Some, yes. Others, no. I can't seem to stop buying stuff. I rationalize that I sell or give them as gifts. Which I did. Most of the time. Nuninuninuninu...

Did anyone close to you…

     Get married?

     No, my contemporaries are thandercats na.

     Give birth?

     No. Like I said, my contemporaries are thandercats na. But my friend from high school is currently pregnant. Sana ako rin. Not that enthusiastic about it, but it will surely make TheHusband and Sharkteeth very happy.

     Passed away?

     Yes. My dear friend D's death caught me by surprise and I wasn't able to say a proper goodbye. It still pains me.

What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?

Health and wealth

What date(s) from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

December 13, 2015. The day D died.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Nothing spectacular. Got a new client. Trying to improve upon a "talent" (and mildly succeeding).

What was your biggest failure?

Like I mentioned earlier, I failed to say a proper goodbye to my friend.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

Hypochondria. Always naman.

What was the best thing you bought?

Again, nothing spectacular. Bought a whole inventory of Cath Kidston mugs for reselling. Was pretty successful.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

I guess Sharkteeth. She took a relative failure, worked hard, and turned it to a great success. ['Nak, not ironic anymore…]

Where did most of your money go?

Kay Sharkteeth, of course. Puhunan sa business.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

This is so babaw. When I learned of the new shipment of Cath Kidston mugs.

What song(s) will always remind you of 2015?

Underpressure. I don't know why, but it was on loop most of the year. I think with all the pain, unrest, and terror of last year, the lyrics are so apt. 

Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Give love give love give love give love give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way

Compared to this time last year, are you

     Happier or sadder?

     Happier in the sense that the persons who made me sad last year around this time are gone from my life.

     Sad that one of the persons who make me happy is gone.

     Thinner or fatter?

     Fatter

     Richer or poorer?

     Same lang

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sleep and exercise

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worry. Internet surfing ng mga walang kwentang bagay. Sumawsaw sa gulo.

How did you spend Christmas?

At my parents'. With my crazy and noisy relatives. With my favorite food on the table. With happy (and gift- and money-laden) kids.

Did you fall in love in 2015?

Always in love with TheHusband. Yeeeeheeeee…

What was your favorite TV program?

Game of Thrones. Downton Abbey (the ending was so satisfying). Brooklyn Nine Nine. Marvel Agents of Shield. Modern Family.

What was the best book you read?

Didn't get to finish any. Since I started editing journals and books, natamad na akong magbasa.

What were your greatest musical discoveries?

Not sure about the greatest, but I really like Taylor Swift. Please don't judge me. It's not merely the music. It's the whole business operation that I like -- the packaging, the support from her management, legal, and publicity staff, her sometimes retro fashion sense, her not-a-hair-out-of-place persona (which appeals to my control freak persona). I'm on the fence about her Bad Blood video, as I find it too Mean Girl-y, but girl can turn lemons to lemonade, whether ex-boyfriends or former friends.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?

My uniform: stripes and florals

What did you want and get?

New client

What did you want and not get?

Kate Spade bangle

What was your favorite film of this year?

Kingsman

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Eat out. Am ignoring the second question.

What kept you sane?

Crafting

What political issue stirred you the most?

Mamasapano Massacre

Presidential candidates

Who did you miss?

Dear friend D

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.

Clichés but all so true: Life is short -- never take a loved one for granted and cherish every moment.

Goodbye, Dear D

Almost a week ago, my dear friend D died. She was one of the kindest and classiest ladies I've known. Always gracious, quick-witted, and kind. Much as I want to pay tribute to her through this blog, I would rather not because, despite D being a blogger, she has always valued privacy and detested calling attention to herself. But let me tell you, her passing left a hole on this earth, in this universe, that seems impossible to fill.

Goodbye, dear D. You can dance ballet again.

Sharkteeth's Birthday Celebrations

She turned twelve this year. Twelve. I can't believe it. I can still remember how she looked when I first saw her -- a tiny sleeping bundle with a full mop of hair. I was incredulous. I mean, aren't newborns supposed to be bald? Or at least wispy hairs? Well, not this one.

I remember falling asleep on the couch with her on my chest. She was a generally happy baby.

And now she's growing up fast. Too fast, if you ask me. She grew two inches over the summer break. Hay.

Anyway, off to the celebrations.

Yes, celebrationS. *Comatose na naman wallet ko*

The first was with her lolo and lola and the rest of the family. Mawawala ba ang spaghetti, hotdogs, and ice cream for the kids? Syempre hindi! Our closest relatives were there. Her favorite cousins were there. Her young friends were there, and despite the short notice, they came bearing gifts. Dresses, headbands, shirts, candies, cologne -- S was tickled pink! My aunt brought cakes (for me and for S). Fadear cooked my favorite sinampalukang manok. Ang saya-saya!

When we got back to Dumaguete, I asked S if she wanted to treat her friends to pizza and movies or I can just give her money so she can buy more books. I was expecting she'd choose the latter, given her LOVE for books, so I was quite surprised when she chose the former, saying that her friends will be so happy if they go to the movies together. On the day of her birthday, she also brought snacks for the entire class and was so pleased because her classmates made her so many cards and sang Happy Birthday for her. We also had a dinner at her favorite café.

Now let's move to the all-exciting pizza and movie treat. TheHusband and I chaperoned the kids, seven kids in all. It went swimmingly at first. We ate lunch at Shakey's. The kids, being kids, were so makukulit and maingay! I was pretty sure the blue-eyed French lady at the next table was on the brink of yelling at the kids. When we were leaving, I apologized for all the noise, but she was cool about it. A teacher, as it turned out. Bless her heart. TheHusband got the tickets and chips and off we went to the cinema, where we watched Mission Impossible 5. The kids loved Benjie! We weren't able to watch it from the start, so after the screening, I told TheHusband to just stay and watch the start while I bring the kids to World of Fun. It was quite hard to keep track of all six kids (one went home after the movies), but I just stationed myself near the two doors so I can see if someone leaves.

Two of the boys asked me to bring them to Globe where their parents were waiting, but when we got there, the parents weren't there yet. We went back and asked S to pack it up and told them we were getting ice cream. She came back to me, saying that one, J1, was missing. *Bumagsak ang puso ko* I immediately called TheHusband and then I asked the counter girl to look over the CCTV videos. Hmmmppp...it took us a bit before being shown to the CCTV room. She rang a sale first and the guy who was supposed to assist us had to set up something first. Meanwhile, aatakihin na yata ako sa nerbyos. I brought the two boys inside the CCTV room to look over the videos.

J2: "Dude, my mom's never going to let me join any party again. Ever."
C: "Right, dude? Never again."

*Mga dudes, hanapin nyo si J1 sa video, please.*

And they did, those two dudes did. Apparently, after S went back to me saying they couldn't find J1 and I went inside to go to the counter, J1 wasn't really missing at that point and nakasalubong ko pa, albeit I was looking at the other direction. The thing is, J1 left the play area, turned left, with no indication where she was going. In my mind, I was thankful that at least she wasn't kidnapped. I was all too ready to accuse a seedy-looking guy who had been looking intently at me as I was pacing outside the CCTV room. I belatedly realized that maybe he was looking intently at me because I looked like a raving lunatic and he was keeping an eye on me in case I suddenly attack him.

After the TheHusband came back from searching around the mall, I asked him to stay with the kids, lest we lose another one. I went to all exits and informed the guards and went to the mall's customer service to have her paged. It was a tad irritating because they wouldn't page her unless I give the surname, which I didn't know. I know it might become confusing if were many girls by that name who'd come to the customer service, but I asked that she give my daughter's full name as the one paging her. Ayaw pa rin. Jusko, may nawawala nang bata, protocol pa rin ang problema nila? It was useless arguing with their impertinence so I just left and looked around again.

Grabe, inikot ko ang buong mall! Ikot, ikot, ikot. On my way back to the group, I saw J1, watching ironed-on T-shirts being made. Coolly, calmly, not feeling nawawala at all. Good Lord. Sa totoo lang, gusto ko syang batukan. Kaya lang hindi ko anak eh. And I was just so relieved to find her. When I asked her why she left, "I don't know." Yun lang ang sagot nya sa mga tanong ko, "I don't know." Bwiset. It was as if she was oblivious to all the brouhaha she caused. Naiyak kaya si S kaka-worry sa kanya. No ice cream for her! When their driver picked her up, I told him she left the group and we thought she was lost, but he was only laughing. I related the story to one of the parents when she picked up C (dude 2), and she said, "Ay, ganyan talaga si J1. Bigla-bigla na lang kung saan-saan pumupunta." Goodness. Never again will I invite her. Aatakihin ako sa puso dahil sa kanya. A few weeks before her birthday, S got lost in the very same mall. I didn't even worry much because I know S, unless under some sort of duress, God forbid, will do the right thing, and true enough, after a few minutes, we were being paged to the customer service, where S proceeded when she couldn't find us.

So there. Alam nyo na kung bakit exciting ang celebration ni S. Alam nyo na kung bakit hindi na invited si J1 next time. And according to S, "No wonder she's very good in hide and seek."

Victorious Manila Trip August 2015

It was Sharkteeth's birthday a couple of days ago. We flew to Manila for an advanced celebration  with relatives. Our flight to Manila was a bit delayed. What's new? When we reached T3, the traffic near the airport wasn't moving. At all. So ang Team KoKo naglakad. Then we rode a trike going to EDSA. Buti na lang I shipped most of our stuff ahead and didn't have to carry much. Grabe lang ang traffic. We wanted to go to Makati but cabs didn't want to go there. Unfortunately, hindi updated ang Uber app ko and I couldn't book a trip. :( Parang maiiyak na kami ni Sam because of frustration. Eventually, we got a bus and reached Makati past nine. We had dinner in Glorietta and I briefly went to SM to pay my respects. Hehehehe. Ang ganda na ng SM Makati. Dati it was looking almost dingy na, being near the MRT station. Ngayon shala na. I felt out of place. You know naman, moi is a card-carrying member of hoi polloi.

It was almost 2 am when we got to my parents' house. Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion! 

The next morning, I went with my college friends-roommates to Pampanga to visit our other friend. *Hindi naman sya masyadong prepared.* Parang fiesta lang -- jambalaya rice (super sarap), salmon (favorite ko!), babyback ribs, mashed potatoes, etc. Grabe sa kabusugan. I wanted to buy some spaghetti sauce and pasta, so we went to S&R. It was my first time there. Parang may seraphims and cherubims na kumanta ng Handel's Messiah. *Aaaaaa-lleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleeeeeluuuuia!* Nalula ako. Spaghetti sauce and pasta lang dapat bibilhin ko, pero nadagdagan ng white coffee, stuffed toy, chocolates, marble cakes, chips, etc. Nagpigil lang akong bumili ng mga EOS lip balm packs. They have so many flavors. Napakarami naming nabili, punong-puno ang trunk. Hahahaha! Para kaming mamumundok.

Next day was Sharkteeth's celebration with her lolo and lola, and our other close relatives as well. I'll post about her celebrations (yes, plural, jusko, luhaan ang bulsa ko) next time.

Come Monday, we left for Manila na. It was TheHusband's annual checkup and he went ahead of us. On our way to GoHotel, we went to Derdo's home to drop off something. I have her address but it was my first time to go there. By then, updated na Uber app ko and was able to successfully book a trip. Sharkteeth was quite alert and immediately saw Derdo's house number. Success! Walang kahirap-hirap on our part kasi we just booked again the same Uber car and he brought us to GoHotel.

Eto ang eksena sa GoHotel.

Sharteeth+Vendo=MayForever

S is obsessed with vendo machines. She wants to go to Japan, where there are vendo machines that dispense plushies. 

After TheHusband finished his executive checkup, we went to Glorietta and Landmark. Tamang-tama, sale ang Landmark. Yung mga pillowcases na ~100 each dito sa Dumags, 70 each lang sa kanila. I bought four blue+white ones with illustrations of birds. They turned out to be part of Laura Ashley's 2015 spring-summer line. Sayang walang matching na bedsheets. Pagbalik namin ng Dumags, I just bought a flat sheet with the same blue shade. #ImprovisationQueen :)

From Laura Ashley

Finally, nakakain na ako ng cheesecake sa Kumori! I bought both chocolate and cheese variants. Sharkteeth didn't like it. TheHusband took a bite but I didn't offer him any more bites. #Shellfish  Hehehehe. Ang sarap kasi. Mapapatirik ang mata mo sa sarap. If you haven't tried it yet, try nyo na. As in ngayon din. Then send me a box, 'kay? Hahahahaha!

Later in the evening, I met with Diane sa Vanilla Cupcake Bakery. Absent si Leah. *Ako lang ang perfect attendance, ha?!* Sandamakmak na kwentuhan na naman. *Shhhhh...password protected* Ayokong mademanda, makulong, or ma-salvage. Basta our kwentuhan ranged from bloggers worse b*tches than us (ang pait, teh, hahahaha!) to politicians and public "servants". Hays, kulang ang kwentuhan, kasi our flight next day was so early.

Of course, takot na kaming maiwan ng plane. Alas-kuatro pa lang gising na kami.

We got to the airport with one and a half hours to spare.
Meron kaming baggage allocation.
Hindi kami naiwan ng plane.
Tama ang destination.
I call it a family victory.

Go Team KoKo!

Peter Rabbit Love

Thank you, Derdo.

How I love this. Not only is it utterly cute, it also came when I wasn't feeling particularly cheery -- the thoughtfulness that came along with it was the perfect pick-me-up. Sharkteeth has since exacted a promise from me that we're gonna SHARE the present, although truth be told, she's using it exclusively and it is I who have to ask HER permission when I want to use it. Tsssskkk...I'm such a doormat. :)

Thank you so much, Derdo.

Royal Albert Love

Thank you, Christine.

Holidays, Holy Days, Crazy Days: Part 1

We're at the tail end of the holidays. Everything is winding down. Nabuksan na ang mga gifts. Napagtaguan na ang mga inaanak. Naubos ko na LAHAT ng chocolates.

I don't know what is it about the Christmas season that makes me crazy for it yet turns me literally crazy as it approaches. Case in point:

Yes, dear readers. That happened. Not the first time, actually. This time I realized it while hurriedly walking. I briefly looked down and saw my right foot wearing my patent pink flat, fully knowing I was wearing my floral one on my left. I shrieked a little, making Sharkteeth jump. Hahahaha! Good thing we were going to the grocery. When I asked the nice saleslady for some flipflops, she ushered me to the rack displaying Fitflops™ -- jowsko naman, pinakamura ay 1.8K, kasya nang pang-Noche Buena yun! I repeated myself, "Miss, flipflops, thongs, yung de-ipit." Understanding dawned, and with that she relegated me to the back of the grocery, and there I found flipflops. Flipflops, fifty pesos. Being saved from embarrassment, priceless.

I was so stressed last December because I took a brief time off work to attend my high school reunion. It's a kwento worthy of its own post pero I don't want to anymore. May mga nega parts kasi, and you know, new year, new beginnings, iwas nega. Suffice it to say, avoid nega people. Kung kelangang mag-deactivate ng Facebook, do so.

After I came back from the reunion, I got a bit under the weather and wasn't able to work for a few more days. Must be from all the late nights, bad (yet oh so delicious) food, and sleeping on the cold airport floor. So piled up na naman ang work-work, home-work, and Christmas-work ko. 

 

These were just about a third of all the gifts I wrapped for Christmas. Token ni S sa classmates nya. May dagdag na gifts pa for her close friends. Meron pa sa teachers. Saka for TheHusband's officemates and friends. For nephews and nieces. It was endless. There, let me see, 35 for her classmates, 12 for her friends, 7 for her teachers, 25 for TheHusband's officemates, and 7 for TheHusband's nephews and nieces. For my friends, family, and relatives, wala nang balot-balot. Yung ibang gifts, I brought with me when I flew to Manila. I thought baka pabuksan pa sa akin sa airport, masira lang ang balot. Paper bag na lang. Yung iba, I shipped. Up to the last minute, nag-si-ship pa ako. P for procrastination.
 
December 24 na when I was finally able to clean up the house and set up the decor. Yes, December 24. Nakahabol pa. I fought valiantly! Hahahaha! For the longest time, ang daming kalat sa living room. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief nung medyo maayos na ang living room.

Thank you again, Sheryl! So lovely.

One of my favorites

This is our white Christmas tree's swan song. Some parts developed rust and I covered them up with fake snow. It looked great at first, but the fake snow aggravated the rust and now it has creamy patches. Bye-bye, Christmas tree. You'll be missed.

I got inspired by Leah's roast chicken and made one for Christmas eve. But instead of Italian sausage, I used Hungarian sausage. #Rebel. Hahahaha! Seriously, I just used what I found in the ref. Cheddar and quezo de bola? Sure, why not?! Various unidentifiable leaves and herbs? Join in! The more, the merrier. Before cooking, I soaked the chicken sa milk to keep it juicy. I wasn't able to add yogurt sa stuffing kasi S made a bowl of fruit salad and added the yogurt by mistake. It turned up yummy and golden. Sayang, walang picture, kasi we were so hungry na.

With the exception of our gifts to each other and to Sharkteeth, most of the gifts had been opened na before Christmas eve. Alam nyo naman, low EQ. So many gifts! And talagang pinag-isipan. I don't deserve my friends, sa totoo lang. They are all so very nice and thoughtful. Thank you all so much.

My gift to myself

Come Christmas day, may sore eyes si Sam. Then the following day, si TheHusband naman and ako. The gift of Christmas. Falalalalalalalala! 

Thanks, M!

This came in last week. It's a gift from a dear friend from way, way back. The friendship, not the gift, silly. Think post-shoulder pads, but pre-grunge. Ah, the Giordano polo shirt+ jeans period. Yes, that long ago. I was really touched because not only does she know what I like but also what I dream of---she knows of my desire to learn sewing and design, and she gave me this Gianna Rose Atelier soap in the shape of a dressform. Now I'm torn whether I should tear it up and use it or just look and smell it. Ah, the agony.

Thanks, M!