season's greeting......

wishing each and everyone a very merry christmas.....

mike

neglecting my own self.........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

the past few weeks especially last week was tough for me. things are just getting complicated...or should i say i try to make it complicated. i create issues even though there is none. if there was an issues, i should have ended it a long long time ago. but for reason, i still keep holding on to something that will never happen. things that i pretend not too see.

i will be ok. i will be definitely be fine. but for now, it's better that i face the truth and learn from my mistakes.........my very immature mistakes.......

let it snow, let it snow, let is snow.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's the official first day of snow. i heard you (dom) said that it's snowing outside. i looked and your absolutely right, it is snowing. i guess winter is officially here. YEAH!!!!!!!!!

anyway, it's official, the usb cable to my camera is missing. no one took it...yeah right (sarcastic tone). i checked online how much if i buy the cable and it seems that it would cost me $30 for the cable. now, i am contemplating if i should get it or just get a new camera. who knows....i got too much stuff to buy even though i don;t really need it.

a simple message........

dear j:

i do not miss you, i miss the person who i thought you were.

mike

red, silver, blue, or clear??

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just finish doing my christmas decoration shopping. not to happy about it. usually i have something in mind already before buying these stuff. for example, last year christmas tree was inspired by the Natural Museum - origami decorations. this year was suppose to be inspired by the christmas tree from the white house...crystals.

when i reached the store to look for crystals...or at least transparent decorations. NONE. it was a bummer. i had no back-up plans. i can wait for next weekend but that means i will be cutting it close. i saw this purple/lavender decorations. i like it but it would be too dark and i don't want that. silver and blue was something that i did a few years ago. red is something that i try to avoid because it's just bright of a color. what to do??

ok, i actually decided to stay with one color as the focal point but i will add another color just for effects. what color did i go?? just wait after thanxgiving, i'll post a pix here. now if i can just find the perfect christmas tree....oh yeah, we only use real tree, not plastic tree.

no way!!!!!!!!!

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i have no idea what's going with me. i have been slacking off in writing this blog. no excuses to be made.....no reason at all except for the fact that i am lazy during the past couple of days...or weeks. i made a promise from the start not to be a slacker but guess what, i am only human.

in any case, i got home very late...or should i say very early this morning. 3 am to be exact. j, eric, and i watched american gangster. the movie started 11:30 pm (including the previews) and ended close to 2:30 am. on the way, we almost got hit not once, but twice.....and this all happened in less 1/4 mile. cars trying to over take and running very very fast. by the 2nd time we almost got hit, all the cars stopped. right infront of us was a car accident. a cab and an suv collided. the front of the suv was a total wreck and same for the cab. it seems like the passenger from the suv was ok but the cab driver on the other hand was different. while j passed on the side, i saw the cab driver lying on the ground....and the deflated air bag. we realized that this happened probably within 5 minutes when we get there. i was thinking of calling 911 but i noticed that 4-5 people who were already calling. it got scared because that could have been us. i thank my god for sparing us.

on a lighter note, in a few hours, daylight saving time again. one less hour of sleep. bummer.........

it's finally official.......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

ok....my boss finally approved my revised vacation request yesterday. "revised" because i had to change the dates by about a week after the orginal dates. now the question is where would i go. i actually have a plan in mind and i just need to configurate some other stuff....like side trips to other countries.

also last night, i went to watch SAW IV. usually it was me, j and eric. this time though, we were joined by larry, maggie, and angel. all are j friends so it was ackward for me the whole night. if only i could sneak out of the theater without being noticed i would.

do i really have to decide now??

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

why do i have a hard time choosing stuff? for example, i am planning to replace my cell phone. my choices are blackberry and an iphone. both have the same feature that i like - something that i can use when i travel outside the country. iphone would be great since it can play itunes. but if i buy it, that means i have to cancel from my current carrier which will cost me $150 for early termination and the monthly rate will be much higher. if i buy the blackberry, it's more expensive and i have to add more features to the plan. so it's not a win win situation for me.

another one is my vacation issues. i haven't taken a full vacation since january 2007. my cousin wanted me to go to barcelona. i was planning to go back home or somewhere cheaper that UK or Europe. where to go then??

i always wanted to be an abercrombie model..........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

first of all, the reason why i haven't posted during the past week - i got sick which basically made me weak...and i got busy at work. by the time i get home, i just want to sleep.

anyway, don't let the title fool you. i was surfing the web when i found this....


Stunt by Improv Everywhere

ok, this particular abercrombie store is a block a way from where i work (the other store is located in downtowm manhattan). it's impossible not to look since there's always a crowd outside the store.

i did have an abercrombie & fitch (a&f) phase.....it stopped 5/6 years ago. any a&f stuff i still own and wear would be considered vintage already.

this is the moment....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i finally told j that we are no longer taking vacations together.....it's for the better.

i hate texting........PART 2

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

what happend to my doggie bag??

well that night, i got a text from j "if ur up call me". that was about 11:30 pm.

j was pissed off the fact that the dinner reservation was suppose to be at 11 pm and no one's there yet.

what happened after that?? i don't know. i was tired and went to sleep.

i hate texting........

dear jo, dom, em, dyland, and nicky:

j: guess who's going to Tao tonight? LOL
mike: can I asume u?
j: but of course, sucks to B U! I'll bring U a doggy bag LMOA! (didn't know what this mean until now - laughing my a** off
mike: I xpext that doggie bag
j: aiight I'll order xtra. I was invited as a 3rd wheel, don't mind because it's TAO!
mike: I was just kidin. have fun
j: will do, C if I still bring U a doggy though
mike: funny
j: I was serious!
mike: ok. have a blast

mike: just passed tao
j: U just passed it, I'm going N! LOL
mike: am jealous. NOT
j: yeah yeah u know u want 2 go
mike: anyway. enjoy da small portion of food.
j: i'll savor every small morsel, just 2 spite U 4 not getting the xbox!
mike: whatever. enjoy anyhow!!
j: TTYL

hotcakes galore....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

as promised, am posting here what i did this morning. as soon as i woke up, i went to the kitchen to prepare what i need for todays project. i am trying to make Bill Grager's famous ricotta hotcakes. i had the website on my favorite for months now and finally i had the time to do it. today by the way is a jewish holiday (8th day of Succoth) which means no work for me...YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is the first time i'm trying this recipe and you know what, it wasn't that bad. the hotcakes were very light. i was a bit disappointed because i didn't find a honeycomb last nite so i just settled for aunt jemima. i would have love to show you a pix of the result but i can not find my usb cord. i need to ask melvin or hope...someone took it. i know it.

no way...

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just finish watching the season finale of top chef. i was a bit disappointed the fact that hung won instead of dale.

in any case, i have a special plan for tomorrow morning. just wait and see for the next blog.

mi familia........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

this post was suppose to be done last night but i was too tired to do it and the fact that hope was watching her korean shows again...go figure....

when you are finally grown up, i do hope that you can watch "brothers & sisters" or at least something like it. it basically reflects most families in my generation and maybe in the generation to come....who knows. a family who remain strong no matter what adversaries that comes to them: a mother who waits for the safe return of her son from iraq; a sister in brink of a divorce; a brother who tries to act strong after the lost of a son; a sister fights for her belief even though it's against her family; a brother who finally found true love but must let go for the sake of others; and a brother who was bound to fight a war. each lives have stories to tell about sorrow and grief.....but yet they remain strong for each other.

war, war, and more war....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

almost every time you open the tv or the web now a days, it's always about a war. i try not to get involved or give my personal opinion about the current events but this is something that i can not run a way from.

last night, i saw the movie "the kingdom". another movie about terrorist attack on american civilians. as soon as i got home, on cnn was a story about this iraqi survivor. in another channel was about the current state between iran and the rest of the world. no wonder why i love watching reality tv shows.

i still remember the day when i receive the registration for the selective service. i have no idea what it was. i had to ask my mom to explain it to me and what are the implications if i don't sign up for it.

trying something new....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just got home about an hour ago. had dinner with geli, andrew, and geli's friend. they decided to try this ukrainian restaurant called Vesekla located on 9th st. and 2nd ave. i personally never tried ukrainian before. but for a first timer, i was not impressed at all. i thought it was missing a lot of spices......salt in particular. i was hoping to be amazed but i guess my expectations was very high. one of gel's friend was of ukrainian decent and he even mentioned that his mother could do better. in any case, it's always good to try something new...even though it's not that good.

STOP PUSHING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's it just me or the NYC subway system getting crowded every year. about a year ago, everytime i leave home for work at 8 am, i tend to get a seat at least once a week. but during the beginning of the school season this year, i have no luck at all. i tried to leave at 7:30 am and guess what, not working as well.

yesteday was no different. by time the train reach manhattan, the train where i'm at was already packed. this high school kid was shouting "stop pushing me" everytime we stop at a station. i don't blame him since people are trying to get it even though you can tell it was already crowded. but i think he was asking for it since he decided to stay next to the door.

walk in the darkside.....

dear jo, dom, em , dylan, and nicky:

for the first time in gods know when, i decided to walk around during my lunch break. doing this has been very scarce for me since my appointments at work usually takes up my time. either they're late or they are early. so basically they ruin my lunch plans.

today, i made sure that i do go out. although i resent going out because of the tourist crowd around my area, i just want to take a break.

i went to nike town and see if i find a new sneaker. i found this basketball sneaker that i might purchase...and guess what, it's on sale. let see if by the end of this week i still like it.

after work, pass by the bestbuy on 44th st and 5th ave. i was checking out to see how much is the new "halo 3". i have the previous halo and an avid fan. i was hoping to buy the new game but i realized that i can only play it with xbox 360. i only have the old xbox. what to do?? buy an xbox 360?? borrow my brother's 360?? or borrow my bro-in-law's 360?? hhhmmmm.


what do you think?

one down...

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just finished watchin heroes. the first episode of the season. i thought it was a bit confusing because new characters are added. one in particular that i was curious about was this brother and sister from honduras. the girl - maya - got the power...or should i say she's a shape shifter. i think she changes to a chupacabra (a creature/monster believe to roam the south america region). let see how this will turn up.

anyway, got a call from j 5 minutes before the show started. j was still driving and was hoping that i narrate the beginning while j find parking. we both love heroes.

after the show, i called and we talked about the new season. we both agree that it's getting more complicated. aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

another show that i for some apparent reason am getting into is "the hills" @ mtv. i know this is a pathetic show to watch but hey, i need to see other people having a bad day. makes me feel a lot better. :-)

legends of the FALL.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

fall officially started this morning. and you know what that mean....cold weather and best of all, all my favorite shows are back. my big 3 are: heroes, brother & sisters, and grey's anatomy. in regards to new shows, i don't find anything that i'm actually attracted too. who knows, i might find something out there.

my friend emily called me the other day and told me that sex in the city (the movie) was being filmed on 54th and park ave. that's basically a few blocks from where i work.

not another hangover......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

woke up this morning (and still have) a horrible hangover. last nite, me with gel and andrew around lower east side to celebrate gel's new job. we ended in a bar around alphabet city. can't remember the name. anyway, they bartender said they have over 150 beers from all over the world. since they have that so many choices, i would assume they would have my beer -- labatt from canada. guess what, they do have a canadian beer but not labatt. bummer. so i order an american fruity beer that tasted like blueberry -- eeeeeewwwwwww.

after finish my fruity beer, i ordered a belgian beer named lucifer. it doesn't taste that bad. it's better than the blueberry. then gel's sis (precy) and bro (don) showed up. they decided to order everyone an irish "something" that basically killed me. it was so strong that by the time i finish drinking it, i was feeling wasted. yes, i am not a drinker so 3 drinks gets me drunk. in any case, i did manage to get home safe and sober. i just basically just feeling the effect this morning. aww.......

let's get physical.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i got in the mail today a letter from bally's telling me that my annual membership is due next month. i am trying to figure out if i should pay it or not. i've been a member since 1995/1996 but to be honest, i barely went. i paid for this past year and guess what, i didn't even showed up once.

i like bally because it's cheap. my one year payment there is a months payment to gravity - this gym that i tried for a year which is right next to my work. what i don't like about bally is that it is cheap....which means everyone goes there. basically one person in gravity is like 20 people in bally's. you have to sign up to use an eliptical machine and treadmill. the equipments are old and worst of all, the service sucks.

固定観念

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

today was a very very busy day at work. no kidding. i tried to plan my stuff before coming in but this day was just a mess. nothing worked out and basically i just have to work things out by tomorrow. i guess that's the only best that i can do. try to organize the day and cross my fingers that everything will go my way.

anyway, you're probably wondering what's with the title. it's actually japanese for "obsession" (i hope that is the right). why such a title? well as you know, every time j and i go out for dinner, the chances of us ending up in a japanese restaurant is 50%. this time we went to edo's located in port chester, ny. we haven;t been there for a while so we decided to eat there. monday usually is a slow night so as soon as we got there, we got seated. both j and i didn't order our usual. j usually get seafood combo (shrimp, lobster, and scallops) and i on the other get steak and shrimp. this time i got the seafood combo while j ordered steak and lobster.

100th Blog Entry............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

today is a very momentuos event. this is post is the 100th entry. can you imagine??? who knew i will be able to keep up with this no non-sense discussion. a story about nothing....well a story about my boring life (which i think is again...non-sense).

but in anycase, to celebrate this big day, i am officially starting a new blog. this time though i have an agenda. check out TURISTA for more information.

you almost miss the exit.......

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's close to 3 in the morning. just got home about 10 minutes ago. watched a movie with j and eric. i'm going to keep this very brief. j got a call from a friend and i think the friend is in the hospital or something. it made j a bit upset that we almost miss our exit.

just text j to make sure everything is ok. j said for now yeah but will find out soon and will give me a call if anything new comes up. i have no idea what exactly is going but for j to be absent minded like that while driving....not a good thing. hopefully nothing serious.

nite.

not my ipod...........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's official. my ipod mini is dead (yes, i own a mini). we'll it's been dead for close to a year now but i keep lying to myself. can't depart with it....sentimental value (yes, cheryl...i finally admit it) and i think it will be a collectors dream in the near future. i could easily get a nano or even a video ipod but why when my mini plays my music properly. two ways to solve this, either return the ipod for a battery replacement (which will cost me about $80) or buy the new ipod touch.....hmmm.... decisions decisions decisions....

what to do????

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

2nd day of rosh hashana. no work. i am bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

woke up at 6:30 this morning. planned to go to the DMV (dept. of motor vehicle) to request for a duplicate copy of the car title. i lost the original one....or did grandma mistakenly thought it was garbage. i know i could have just ordered one online but i need to go out of the house.

took the subway downtown with hope (my sister, you mom, your aunt) - she on the other hand got work today. went to the 34th street location. i got there around 8:40 am and there was already a line. took me about 20 minutes - in and out.

decided to walk from 34th to 58th street. went to the 5th ave. apple store to check out the new ipod touch. they don't have it yet on display. they only have the new ipod nano (very very small screen). went afterwards to crate and barrel to see anything new for the house. found a table lamp that i like but it was too pricey. who knows....the store is only a few blocks away from my work. maybe i'll buy it one day.

happy new year...........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

weired title huh. actually not since you guys don't have school tomorrow and on friday. it's the jewish holiday of rosh hashanah (the beginning of jewish new year and the high holiday days). as you probably know already, i work for a jewish organization. i don't have work tomorrow as well...it's one of the perks that i got that most of my friends don't have.

anyway, i have no idea what to do this long weekend. my original plan was to take this week as vacation and visit my cousin java in manchester. but that did not materialized. so i am stuck in NYC. i guess i better find things to do.

payback is a b!+@#..........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

probably you're wondering why i'm writing my blog during my working hours. actually took a day off. no, not because of the 9/11 anniversary. just taking a break from work.

anyway, yesterday around 4:30 pm i got a call from j. odd to get a call at that time and on a monday. wanted to know what time i'm leaving work....to have dinner of course. so i said 5. j was in the mood for gyu-kaku.....again. we agreed to meet somewhere around 8'ish but j would have to call me first since j was all the way in long island.

so i decided to stay in the city rather that go home, walked from 57th to 14th street, and hangout out in union square for a while.

by 8:30 i called j. running a bit late and should be there 30 to 45 minutes. 9:15 pm, no call. i did not call to see what's up. reading a book at starbucks drinking a black and white hot chocolate. phone rang around 10....j apologize and will be there in 10 minutes. i just said ok, hang-up, continue reading the book. 10 minutes later, j called. "where are you?". i was still in starbucks....about 4 blocks away from the restaurant. i walked slowly....if i waited for 5 hours, j can wait. saw j already seated. i slammed the book on the chair. i said don't want to talk right now.....yes, i was mad as hell. j apologies again and said the traffic was bad. i said why not call me then to tell me that. saw some people looking at us (by the way, we were not talking that loud). i said i don't want to talk yet. j apologizes again. then i said, it was fault anyway. i said i forgot who i am talking too. i should have known that when j said 1/2 an hour, it means see in 2 hours. when will i learn. j just looked at me and apologizes again. we finally talked. i figured arguing with j will not lead nowhere.

finished dinner close to midnight. j asked me to drive.....j been driving all day. i oblige. got home 12:30 am. before j and i departed, i made one more guilt trip. oh this is not the end of this.

9.11.01

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

volleyball is a dangerous game....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

got a depressing email this morning from one of my v-ball teammates:

-- "Apparently I've a bone fracture in my foot as a result of the last game's accident. Can't even walk now - wearing a cast and have to use crutches (never thought crutches are such a pain!) So, I don't think there's even a slight chance I'll join you in the play-offs. Sorry, next season only :-(

Good luck in the play-off!

Alexey" --

the "accident" that alexey mentioned involved two individuals....it was a head on collision between him and i. well it's not a collision per se. what happened was that both alexey and i went for the same shot....alexey planned to spike the ball and i on the other hand was to bump it. he jump, we both collided, but as soon as he landed, he stepped on my feet and that causes him to fall awkwardly.

i really really feel bad now. he's one of our best hitters.

wats up homey..........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

ok, before i start this blog, let me explain why such a long break. well, my sister, your mom and your aunt basically lives in this computer during the past couple of days. the got the "youtube diseases". yup, as soon as she gets home from work (about 11-12 pm), she goes to the youtube and watch stuff until 3-4 in the morning. but wait, that's not the weird part. she watches korean soap opera. no, she does not speak or read korean. the shows have subtitle in english. go figure. i guess it's like me watchin spanish telenovelas......LOL. just kiddin about the telenovelas part.

You Tube - A Love Song

ring....ring...

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

so after my typing my last post for august (see below), i got a call from j. well actually not a phone call but a text message and i quote "what r u up 2". this was at 12:43 am. need i say more about the sign.

ok, saturday has become my rest day. no movies (which by now is friday) and no dinners. well after texting j in the middle of the afternoon of "what's up doc", i basically got a plan for the nite. no movies but dinner, yes.

we were suppose to go at this restaurant that i've been dying to go...Perilla. it was the restaurant opened by top chef 1st season winner Harold Dieterle.

by the time we got there, they were already closed (we got there around 11:30 and last seating was 11:15). i was a bit disappointed since i was dying to try it. we got stuck at this local bar/restaurant that serve crappy food. the place was nice though especially after a group of well dressed individuals showed up and literally sat next to us. looks like they just came from a wedding party. one guy actually took with him what looks like a table center piece (it was humongous).

after dinner, we walk for half an hour then headed back home.

j told me before dropping me off that labor day weekend will be in maryland with the family. i on the other hand will be stuck in ny....maybe fix the mess in my room (which by the way will never happen).

later.

33 is the new 3

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

today is your (dom, dylan, and nicky) dad's birthday. grandma made pansit and cooked some fatty crabs. from what i heard there was also an ice cream cake. i wish i can tell you more but this was only what i was told/managed to get a see. i worked until 7:30 today. yes, i stayed late at work on a friday night. what a life.

melvin i was told by mei (his wife/my sister-in-law) that he went out with his buddies. i guess drinking night again for them. hear we go.

today was also auntie geli's (my friend) last day at liquor bottle. she will be working for a packaging company beginning sept. 11...touche.

me, i just want to post a blog tonite before september comes in. oh yeah, there's nothing to watch tonight so no movie with j. for the first time in god's knows when, i did not see j at all. could this be sign???.........let's just wait and see.

where is MIS when you need one........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's been a while since i posted any blog. why? well my internet connection is acting up. i originally though it was the computer but i realized it was the modem.

i try to limit what to write right now because i figured any minute now, i would lose connections.

i'll wait for the weekend to post anything just to make sure it's working. time to go to bed.

nite nite.

the stalking of andy roddick.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

not too many people (especially here in New York) know that the week before the US Open officially start, there's a great chance to see tennis players without spending hundreds of dollars.

last thursday, i took advantage of having a day off. a fews ago, i read in a magazine that during the qualifying rounds at the US Open, there is no entrance fee (which i think cost about $50 or more to get in). of course the big names are not playing. basically these players are those who are making a name for themselves. for example, i saw a game of Bobby Reynolds. he's from the US and he is rank somewhere around 116th in the world. but in any case, even though the big names are not due to play until the following week (in this case August 27th is the official start), it's the best time to see them practice....which basically i got lucky to see a few.


Arthur Ashe Stadium

USTA Tennis Center Grounds

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Juan Carlos Ferrer

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Juan Carlos Ferrer

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Rafael Nadal

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

Stalking Andy Roddick

blah blah blah blah blah..................

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:


nothing much to do this weekend. no new movies out that j and i would pay $11 each. so i rented 4 movies from blockbuster. dead silence (scary), are we done yet (comedy), pathfinder (action), and i think i love my wife (comedy). usually that would cost me about $5 each but thanx to j's discount card, i paid only $2 per movie.

i was planning to go out last night by myself but i chickened out on the last minute......we'll i was just tired and i am sticking to that story. weekend had become my day to catch up with sleeping (and i DO NOT recommend doing this - bad habit). last night was the first night that i went to bed before 11 pm.

this morning, grandma asked me to fix the door in the foyer. you (dom) broke one of the glass and needs to be replaced. i guess your a strong kid that punching a glass door doesn't scare you. luckily you didn't hurt yourself. grandma was mad what you did but was concerned more that you might injured yourself. tsk tsk tsk....

where are we again???

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

j decided to go to long

don't be surprise.....

dear jo, niko, em, dylan, and nicky:

a funny thing happened last night while i was waiting for j (which by the way was more than 1/2 an hour that was promised).

while i waited patiently for j to show up (corner of 24th and 8th ave), i saw a cute couple coming towards my direction. the guy (which I assume is the husband) is carrying a baby talking to two females (one is the wife and the other one i would assume is either a relative or a family friend). they were somewhat talking too loud that i could actually listen to their conversation....or maybe i just like to eave's drop since i was bored as hell.

in any case, by the time they reach where i was standing, i heard the guy mentioned something to the wife that i almost burst out laughing. he said to the wife...and i quote "honey, before we make a turn on this corner, i just want to give you a heads up. don't be surprise if you see two guys holding each others hand or kissing lips to lips. we will be walking in an area where there are a lot of you know what."

Need I say more............LOL

oopppss....I did it again.

deaer jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

ok. here's the deal about my inconsistency this week. I know this is not excuse but just to let you guys know happened. somewhat like a week in review about me...

monday:
stayed late for work. had a v-ball game around the union square area that started around 9 pm. played with the last season's team and basically killed them (3-0). after the game, met with j (asked j earlier if i can get a ride home). we decided to have dinner @ gyu-kaku. we're the last customer for the night. another expensive dinner.

tuesday:
after work, j asked me to meet for dinner. mind you, from work, i went home, change my clothes, then went back to the city. i thought it was only me and j, but pedro (the gym friend) was there to join us. we went to st. mark's area for dinner.

by the time we drop pedro in queens, it was already close to midnight.

wednesday:
left home 5 to 7 am for while. raining really really hard. the express subway changed to a local train. which means they'll stop on every designated stop on the local track. by the time we reach the last stop before manhattan, the conductor said that the service had been suspended. reason: water on the tracks.

the only option was to take a shuttle bus. little did i know that all the subway system in the city was flooded. so as soon as i got off the subway, there we hundreds of people also waiting for the shuttle bus. i tried to hail a cab but guess what, the others who does not want to get into the bus is also hailing for a cab.

i cross the bridge and made it to manhattan. i thought that i would get lucky hailing a cab as soon as i get inot manhattan. no way jose. it was much worst. i was standing in the corner of 138th st. and lexington when i decided to walk downtown (while trying to hitch/hail a cad).

by the time i reach the north part of central park, i made up my mind. i will walk to work. by the way, the rain stopped by by george, it was very very hot and humid. i was planning to take my shirt off but decided not too. why didn't i bring my gym clothes today. why?? luckily, i was wearing sneakers. that was a blessing in disguise.

i left home close to 7 am. i didn't made it to work until 11 am. i walked from 138th to 57th street, i was drenched in sweat.

i worked until 7 pm. people who showed up for work late (in my company) get's paid for half a day. those who didn't showed up, vacation time.

thursday:
legs didn't bother me when i woke up. it's good that i do walking in central park every now and then.

had to leave work early for a v-ball game. we won. we'll technically the other team forfeited. only one person showed up and you need four to play.

asked j again for a ride home. we stopped by Outback on 56th st. to have dinner. got home around 11 pm.

friday:
DAY OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH.

the bourne saga...............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

since there was nothing else to do yesterday, i decided to take you (dom) with me to central park. i was suppose to have a v-ball practice but by the time we got there, no one was around. on the way to the court, i found a pin on the ground to gain entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. although the fee to get inside the Met is by donation (or suggested donation of $20 for adult), i was too cheap to even give one. so i took the pin and decided to go to the Met (even if you - dom - don't want to go).







after the met, we walk all the way to FAO Schwartz. i prefer not to go to a toy store especially if one of you guys are with me since I know you guys are bound to request to ask me to buy a toy. but you (dom) was so adamant to go and buy a submarine (we saw some kids playing a toy motor boat on the pond in central park).

we didn't find any submarine but we found a $50 sailboat. i'm sorry but i have to set a boundary somewhere. as much as crying you (dom) did, i will not buy a $50 toy that will last for only 1 day (you tend to break toys easily - and that goes to the rest of you as well).

since i wanted to walk SoHo, we took the train downtown. of course there is no toy store down there, but I just want to walk around the area since i haven't been there in a while.

we didn't get home by 8 pm.

at about 9:30 pm while eating dinner, i got a call from j. surprise, surprise. j's plan got cancelled and wanted to know if i wanted to catch "The Bourne Ultimatum". i could have said no but i was not doing anything so i said SURE!!!.

the theater where we normally watch movies, their last showing for the night was 10:35 pm. we got there around 10 but the movie was sold out. i thought would just go ahead with our original plan of watching it on monday. but guess what, j wanted to try to find another theater.

we basically ended up in times square where the movie was almost sold out as well. we catch the 12:35 am showing and j's friend eric joined us. by the way, we went inside the theater at midnight and there was already a line to get inside. SWEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

In any case, we still got a good seat right smack in middle.

you are sunshine........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:



sunflower shot taken by you (dom). the only sunflower in our garden. the only surviving sunflower planted by you (jo and em). the seed was from the NY Botanical Garden after your (jo) school trip. with help from gramda, it turned out pretty nice.

singing in the rain........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's actually raining right now as i write this blog. and it's very humid. no complains here - it means it will be cooler when i go bed.

nothing much happened today - work work work. i was suppose to meet j tonite to watch the bourne ultimatum, but we had to changed plan. j called me around 7 pm and j told me that j will not be out of the gym past 11 pm......the last showing is 10:35 pm. we decided to try it for monday then.

i stayed for a while in barnes and nobles before heading home.....which by the way was around 9 pm.

let the games begin..............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just got home about 1/2 an hour ago. today is the official first day of the v-ball season. it was a little bit intimidating since this is a new team and we are still trying to figure out who is who. we won 2 out of 3 games. not bad for a brand new team.

anyhow, the major news today is still the bridge that collapsed in minnesota. it happened yesterday during the afternoon rush hour. it was said that the bridge was identified as unstable from the beginning but for some reason, was allowed to be used. things like this can be avoided but who knows what. ignorance?? or just bureaucracy.

as of tonite, 4 dead are identified. sad. very very sad.

hairspray.......

dear jo, dom, em, dyland, and nicky:

today, i rested. day-off. my summer hours.

got my hair cut (after my last one 3 months ago). granda pick you (dom) from your mom. staying here at home for 2 weeks.

mt. bulusan (in the philippines) started to shoots ash. one of the many active volcanos back home. no urgency yet to cause any panic but people are watching.

working 9 to 5???

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

it's been a long day for me (again!!). manage to get to work on time (8 am) and try to do some stuff before 9 am for orientation. didn't leave work until 7 pm. this summer schedule is killing me. but what can i do, i sign up for it and it gives me an extra day off (besides the weekends) to do other stuff. so it's a win win situation.

tired...very very tired

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just woke up about an hour ago. yes, i woke up for the first time past 10 am. sad, very very sad. i was just so tired this whole week that i basically tried to catch up with my sleep this weekend (note to you: THIS IS NOT A GOOD HABIT!!!).

well what happened last nite. let see. j and i was suppose to watch the 10 pm showing of the simpson. but j got stuck at work. j called me around 9:40 pm to tall me that we'll catch the next showing (which was midnight).

by the time j picked me up, it was already 10:30. we stop by a pizza place in chelsea on the way down to the theather. yes, we travel outside our borough just to watch a movie.

the movie didn't finish until around 2 in the morning. i asked j if j is ok to drive. i figured that i should ask since j was literally snorring at some point while watching the movie (yes, j fell asleep). so basically i drove all the way home. driving at night makes me tired.....what can i say, i am a morning person.

the very busy, expensive week that was...........

dear jo, dom, em, dyland, and nicky:

sorry for the not updating the blog this past week. it's been a very busy week for me.....well not actually busy but just been coming home very late to update my blob.

monday - met with j after work to watch the movie "i now pronounce you chuck and larry". had dinner first at intermezzo located in chelsea. i think the last time we ate there was over a year ago. with dinner and movie, i didn't get home until 1 in the morning.

tuesday - after coming home from work (which was about 8 pm), i was thinking of updating the blog. but got a call from j asking me to grab something to eat. we ended up in the cheesecake factory in white plains. got home past midnight and i was tired as hell.

wednesday - had a practive game with my v-ball team after work. didn't end until 9 pm. i asked j if i can get a ride since j was already in the city. by the time i met with j downtown, j introduce me to pedro (someone that uses the gym as well - yeah right {being sarcastic here}). in any case, we headed to queens to eat at this colombian restaurant (by the way, I just learned about this plan right exactly when i met j. after dinner, drop of pedro, the went straight home. i didn't get home until 1:30 am, which basically ending up dropping dead on my bed at exactly at 2 am. WOKE up at 6 am. I NEED TO GET MORE SLEEP.

thursday - during the dinner the previous night, j told me that we're going to have dinner at Brasserie 8 1/2. the last time j ate there was thanxgiving of 2005. me on the other hand was just this past friday (see friday's blog). made a reservation for 2 for 9:30 pm. didn't get there until 9:45 pm. dinner was good but VERY VERY expensive - even if we only ordered from the "restaurant week" pre-fix menu. since we are in the vicinity of 57th street, j decided to stop by the apple store. got home past midnight. as you probably call tell, i tend to wake up early (6 am to go to work) and sleep late (too stubborn to say NO).

friday - woke up past 9:30 am. YES, i got up late. no worries, i am not late for work. it's my day off (summer hours). didn't do much except lounge around the house. didn't met with j (thank god). i need a brake.

they're here..............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

just surfin the web this morning and saw this funny spread of the simpsons on the august 2007 of harper's bazaar.

questions...

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

probably you are asking what am I doing home on a saturday night?? well i should have been watching a movie right now. when i called j at about quarter to 10, j told me that j forgot to call me to tell me that there was a change in plan. we'll just do it on monday. i said it was okay but to be honest, i was a bit pissed off. i was actually ready to go even though i am tired. i played v-ball with my new team earlier in the day in central park. as soon as i got home, i took a nap which did not work. i was ready to go out but again, "change in plan".

note to self and maybe for you all, always expect the unexpected.

by the way, even though i am feeling down, thank you (jo, em, dylan, and nicky) for keeping me busy. we watch "how to eat fried worm" which by the way was really disgusting. thanks em for keep insisting of watching it.

i'm so pretty......oh so pretty.........

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

yesterday was a very weired in a very good kinda way for me. besides the usually 8 am morning work schedule, i stopped by McD's to buy breakfast. I don't normally go to McD for breakfast (usually it's a venti starbucks frappucino with a glazed donut or bagel with cream cheese) but it was on my way to work so i decided to mix things up a big. by the way, as you can tell, I am not a health conscious person. i tried to live my life to the fullest........ok, i tried to watch my weight every now and then.

anyway, for lunch, i went to Brasserie 8 1/2 with my regular lunch buddies/colleagues - Judy and Cheryl. this week and next week is restaurant week so we decided to take advantage of the cheap price. also, judy is treating us for lunch since she got a promotion.



after work, i met up with my best bud geli at barnes and nobles on union square. BIG mistake!!! i didn't realized that they are having a pre-release party for the last harry potter book (harry potter and the deathly hallows). basically the entire building was packed with harry potter fans.

after the over-crowded bookstore, we went straight to 14th street looking for a place to maybe grab a drink or two. we usually go to the st. marks area but this time, we opted for the west side. around the meatpacking district.

i suggested we go to this very trendy restaurant/bar called la bottega. both gel and i had never been here before so it was a first. i've seen/pass by this area numerous times but not not actually go there.

well let me tell you, this is one of the places here in NY where the beautiful people go - the chick, trendy, and the party people go.

while gel had a mojito for drink, i had my all time favorite apple martini. we ordered calamari (which was very salty) and assorted olives.

we left after about an hour and a half and decided to walk downtown. we reached the greenwich village area and guess what, we were in the corner of the magnolia bakery. ok, i think i bought a dozen of their cupcakes before to share with you guys but because it was too sweet, you guys didn't like it. i don't know why some much hype about this place but the cupcakes are way too sweet - in particular to the icing. i guess it guess because it smells good and it looks good as well. in any case, we bought 4 cupcakes (two for me and two for gel) and ate it on the park across the street.




after the devouring of cupcakes, we ventured to one more place. down the hatch. we used to go there but for some reason we just stop going. maybe because we are getting older and that the crowd still remains the same - college kids from NYU. it summer season so the crowd consist mostly of locals and people who work around the area. gel and i decided to get a corona and left afterwards.

we walked back to 14th street where get got her bus to staten island and where i got my train to go home.

what a long day it was.

new york, new york............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

living in here in new york, always expect the unexpected. after the Sept. 11, 2001 attack, after the big blackout of 2003, what else can new yorker expect to see.....a geyser in the middle of midtown manhattan???

close to 6 in the afternoon yesterday, that's what exactly happened. a geyser appeared out of no where. i was still at work (i was working until 7) when a co-worker of mine told me that there was an explosion around the 41st street area. i'm located in upper midtown so we were unaware. earlier that day, a few trains were having some trouble due to the unexpected downpour of rain. so after the explosion, we already know that there will be another train delay. since i'm not close to the site, i thought i was safe and i will have no problem with the train that i take. guess what happened next?? granda called me and informed me that my train was not running. BUGGER!!!!!!!!!!!! now i am screwed.

i was planning to take another train and take a bus to go home. but i decided to see if they resume my train. i went to the 59th st./lexington station wishing that there will be service. i guess all the gods of the world was listening to me because MTA-NY decided to make 59th st. station the last stop (which means my train was running). YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



"It's nice to know that in addition to exploding manhole covers and collapsing trap doors/subway grates we New Yorkers can expect the street to erupt from underneath us. Not to make light of the situation."
Photo and quote from GenEx

why me............

dear jo, dom, em, dylan and nicky:

why no blogs for the past two days?? let see, monday was a very busy day for me. as soon as i got home, i took a shower since walking through central park always makes me sweat. although summer hours is a great idea, it's just too long of a day for me to work more than 9 hours....yeah, I am complaining. maybe it's just that we just started last week so i am still adjusting. but anyway, after taking a shower, got a call from j asking if i want to have dinner....of course, the predictable person that i am, i said yes.

we went to edo's (a japanese steak house) located in port chester, ny. it's about 15 - 20 minutes drive from home. this is the first time in this location. usually we normally go to the other one located in mt. vernon. we almost got lost, but thanks to j's iphone (google earth), we found it. did got home until 11.

yesterday night after work, i went to the open scrimmage (v-ball) until 9 pm. saw my two teams and i have to admit, i was a bit nervous to tell each team that i am playing this season with two different teams. but guess what, they're both ok after i told them. so no harm done.

imagination is............

dear jo, niko, em, dylan, and nicky:

i got home very late last night (or should I say very early this morning). j and i watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. we managed to catch the last showing which was 10:40 pm (ended at 1 am).

we didn't do much today. you (jo and em) went with your mom and dad to go to queens which i think are planning to stay there for a week to celebrate your (em) birthday. so basically it's it's just us (me, grandma, mel, mei, dom, dylan, and nicky) here this weekend.

grandma decided to barbecue even though i resented it. today is a very humid day and everybody knows that i do not like summer. we (you, dom, and dylan) decided to stay in the basement and watch "the last mimzy". we did not finish it since you guys decided to leave me alone.



anyway, something funny happened today. when your (dom) mommy asked you to spell imagination, you did said something and mentioned something funny. you said imagination comes from toy's r us.......very very funny.

morning blues.....

dear jo, niko, em, dylan, and nicky:

just woke up and i'm just checking to check some emails. but while doing that, i just want to share with you that i am playing Cascada's Everytime We Touch almost every single minute. i don't know, i guess i'm just feeling romantic......

wild kingdom.....

dear jo, dom, em, dylan, and nicky:

i was in a rush to take up early (not that 7:30 am was early for me). although today is my day off (summer schedule), i had to email a document to one of the directors at my work. i promise myself a long time ago not to mix work with personal life but i promise this director that i will email it to him. i tried to do it last night before leaving work but i was just to overwhelmed with other stuff. in any case, i managed to do it within half an hour and decided to start my day afterwards.

i was planning to go to the bronx zoo today since the summer schedule was approved. i was hoping to take you (jo, em, and niko) but you (jo and em) had already planned something else with your mom and dad. so, it's just me and niko.

do you know that our house is only 15 minutes away by bus from the bronx zoo. i was amazed that we were that close. we got there early, half an hour early to be exact.

we managed to go to all the exhibit including your favorites - the tigers, lions, snakes, and your "minosorous" (you meant to say rhinoceros). while walking through the butterfly pavilion, you keep asking me to go out so that you can eat the cotton candy.

by the time we decided to get lunch, everybody else we're doing the same thing. finding a place to sit on was horrible. too many kids from camp are having a filed trip at the zoo as well. we had to rush for this table that became vacant as soon as i was ready to give up. we had pizza and soda for lunch (plus a hot dog for me of course). you wanted me to get a french fries but we skip it.

the zoo trip was basically 4 hours. not bad. as soon as we got off the bus, we went to the market to get a chocolate ice cream. you wanted me to buy another cotton candy but there's none so ice cream was what we settled to buy.

granda and mel were the only one home. granda was vacuuming while mel was doing god knows what. while i took a deserving nap, niko went to the backyard to play with joel (our neighbor) to play basketball.

after taking an hour nap, i decided to upload the zoo picture in my flickr account. after uploading just 11 pictures, i got this email saying that i reached my max as a free user. either i sign up for additional space or delete my old pictures. are they crazy?? sorry, i am not deleting any nor i am paying to upload any pictures. i just basically abandon the idea of uploading anymore pictures.

since i was getting bored, we (me and you dom) decided to watch a video that i rented - the last mimzy. you thought it was a scary movie at first but i assured you that it was not.

after that, you went to bed. i on the other hand decided to write this very long journal. actually while i was writing this, em surprise me behind me back. i like it when you play tricks on me. you (jo) on the other hand was ready to head upstairs to you room when i called you to come over. i asked you if you guys want to watch the dvd but i saw you (jo) staring at the computer. i think you saw the heading of "dear jo, niko...." and basically got curious. i tried to hide it but what the heck, you i let you read the first paragraph and showed you the actual blog. you said and i quot....."COOL". then you two headed upstairs and said our good nights.

i maybe getting older (and also you of course) but you guys are keeping young. we play toys, watch cartoons, and do kids stuff. i know i should be mature (more mature that is), but how can i be if i think a child's innocence is precious.