Weekendies

SATURDAY: Ordered --and got-- a Western Digital Network Media Tank for the Bravia. After a software upgrade I can now watch d-loaded HDTV and .mkv-format vids with more ease. Before that I plugged the flash-drive into the USB port of the Philips DVD player, w/c could read the data, but slow w/ rewinds and fast-forwardsand I've lost my readers now. Hello? Anyone? "Boobies?"

Saturday night out became an unwanted (and avoidable had I been a better road-vs-map reader) road trip that brought us to the Balintawak N-Lex tollbooth. Not the priciest mistake in the world, but 72 bucks in still 72 bucks, and for going through a gate we weren't supposed to go through to begin with.

Once we got our street bearings (and Liza's superior sense of direction) we found her friend Paige's place and partook of a humble home-fried meal of chicken, mushroom, flat fried fishballs and cake. We also had a partial screening of A Tale of Two Sisters (US version entitled The Uninvited) before she got tipsy from the punch. Getting home was faster as the street directions were more straightfoward.

SUNDAY: After some Us Time dinner(wherever)-and-a-movie(Australia)-out became delivery(Shakey's)-and-a-TV-show(Lie to Me)-in. We had the house to ourselves as the 'Rents to watch a Chinese circus performance.

Gmail 2 Liza

This was my reply to her recent email. I think it's PG-enough for posting (w/ editing, 'natch). Apologies for the overabundance of GMail emoticons.

Hi Love,

I just finished lunch. Everyone else had some of your hybrid papaya for dessert, while the aftertaste of overripe mango is still lingering in my mouth. The good thing about that is the aftertaste from the veggie-flavored fortune cookie is no longer an issue.

I also appreciated our talk last night, stuffy nostril notwithstanding. It was informative and insightful. If we don't get to know each other enough (due to...distractions, wink wink) on our dates at least phone chats like that will make up for it. In hindsight it was probably crass of me to go on w/ my dislikes over the "likes," while your praise of my physical attributes embarrassingly dwarfed mine of yours.

As for my social organization skills, during my unattached days planning a gimik was limited to asking friends if they're free, setting a date and just wait for that day, w/ a follow-up call or text to remind the other party. The gimiks are limited to dinner, movies and coffee nightcaps (though I want a hiking trip or something involving plane travel in the near future.) Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't due to outside forces. Otherwise my social time is just open and awaiting invites from other friends who go out more often than yours truly, but those invites are about as rare as handsome platypuses.

I've never been the go-out-on-my-own-at-night-and-see-what-or-who-is-out-there type. With an internet connection and access to too much TV/Movies/Books at home, staying home has been more the norm. But now that I'm with someone the urge to go out (at least on weekends) should be greater.

While I want to reserve the right to ask you (as in you wait for me to ask) first, I don't want to take you for granted again, for it has caused you pain. That said, if I asked you out but you already made plans for that day I'll understand. After all I've done to (or not done for) you I deserve my share of "disappointments."

You deserve a happy life outside of my presence and influence. We both had lives before we met, and I'd like to think neither of us would want the other to forget what that was like, unless it was miserable or something similar.

That's it for now. Talk to u soon. I love you.

-Ben

We Can Talk It Out

Met up w/ Lola and Mirell at AshCreek. Lola got me a DC Universe Alex Ross postcard book while I, in my hurry to get to Starbucks, forgot to bring her already late Xmas present. All the while, back at Liza's house a renowned reflexologist was working his wonders on her family and friends. She wanted me to see him but I politely declined.

When I finally stopped by the house (initially to just upload new TV eps to her laptop) the reflexologist had just left. The moment Liza opened the gate for me I knew she was upset about something. Once inside (and after data transfer) I asked if we could talk about it.

Long story short it looked to her like I was refusing her help and not trusting her judgement. The latter I disagreed with, but I apologized for belitting the former.

Words were ranted and rambled, tears shed, nose blown, hugs given and kisses exchanged. There were moments I thought of leaving early and to just let her stew, brood and sleep it off, but in the end I'm glad we decided to talk it out. Had it not been for The Contest there might have been more than a makeup makeout. (wink nudge wink wink)

"The Contest"

In an indirect homage to a famous Seinfeld episode, we have made a bet w/ one another. If I win, she exercises 3x a week for 8 weeks. If she wins, I'm a specific kind of slave. She is confident of victory, as am I. Her strategy is to come up w/ excuses. Mine is (perhaps) to lull her into a false sense of security. May the best man (i.e. moi) win.

Seriously, I want her to exercise.

"Oh, the Weather Outside is Freezing..."

Weather has been on the nippy side for about a week now. Been sleeping w/o the benefit of an air conditioner nor a fan, just a half-open window. Skin dries up faster after a shower, too. It's like the dead of winter in Vancouver around here.

* * *

Saw in the news a Marine Major blubbering from nervousness while testifying at a Congressional hearing about a recent drug-bust involving scions of rich folks. Holy crap, a Major of our Marines is afraid to speak out. Guy wants to fight the illegal drug trade but gets nervous when asked talk about it under oath? Mon Tulfo ought to lend him his balls.

* * *

Close to the last day of last year, Liza wanted to use her 2 coupons for free photo sessions at The Picture Company. We had our time in front of the lens at their Podium branch. Today the shots we chose came in the (e)mail. Cute stuff:

It's the Little Things

While we were watching the winner of Funniest TV Commercial of 2008 (Vote-in winner), I also watched Liza's reaction to it. A slightly bewildered look indicated that she didn't get it.

After explaining what the phrases Cut the cheese, pinch a loaf, and drop the kids at the pool meant (plus a brief on the Pull My Finger gag), it was a delight to rewind the video and watch her face, now armed with a better understanding of colorful turns-of-phrase on farting and pooing.

I love helping her laugh. Here's that Superbowl commercial in question:

The Year in Bullet Points

Firsts:

• Live modern poledance show
• Visit to (Water) spa
• Live "improv" show
• Kiss on (cheek of) girl I was wooing on-and-off a coupla years
• Attended a friend's play that they wrote
• Cruise ship vacation
• Platinum credit card
  
• Visit to Japan, South Korea and Bacolod
• Taste of Bacolod Chicken
  
• LCD TV purchase
• Professional massage
  
• LCD monitor purchase
• P90X workout program
• IMAX screening
  

Lost:

• Both earpieces on my cordless headphone
• Interest in girl I was wooing on-and-off a for a coupla years
• Desire to watch Ugly Betty and the Law & Order franchise.
  
• It
• Sleep over online browsing and late-night chats
  
• Normal (i.e. painless) functioning of my shoulder joints and left knee
  

Found:

• Appreciation for coffee, at least in cafe latte form
  
• Girlfriend
• Love
• It
  
• Improvised salmon and pasta recipes
• Pain in my shoulder joints and left knee
  
• Better understanding of Toedessa
• Revived interest in Bob Hope
• Blue Man Group live concert

Previously Unposted Date Pix

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at SM MoA (with The Contessa and Sadrina, tho' not in the picture). (Nov. 2)

Trinoma Mall (Nov. 8)

Bolt 3D screening at Gateway Mall (Nov. 29)

Xmas'ed Out

As backlogs (or BcLogs) go, mine's been backed up like a constipated sumo wrestler.

The day before Xmas Eve I had a late dinner w/ Eileen at Cyma in Trinoma. She got me a gift while I gave back some of her DVDs. Not the fairest Kris Kringle exchange, I know...

First Xmas with Liza, both Eve and Actual. For the Eve we first had a light dinner at her house, where I presented gifts to her mom (stereo) and dad (really nice umbrella). For her part she gave me Fuji apples branded w/ various icons like Xmas trees, Santas and even some "I Love You" signs. Turns out they were done by placing stickers on the apples a month before harvest.

At my place there was an actual party, so we ate even more, from BBQ to lechon and tasty chicken pie, although she preferred the pork soup and Chinese fried chicken. Popsicles for dessert (twin for me, pinipig crunch for her). Ate Penny was nice enough to write up for me a request for an X-ray to check out my shoulders, w/c have been aching for some time now. Save for one family I managed to get groups portraits for almost all the guests. Mine were even gracious enough to have Liza included in our shot.

And for the first time I had someone else help and participate in making my annual Xmas Clone Card (see result in previous blog entry). Previous experimenting w/ night photography helped make up for last year's cut-and-paste disaster.

I slept around 4AM, only to be awakened 5 hours later by Liza asking me to attend morning mass w/ her and her folks. This event I was sorely tempted to sleep and skip over, but she used the "3M Phrase" ("Mean so much to me"), so for the first time in several forevers I found myelf in a church w/o any previous wedding or baptism ceremony arranged, and before lunchtime. On the plus side Liza joined me at my place for the latter. Mmm, leftover chicken pie...

After lunch we all rested a bit, then headed to SM MoA to brave the traffic jams and the mall crowds, the likes of w/c I hadn't seen since the last 3-Day Sale at SM North EDSA. In the midst of looking for someplace to eat Liza decided to play Poke Your Partner's Private Parts in Public. Far be it from me to refuse this kind of challenge.

While it didn't help she was making up the scoring rules as we went along, in the end I gave up trying to earn points and just did it for sh*ts and giggles. She still insists I lost when she gave herself 2000 points for biting my finger in front of my brother Wilson, who was seated across the table from us at Fish & Co. (Don't worry, he wasn't looking. I think.).

After the early dinner we spent some time in Fully Booked, where Liza bought more vampire books and got me the paperback edition of Bob Woodward's State of Denial. Afterward we made the unfortunate decision to walk all the way to Tom's World in the South Wing to look for the kids, only to find out everyone was at Haagen-Dazs back North. I tried to take her mind off the long walk back by offering to carry all her things and telling her expensive servings of ice cream are better than queuing at Starbucks.

At The Dazs she sampled whatever flavor she could. The servers forgot my double scoop order entirely, so I ended up sharing Liza's caramel apple crumble and choco-choco chip combo. Everybody went home late again, but I had to keep her books in storage as she doesn't want her folks to find out she went on another book buying binge. :)

Premature THIS

Happy Holidays, Y'all!