Parents, The Meet

Replaced my slippers. Lost my shades. Need to get the Zen display screen checked. Thus ends my "Twitter" moment.

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We celebrated Pa's b-day w/a buffet dinner at Shangri-La's Circle. Ma decided to invite Liza's folks (and her, of course) and now we had the momentous First Meeting of our folks.

Liza was all nervous about it, while I remembered how all the Meet The Fockers moments w/ Boit and Wilson and their now-in-laws were handled mostly by my folks chatting w/ them and sharing family histories. The kids stayed either by their side at the dinner table or just ate quietly and compared notes later. We did the former, enjoying roast beef slices and slices of frest fruit.

Valentine's Card to Liza

Dear Liza,

Thanks for the humongous Valentine's card. Sorry the late reply. Actually, I'm sorry for some other stuff, too.

I'm sorry for being an insensitive jerk sometimes suffering from foot-in-mouth disease.

I'm sorry for pushing you hard to exercise when I should be pushing you "up" (i.e. positive reinforcement). When you asked me to help you work out and lose weight, please know that my teasing you about your figure was the closest to tough love I could do w/o watching you get down and giving me twenty.

I'm sorry I find your Cartoon Voice cute but not sexy.

I'm sorry for sometimes thinking you deserve better than yours truly.

I'm not sorry, however, for having met you. I'm not sorry to having my current crop of blog entries be about you. I'm not sorry for trying to help you stick to your decisions. I'm not sorry to have you as a part of my life. I'm not sorry we talk things out when it feels uncomfortable --but necessary-- to avoid misunderstandings.

Most of all, I'm not sorry for loving you.

Happy Valentine's Day.

-Wilben

Catchup puhctaC (Revised desiveR)

I may have to go at this backwards, freshest memory first:

TUESDAY: Since her Αh mah's b-day is on Valentine's Day, Liza and I got together tonight instead. Cuddled up while watching Blades of Glory and scarfing down a Whopper. Last week she got me an imitation LaCoste shoulder bag, while tonight I gave her the free pink Timex watch I got from HSBC for applying to their credit card.

(Love means never having to say, "You're cheap.")

She also got half a loaf of wholewheat bread and the HDMI cable I asked her to buy. Tested the latter on the WDTV and after few false starts I got my crisp, HD-quality picture. Still no 5.1 Dolby sound, though.

MONDAY: Shoulders and upper back sore from Yoga yesterday. Why are the "healthy" options always the most painful?

Attended another Sy Association dinner at Century Seafood Restaurant. It started at 7pm and ended past 11:30, by w/c time I managed to read the first 11 chapters of Bob Woodward's book State of Denial. Food seemed to come out in 15-minute intervals, and all invited guests managed to fill up all the tables, including those in back room where they viewed the events onstage via screen projector.

SUNDAY: Des' own Beijinoy friends dropped her off my house (she had a steak brunch in Tomas Morato), and after a quick tour of mi casa we headed for Tutuban to pick up Liza. The three of us went to Metrowalk for some personal gadget shopping (man, lotsa bootleg Blue-Rays), then Liza and I had dinner at Yoo-Hoo BBQ (formerly Yahoo BBQ, though I don't see how changing the business name from an Internet company to that of a chocolate drink would save them from future copyright lawsuits).

We decided to catch a flick at Promenade. Des was nice enough to treat us to a screening of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. (How does Michael Sheen go from Frost/Nixon to this editorially dizzying piece of cliched violence?) We originally planned to see Inkheart but Greenhills Theater only screened that one during the first half of the day. After the movie we hung around Fully Booked, browsing titles and waiting for Amerasian friend Andy's reply on whether or not he'd hang out w/ us. The hour was getting late and we were conflicted between waiting for him or yours truly getting the girls home at a decent hour.

In the end Des decided to wait for him in case he showed up. Behind all our reassurances that it was fine and she can take care of herself, I felt guilty about having to leave Des behind. As a precaution Liza suggested we park nearby in case Andy doesn't make it and we'd have to drive Des home. We parked across Virramall for another 20 minutes, passing the time watching Scrubs on Liza's laptop. Later Des texted me not to worry and that Andy came. Whew.

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.

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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.

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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