( Tradition! )


Got my first Starbucks 2010 planner last November 18. It was real easy this time, since I was too excited to have the dark cherry mocha drink back, and the planner required only a small amount of stickers. Like I say every year, I don't really go to Starbucks and buy drinks just to get the planner. I'm just there all the damn time, so I might as well get it, right? I do think this year's planner is the worst one ever, though it came with a few coupons. It looks boring. I hope they do better next year.

Notes:
So far, I think this is only done in the Philippines.
See planners from past years here: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
To join the Starbucks planner promo, you need to complete a sticker card. You get a sticker every time you order a drink. Half of the stickers require you to get the holiday drinks though, but it was easy for me because I love the dark cherry mocha.
Part of the proceeds from the planner promo goes to Unicef's Project SparkHope.
*cross-posted to starbuckswhores.

October 22 to 23, 2009. I forgot to post this for some reason, which I think is pretty ironic (don't ask). This was one of our last drinking sessions. I don't think we will be having alcohol for a while - we're just recharging a bit, heh. Anyway, we went to Gilligan's as usual, and then a few of us capped the night off at Starbucks. It was an awesome night.





Red Horse bottles - drained!
( Just another Thursday... )

We're all taking a break from alcohol these days, so when Zhel and Pol's joint birthday rolled around, we just had a big Japanese dinner at Tempura Grill. We love that place, especially because of the makis! We got three orders of everything. Needless to say, we were so stuffed that night.





Uncle Sam's maki!
( Zhel and Pol Day 111909 )

What I did last weekend:

- Went out with my high school group, the Blythe Buds - Bang, Corky, Analyn and Leo. We had a late lunch at Bubba Gump in Greenbelt 3.
- Then I met up with my new friend Russell, we had dinner and coffee at Shang.
- After, Russell and I met up with my officemate Jane and her friend Shum, and we proceed...ed to my apartment where my housemate Sheva and her boyfriend Bin were. We drank a lot of The Bar and played Pusoy Dos until around 6 in the morning.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. Thanks peeps!





Bubba Gum Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp! I always order this, heh.
( Saya Sabado! )

Need to post this really quick because other officemates' birthdays are coming up and it will add to the backlog yet again. I'm really so behind on Lj. Life needs to start getting better so that I feel okay enough to devote time for blogging instead of moping. Le sigh.

Anyway, it was Arwin's birthday and he celebrated it with us, his officemates, his officemates from his former company and his college friends at Gilligan's. There was free-flowing alcohol that night - San Mig Light beer, Gilbey's Premium Strength gin with green tea and Jose Cuervo tequila. We were all wasted.





The birthday boy with his tequila!
( Arwin Day 110509 )

I went home to Cavite yesterday. It was the first time since February that I stayed there overnight. My brother Manny, sis-in-law Weng, nephew Rejn, cousin Sheila and aunt Au were there the entire day, and then they went home in the evening. My cousin Lek and I stayed behind with Dad. We had papaitan (innards/tripes stew) and dinaldalen (a pork and liver dish) for dinner - my favorite Ilocano dishes my Dad cooked up. Then we had Nestle's Ultimate Chocolate ice cream that I bought. It tasted like icy hot chocolate. We had a long conversation with Dad in the dining room after dinner, just joking around, and then we watched No Reservations Philippines in the living room. After that, Lek and I played Guitar Hero On Tour on my DS Lite in my room, and then told stories late into the night like we used to. We woke up late the next morning, had papaitan and dinaldalen and ice cream again for brunch, played some more Guitar Hero, and then it was time to go.

I miss my house. I miss the garden, all the plants and flowers, the backyard with all the fruit trees. I miss how tidy everything is, since we have a maid there to keep the place neat and clean. I miss my spacious pink room. I miss my bed, I miss having all my stuff there. I miss sitting on the floor, just hanging out. I miss eating healthy, yummy, home-cooked food - not canned stuff and fastfood like I do here in the apartment - on the dark wood dining chairs and table. I miss looking out the door and seeing how sunny it is out. The light is different there.

But it's not the same. My room is pretty empty; most of my things aren't there. My Dad doesn't cook as much because Mom's not around for him to cook with. The TV in the living room isn't on all the time anymore. It's quiet. My mom and I aren't around to yell at my Dad and each other. The fridge and pantry aren't stocked with three people's favorites - they're all just my dad's food now. And I get flashbacks all the time, which I don't really want because they make my heart hurt.

Still, I did have fun this weekend. It's still my home. It was nice to relive my life before it changed drastically several months ago. I'm looking forward to doing it again.

November 1, 2009. Visited my mother, my brother Joseph and my uncle Jun. It was the first time we weren't with Mom, but I'm glad that my Dad, brother Manny, sis-in-law Weng, nephew Rejn, cousins Sheila and Lek and my aunt Au were all together.

I haven't been able to blog lately. To say life is busy is an understatement. I can't seem to find the time for anything anymore. This is mostly because I've been so stressed lately. It's both my work and my personal life - things just came one after another. I keep having a string of bad days and it's been tough on me. I think too much. That's the problem. I've actually been meaning to go to the doctor for a check-up. My body is exhibiting way too many symptoms of stress. (I won't list them down, that's too much information.) It's not working properly, I haven't been feeling well and I'm getting worried. Now I just need to find the time to do it. In the meantime, I think I'm going to buy myself a pack of Stresstabs. I hope those work, even just a little.

Once in a while though, I still have amazingly good days, like yesterday. I think the fates saw that I was going to get a heart attack soon but it wasn't my time yet, and so decided to give me a break. Everything went well. Housemate Sheva and I caught a cab immediately in the morning, which almost never happens. Then, I get to work and a lot of the issues that were stressing me out suddenly got a follow-up, and I could afford not to think about them for the moment. Afterwards, a nice McD's breakfast cheered me up, followed by a good lunch with a great girl talk session at GT. My officemates were hyper and silly that day, bugging me to no end while I was working, but what do you know, it actually made me more productive. I didn't feel sleepy or bored at all. After work, it was blueberry cheesecake frozen yogurt at White Hat and black angus burgers and nuclear buffalo chicken wings at Charlie's. It was an awesome day - one that I haven't had in a long time - and I'm so thankful.

Now, I'm trying to chill and take things easy. It's hard for me not to think and worry too much. I do wish I get more good days than bad days, but ultimately, it all comes down to me just getting through it.