This weekend is the most legen - wait for it - dary weekend yet!

It started off as how much of my weekends start. Panicking when I realize Brianna's not beside me anymore, having breakfast, checking my mails, playing Sorority Life on Facebook, lunch, siesta, all with breastfeeding and diaper changes in between. Now, instead of spending the entire afternoon and night in front of the TV, I went out.

Bry's birthday painom got moved a week after his birthday because he was sick during his birthday. Painom happened at The Plantation in C. Palanca in Makati. Nice little place.

TVSTYLE, previous officemates and his high school friends were all there to celebrate his birthday with him. Here are some of the highlights (You most probably won't get any of these but what the hell, it's for me anyway):

1. Sir Aries and his nifty little programming box.
2. "Pancake Dory" and pesto rice.
3. San Miguel lemon and apple-flavored alcoholic drink. The. Bomb. Diggity.
4. Mango Mojito. You should try this. The best mojito I've ever had.
5. Tong-its na nawala ako sa concentration ko dahil bulong nang bulong si Bry ng "Ang ganda mo".
6. Si Marvin at ang mga natutunan niya kay Bry.
7. Dr. Ricky Conde's free (love) consultation. Consultation hours: 10pm to 12am.
8. Mameha's "CS operation wounds".
9. The Happy-anniversary-sa-kanila-hindi-mo-na-birthday-Bry kampai.
10. The Jeff and Ikia scandal.
11. Iton and Betchay on Hot Issue, Nagliliyab! and Narinig Mo Na Ba Ang L8test?.
12. The 15-peso per square meter, 5-hectare land.
13. The "Birthday ko naaaaa" song that led to the best good morning greeting I've ever been given.
14. Sex-related bulungan session with Betchay.
15. Madame Betchay and her psychic, palm reading powers.
16. Enzo and Joanne encouraging me to reaudit PSI and join Starshooters and/or Heroic.
17. The usual bullying and bull session with Jeff.
18. 2+1 beer promo that got me drinking so much more then I should have in one night.
19. "5 minutes nalang, sorry brad" that lasted 2 hours.
20. The 500-peso tip.

Of course, the night - day, actually because we left The Plantation around 4am-ish - didn't end there but I don't think I'm going to publish THAT part of the story here because I want this blog to remain wholesome and rated G as much a possible. I'm gonna post it somewhere else. In Tumblr, maybe, and make the blog private.

I haven't had that much fun for as long as I can remember. I wasn't supposed to go just because of a petty misuderstanding with the mister but I'm glad I came.

Now, speaking of came...

A conversation between two mothers...

- Start of conversation -

N: Nako, pag naghabol yan, mas mahihirapan ka na umalis. 

A: Kaya nga ayoko magtrabaho e. 

N: Pag di ka naman nagtrabaho, san pagaaralin anak mo, mabibigay mo ba magandang buhay...blah blah blah

- End of conversation -

FYI, that's my mom and me talking. I understand where she's coming from, yes. I worry about that everyday; she just doesn't know and doesn't HAVE TO know that because that's why I have Bry for. I wanted to ask her, though, if she/they would FULLY understand and respect my decision not to go to work anymore should I want it to be that way.

Suporta ba at pagmamahal ang maririnig ko o pagkukutya at panunumbat? I'm afraid to ask because I don't want to hear the answer. Parang alam ko na kasi e.

Christmas Wishlist, the Simple Joys edition

The Habagat season is already here - though most of the time it doesn't feel like it - and we all know what that means: Christmas!

This is the fourth Christmas - if I'm not mistaken - that I am posting my wishlist online. I used to post expensive materialistic wishlist in the past but this year, I decided to post another list: The Simple Joys list. No, not the SM-owned store. Simple Joys. What it literally means. These are not-so-expensive things that I want to happen during the holidays. Traditions I gotten used to that I want to happen again, small things that makes me happy, anything! I don't need Santa Claus for these. I need friends and family for these.

1. A long, tight bear hug from the boyfriend.

2. A cup of Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks with the boyfriend, with my high school friends and with my college buddies. Hiwa-hiwalay, siyempre.

3. A bag or two of Cheetos Jalapeño.

4. A nice family photo with Bry and Brianna.

5. A couple of drinks with the TVSTYLE family, high school friends, college friends and Bry. Again, hiwa-hiwalay.

6. Roadtrip with the family after Christmas, before New Year's.

7. Spend Christmas and New Year's with the two most important people in my life: Bry and Brianna.

8. A list of hiphop/R&B 2010-2011 songs for me to download.

9. A one-hour massage.

10. A go signal from the OB that I can start running again. Yes, I used to run. Di lang mukha.

Simple things make me happy despite the saying small people appreciate small things. Kesa naman di ako makaappreciate ng mga effort like other people...

Okay, here's a much, much better look at the Blair Waldorf wedding gown...

Here's the write-up: http://news.instyle.com/2011/11/16/blair-waldorf-wedding-dress-designer-vera-wang/ 

The gown is Vera Wang. Fine.

I am looking something else on Tumblr (GG-related) and all it does is show me Blair's wedding gown over and over again...

Here's a better angle of the Blair Waldorf wedding gown.

If I was allowed to hate one thing only, it's this.

I hate it when people don't take my feelings into consideration when they make their decisions.

Why?

Because whenever I make decisions that involve other people, I usually choose the option that's favorable to them. Okay, maybe not really favorable but the option that will benefit me as well as that other person. It's kind of a compromise but is win-win.

Unfortunately, I am surrounded by people who are either too caught up with their own happiness to think of how I'll be or I am feeling or people who are selfish and thinks I don't deserve to be happy. It's really sad but I have to suck it up. I chose to be surrounded by these people and honestly, most of these people are very important to me. Which is even sadder but, yeah. Suck it up, Ale!

Ooh! This is purdy, Blair. PEG!

Reasons why my job is harder (and better) than yours.

1. My boss is the most demanding person. Ever. She hardly talks and most of the time, I don't know what she wants to tell me. I don't understand her whims sometimes so I just give her everything she will most probably need. 

2. My shift is 24/7. I work during lunch breaks, inside a moving vehicle and even during bedtime. Rest is not in my dictionary. 

3. Money is never an issue because I don't get a dime out of this. Even if I spend the whole day waiting on my boss, I don't get money for serving her. 

4. Everything revolves around the boss. It doesn't matter if I'm taking a dump, taking a bath or brushing my teeth. When she calls, I have to be there even if I have shampoo on my hair. 

5. I can't be fully asleep because my boss might call. All her calls are both urgent and important. "Teka lang" is not accepted.

No matter how hard my fulltime job and preferred "profession" is, I still love what I do. Why?

1. My boss may be the most demanding person on earth but she's also the best thing that ever happened to my life. 

2. I may not have any break times but the mere sight of her calms me down. Seeing her smile makes me realize that everything is worth it. 

3. I don't get anything from being a slave to her but the happiness I feel is priceless and I wouldn't trade that for all the money in the world. 

4. I become a better person because of the things I do for her. 

5. I wake up to seeing her beside me. That's the greatest gift I could ever ask for.

Some people might belittle my chosen "profession" because I don't get money out of it but being a mom is a fulltime job that takes strength and unwavering patience.

I love being a mom. This changed my ideals and the way I look at everything. This changed me for the better.

Of course, my boss - my daughter - is the best thing that has ever happened to my life and I'd be happy to be of service to her until the day I die.

How dare I forget to post this here?!

This was sent to me by my favorite college prof in Facebook last Sept. 15.

Little history. Doc Eric and I were the ones who pitched the DLSU Archery Club idea to the Office of University Organizations since it was kinda ironic that we're called the DLSU Green Archers and we don't have an archery team. The two of us (plus my ex, supposedly, but he kinda dumped us when he got accepted to his org then) got all the necessary permits and I wrote the by-laws and all the paperworks and got all signatories. After all the paperwork, I left all the waiting (of approval) to another one of his students who became the first org president.

I am so grateful he hasn't forgotten about my little contribution to the org. He'll forever be my favorite college prof. :)

Super random thoughts on the controversial murder of Ram Revilla

(I know I will sound like a hypocrite to you now, especially when I posted a blog entry on not watching the news just a couple of weeks back but this news story is just too good to pass up. It's too CSI-y.)

1. I don't know him personally and haven't heard of him 'til his murder but there's something about Ram Revilla that gets to me. Maybe it's the famous Revilla eyebrows/eyes. I don't know, but there's something about him. 

2. I conclude that BF Homes, Parañaque is not a place to raise a family. It's full of murderers and gun men and people who have hate in their hearts. First, Vizconde. Then those people who got shot while picking up their families from salons/grocery or just going home from a nightout. Then this. 

3. The sibling rivalry theory sounds so cruel but because of the sister fleeing to Hongkong RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the investigation, it kinda confirmed it. 

4. The police are so slow in making decisions and releasing arrest warrants. Why? Kasi nagamok (nung una) ang isang Senador na kamaganak ng mga suspek. Ano naman gagawin niya kung nadakip na ng pulis ang mga suspek? Ipapapatay niya ang buong PNP? Anong kinakatakot ng mga pulis? Nasa tama kayo, mga ser. Pero ayan, naisahan kayo. Tsktsktsk. 

5. I am a mom now so I understand Genelyn Bautista's stand on this issue but there will come a point where she will not be able to deny the facts anymore, especially when the evidences and witnesses surface. 

6. I think the younger brother who's in the custody of the police is an accessory to the crime. He maybe the gunman behind the mask because if you're someone who is a stranger to the family, you won't be needing a mask, will you? Plus, he would've shot Ramona, too so he won't have anybody tell the story. She was by the door, anyway, might as well kill her too. 

7. I knew that Ramona Bautista was familiar. A college buddy kinda confirmed it a couple of days ago. She might be a blockmate of a suitor back in college. 

8. I saw an interview with the Bautistas' lawyer yesterday. He said that Ramona fleeing the country is not a sign of guilt. She just wanted some peace and quiet. Well, darling, you will be getting peace and quiet if you just faced the authorities and told them what really happened. Your peace and quiet will happen either at home or in jail. Wherever it is, you will get it. Yun lang naman hinihingi mo diba? And to the lawyer: Matatalo kaso mo ser. Labo mo magexplain. You ain't got nothin' on Anthony Taberna. 

9. Ramona Bautista, if I were you, I would say the truth. Mas ikakahiya ka ng pamilya mo dahil nagsinungaling ka kesa dahil hindi mo tinulungan ang kapatid mo. If you don't want to tell the truth, though, you should've gotten your story straight the first time. And got the story MEMORIZED before you recorded it. Or maybe you hould've edited it BILANG VIDEO NAMAN SIYA. And you should've mastered the body language of the innocent so the psychologists won't see in your movements the guilt. I should be a lawyer, yeah? 

10. Initially, my heart goes out to the mom because this happened with her kids but now I am not quite sure because now, there are evidences pointing to her.

(This story really piqued my interest the way Vizconde massacre did. Will you call me morbid because of this?)

#39. I've developed a habit of checking my mail every morning just this year.

Another first! :)

Photo Credit: Reg Balagat

Ito na ang hudyat.

I don't know what's weirder: my dad calling Brianna "Brianna De Leon" or him saying it out loud. Either way, I'd like to think that it finally made him realize that he can't escape the fact that I'm going to have to leave soon.

This is good.