Tara and Cuchi Turn Two

fair fare shared with pet-lover friends

The 25th of November was a Friday and everyone's busy with the last minute deliverables so the birthday celebration was set on a Saturday.

left to right: cuchi, bjork, tara and marble

It only took two hours to prepare fruit salad, spaghetti, onion rings and banana rolls (turon) so there was still ample time for yaya to freshen up before our guests arrived. First to come was Tita Florence with Marble. Not long after, bff followed bearing gifts minus Glad.

the doting "lolas"

The celebrants were uncooperative. So were their canine well-wishers that the pictorial took longer than necessary. The only time when all three dogs were still  was when they got busy finishing the foster milk I served  for their afternoon snack.

marble and tara together with tita bing and yaya

Mom, after meeting Marble, expressed her desire to get a shih tzu as well. It must be the hair. I spied her  futile attempt to put  a pin on Marble to keep the hair away from his eyes. But I wonder how long will the novelty last. 

 left to right: again cuchi, pooh, tara and marble with yaya

domesticated

Roused by the heat, I found myself alone in the house. Pooh and sis already left for breakfast. Quickly, I picked up my soiled clothes with doing the laundry in mind after eating. Apparently, it was time to wash. Five loads awaited my attention that it was nearly lunch when I finished.
Spying the rolled oats on the shelf prompted me to bake cookies. Quaker online had this recipe that do not require raisins or nuts (which I do not have on hand). It was already almost 3 pm and I got word that baking soda is not available at the grocery. I ended up cooking some french toast from the almost stale baguette leftover of bro's, last two eggs in the fridge and some evaporated milk for the family's mid-afternoon snack.When that wasn't enough, I fried some bananas as well.
To aid digestion, I harvested some "okra" and walked the two blocks to Auntie's to pass time until the sun has almost set.
Back home, sis was slicing shallots for frying. I thought, why not prepare some onion rings as well. Anyways, I watched a video on you tube earlier on how to prepare one. It was very basic. It required preparing wet (a whole egg seasoned with paprika and salt) and dry (all-purpose flour seasoned with the same) coating ingredients.
Whew, it went well with an iced cola

Tuesdays with Morrie

While settling at the house the night before our Northern Exposure, I spied a well-thumbed edition of Tuesdays with Morrie. I've been meaning to read it for ages but had challenges in getting hold of a copy. I heard of it first back in college from Jun and he was all praises about it. So I lost no time and read I did until sleep conquered my consciousness.
The book was addictive. I read it in the airport while waiting for our flight to be called. I read it while cruising through the clouds. I read it while the bus sped through the North Expressway. I read it even after a long day of going to the tourist spots.
On many occasions, my travel buddies found me wiping a stray tear or two. And every time I see an old person, or when I remember my own ailing dad, I think of Morrie.
I have never been that close to any of my teachers but I have a quite a few who really mattered.
Kuya Richard (I can't remember calling him "sir", maybe because I've known him first in church) was my teacher in Inorganic Chemistry. He was especially smitten with a housemate of mine (Kathleen, the first person I've met in elbi with whom I shared a lot: we fought, cried together, laughed together, and when in the mood would sing together "thy word is a lamp unto my feet" in blending voices) and they ended up together. When they were still courting, I enjoyed free tutorials, meals, and even stayed Thursday nights at his house watching Lois and Clark. Inclined in the visual arts and prose, I am inspired by his flair for words (read his facebook entries to get what I mean) and his dexterity in creating artworks from used leather, wood and twigs.
To be a Chemical Engineer was far from my mind. I fancied myself in white lab gown with stethoscope dangling in front of me but it wasn't meant to be. While I doubt my self in hurdling the course, there is only one person who believed in me. Sir VV, as he is fondly called in the uni, has met with da and ma while I was confined in  Isolation at the Infirmary for chicken pox. He promised to take care of me and he sure did. He believed that with a little focus on my part, the rest would be a breeze. He was right . College wasn't that bad at all. Just before graduation, I even got the time to join an academic organization and even passed the Licensure exam in just one take.

cut lip, bruised ego

what would you choose?
Come to think of it! You can always hide a bruised ego. Unless you tell somebody that you've been hurt, by harsh words or something more physical, nobody will ask.
Now that I have been on the receiving end of a cut lip, I can imagine the questions that will beset me when I go public. Thankfully, today is a holiday and there is enough time for the cut to at least dry.
I woke up really late today. Besides having a really late night watching a Thai movie (First Love), I had massage earlier in the evening to soothe my travel-lagged body. My body was sluggish even after eaing a heavy breakfast, still I insisted to take Cuchi out for her morning walk.

Apparently I wasn't up for the simple task. Barely through the gate and my dog spied a male canine just across the street. My unpreparedness  was validated when off I dove on the hard concrete when the dog bolted towards the closed gate of the neighbors'. Caught off guard, the leash slipped off my grip and Cuchi stood in front of the other dog, wagging its tail as if nothing happened. As for me, I felt my lips kiss the ground and tasted blood in my mouth. I immediately glanced to my left, then to my right. The coast was clear. Despite my disorientation, I quickly picked myself up, righted my clothes, checked for cuts (other than those on the pads of both hands) and dragged the poor dog home.

Moral of the story: A loose sandal is an inappropriate footwear to use when walking a fully grown labrador.

Northern Exposure - Day 5

Day 5 (02 Nov) - The cold air caught us by surprise. Unprepared, our body shivered as our speech quivered while walking away from the terminal. I kept calling home to find a place to rest only to find one just a few paces away. It's not much but it's convenient and we  planned to be outdoors most of the time anyways.
Sleep was elusive for me though. I couldn't breathe through my nose and using my mouth instead caused my throat to itch. At half past two, thankfully drowsiness and fatique won over.
I set the alarm to go off at 6 so we will have ample time to bathe before breakfast at 7.
By 9:15 and after a few wrong turns from the cathedral, we got ourselves aboard plaza/kias/pma (ours is the last stop)puj. Terminal is located at the far end of the Burnham football field. Fare to our destination is 18.50
At 9:20 and 9:25 the jeep passed by the Camp John Hay entrance and Baguio PEZA respectively. 
When visiting PMA, there are two things that you shouldn't forget, "Bring Identification" and "Do not wear Slippers". Else, you will be denied admission, as what happened to Annie. Arlen and I hiked the way up which took us almost an hour stopping by the memorials, picnic groves, aviary (which looked neglected), wishing well. Fact is, we took the longer way and we didn't know that PUJs can take passengers as far as the second entrance.

There were still a lot to explore but we were pressed for time. We were due to check out at noon.
After checking out of the inn, we went to Jack's along Session and had had the Jack's special for lunch.

Then we hiked back up past the Terminal to SM. Unlike it's other branches where people mill to cool off, people seem to go there to get warm. The building is designed such that the mountain air freely goes in and out, completely eliminating the need for an air-conditioning facility. Two sides of the building on two or three floors feature viewing decks, which showcased the magnificent city lights at night. We stayed only until we got enough information on how to get to the strawberry farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. A taxi conveyed us to the "terminal" which is just right next to the city hall. Unfortunately, strawberries are not in season December to March) A kilo costs Php 400 (so I only bought 250g, just enough for an after dinner dessert). After a few photographs of the farmers tenderly and lovingly watering and weeding the plots, we visited some souvenir shops nearby. Their wares are a lot cheaper than those sold in Baguio public market. I got mom a cardigan (Php 180), bonnets for da (Php 20), phone accessory (6 for Php 50).

Traffic was bad on our way back. It was almost dark when we alit at the dangwa terminal, missing the stop right next to the public market that we had to walk our way back. There Annie got her local garlic while I got some Kalinga oranges (for my vitamin C boost) and a bag for sis (Php 130).
We had Mcdonald's for dinner and stayed there until it was time for the last full show. We chose "Praybeyt Benjamin" over "Puss in Boots (budget issues). The fun part of it did not hold for long I actually dozed off (and snored audibly) for most of the movie.
It was raining when the movie ended. We were the last non-employees to leave the building. We were at the wrong terminal. Pasay-bound buses are located elsewhere.
Before hailing a taxi, bought a combination of peanut brittle and "lengua de gato" (7 for Php 100).
While in Baguio, relieving one self has never been an issue. Clean toilets are strategically located almost everywhere. Just look for the blue and white structure.