Thursday, November 30, 2006
Week Past 11/20-11/26/06
Tue 11/21, W and I picked up my brother, sister-in-law and their kids at the airport. Arriving around 8:25 am. they were already waiting for us curbside when we came around 9:00 am. Maximizing their visit, it was a vacation and business trip: spend Thanksgiving with us, look for job opportunities (my brother had a scheduled interview afternoon of their arrival) and check out MN for relocation. It was nice seeing our nephews (2 boys) and niece. A refreshing break from the daily grind and routine. So we dropped them off at the MaLL of America Wed, 11/22 on our way to work. The kids enjoyed it. One day is not enough. Thu, 11/23 was Thanksgiving mass in the morning, brunch at Perkins then a short tour of the city proper and school. The day was nippy but sunny. It was unfortunate that Fri 11/24 two of the kids got sick. They would be under the weather, especially my niece, until they fly home to New Jersey Tue 11/28. Alas our plan to take them to the zoo and other interesting sites in Minneapolis did not materialize. Hopefully they will relocate here in MN and be able to visit the places they missed in their own sweet time. Pic below is my brother Jo with nephew Colin and niece Cael. Right is nephew Cobe contemplating on his porridge and leading the prayer (with Mom Janea right, carrying Cael, proudly looking on) before partaking of the Thanksgiving dinner.
Thu 11/23 Thanksgiving Day (and the "Unknown Turkey") was celebrated at our house. Friends came over pot luck.We had two turkeys: oven baked and deep fried. As usual it started late, 5:00 pm was the appointed time but everybody started arriving around 6:30 pm. Good thing because we also started late in deep frying the turkey .I helped Kit and Linus set up the deep fryer at the vacant lot beside our house. The pics below chronicles the sad fate of the "unknown turkey". First pic shows Kit ready to dip the turkey in the deep fryer. Voila after 30 minutes or so the turkey turned into golden brown. Third pic shows the first cut. Last pic, the aftermath, with Linus giving the finishing touch. All across America thousands of turkeys met the same fate: baked, fried, cut and dined. As of this writing new batch are being groomed for next year's Thanksgiving..so don't be a turkey.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Week Past 11/13-11/19
Thu 11/16 the landscaper poured concrete at the back. It was quick. They used two cement truck mixer. Work started around 8:30 am and they were done by 11:00 am. Pics shows work in progress.
Fri 11/17 PlayStation 3 hit the market. There was not enough to go around. Our store was only allotted 1!! for the day. Pathetic. Unbelievable. We're not even sure when the next shipment will be coming in, There were a lot of callers inquiring about its availability. Price: $410.00 or roughly Php 20,500.00. I heard the customer who got the only one we had camped out in our store.
For this week W and I have been busy devoting at least an hour or two every night trying to get the cabinets assembled for the pantry to add more storage space and get our things squared away.
At the work front we have a customer who I call the "Guitar Man". We have the Guitar Hero II video game that is on display. It's hooked up in one of the big screen TV ready for customers to try it out. For the past week I've noticed this guy come into our store everyday at around 4:00 pm. Sporting shoulder length hair he usually wears a black coat or black leather jacket, black pants or blue jeans and black leather boots. Upon entering the store he goes straight to the video game display. Takes off his coat or jacket revealing a black tank top. Then he takes the guitar and put the shoulder straps around his shoulders and starts playing the game. He'll be at it for an hour or so. I called the attention of my co-workers about it and they gave me that "you're kidding me" look. When I got back from one of my days off they confirmed what I told them. This "dude" is still at it. I haven't tried the game but I've seen some of our co workers try it during their break and I've noticed they also keep coming back if their time permits. I guess the game can really get you hooked especially if you're the rocker type.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Week Past 11/06-11/12
Early this week the landscaper started their work in our front and backyard. They've rolled out the sod and put rocks as retaining wall where the airconditioning will be located. Pic top left shows the retaining wall where the lot has a steep slope. That is where the central air would be installed. Pic top right shows the "bobcat" used to grade the lot where concrete would be poured. Other pics shows the front with sod and the "required" trees planted.
Fri, 11/10 I finally bought the 32" Sony Bravia LCD TV and the BOSE 3-2-1 Series II home theater system using my six months interest free payment credit card (pay it in 6 or I'll be doomed on interest). These would be our Christmas gift to ourselves. I had to move the old reliable analog TV to the basement. So with the Sony home theater system circa 2000. I guess it would now be used mainly for the Music Mike.
Sat 11/11 Dennis B installed the water softener. Three of W's staff also dropped by and helped assemble some of the IKEA cabinets. There are still some that needs to be done. W took them to Mystic Lake for a brunch. Then we ate dinner at Spice Thai when I got home from work before dropping off the staff at their hotel.
At the work front, have I mentioned about a customer who made our store his workout place? At first I was suspicious seeing him walking around the store almost everyday or at least most of the time that I work. Then I noticed that he knows some of our employees. It was only early this year that I was able to talk to him. I learned that he walks around the store for a total of 5K at least. Winter, spring, summer or fall he never fails. He also helps in keeping our store safe like picking up garbage, like we do, that could be a slip hazard to other customers. So why pay for a gym fee when you can have one for free,
Thursday, November 09, 2006
"Week Past 10/30-11/05"
Tue, 10/31 was Halloween. First time we're spending Halloween at our new house. Compared to our old place in Farmington there were only few kids trick or treating. Since it was chilly that night kids were being driven from house to house instead of walking. We attended, albeit late, the annual Halloween party at our former house since that is where it was usually held .I don't know how to describe my feeling going inside the house. Brings back memories. I had that tendency to go to the basement to watch DVD as I usually do especially when I'm not doing anything. I had to catch myself that I don't live there anymore.
Thu, 11/02 the landscaper started doing our yard. They dropped off some of their materials and shrubs that would be planted.
Fri,11/03 driving on HiWay 169 N at 6:40 am on my way to work I passed by a four vehicular smash up that just occured. I was wondering why traffic was slow on that part of the highway when we're still far from the traffic light intersection. A tanker was in front of me so I couldn't see much except the back of the truck. When he signalled to change lanes to the left I also saw a police car at full speed coming from the opposite direction blinkers and all suddenly making a u-turn crossing the grassy island separator to reach our lanes. When the truck has changed lanes that's when I saw the accident prompting me to also change lanes. There were already three police cars, four counting the one that just made a "u". A black car with its front totally crumpled was facing against the traffic. The second, a red car, was also heavily damaged. The third, an SUV was at the side of the road its front also smashed. I saw the driver still pinned to his seat with his airbag deployed and his door open. Two cops were talking to him. The fourth was also at the side of the road, a Honda.I did not see the extent of its damage. Smoke was rising from the three vehicles that were heavily damaged. Probably caused by the heat from the engines with temp around 19 degrees F at that time. I saw the cop that just arrived putting on his jacket as he was running out of his car. The max speed on HiWay169 is 65mph but most do 70-75mph (110-120kph) especially when you're running late for work. Your guess is as good as mine on what caused the accident. Not a very good way to end the week.
Also Fri, W called me at work around 9:00 am. She got herself locked out from our house. Good thing she had her cellphone with her. I read that if you get yourself locked out of your car and you have a spare remote key at home just call and have somebody press the remote key over the phone and your cellphone close to the car door. It's supposed to open the door. I tried doing it with our garage remote door opener with W standing beside the garage door with her cellphone while I was pressing the remote door opener. Well it didn't work. Probably its supposed to emit a sound like most of the car remote. Anyways I had to drive back home. At least she was wearing a jacket. But she only had her slippers on. With temps in the 20's and a wind chill any exposed skin will hurt after a time. Partly my fault too bacause I forgot to install the remote keypad entry switch for the garage door. She couuld have used it to gain entrance.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Week Past 10/23-10/29
Sat,10/28 a friend, Dennis B., came to our house to install our garage door opener. There were two of them so I learned to assemble the other one. The actual installation I leave to him. I was planning on getting a hands on on the second door but a landscape contractor who just happen to be passing by because of a project in the neighborhood saw our yard still unfinished so he decidied to dropped by the house to put a bid on landscaping our yard. Costly work to get it all done.
Sun, 10/29 was the start of daylight savings time. That means you gain an hour's sleep by turning your clock back an hour. Unfortunate for those working overnight. I turned our clock back late Sat night.
At work Fri, 10/27 a female customer came to our desk to pay her billing statement. As I took her payment she made a comment smiling. I did not get it so I said "Excuse me, could you repeat that please?". She repeated herself and said, "I just said you're the guy who owns the place. The customer service." I looked at her and tried to recall if she's one of those regular customers that looks familiar. I guess she saw the look on my face and said "Of course you won't remember me with all the people you meet everyday but I know you and I see you work. You're good at your job". I said "Thank you". That definitely made my day... I remember another lady when I was working by myself and I had a line. She said, "This must be a very stressful job. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." I gave her a smile and said, "You enjoy your day too, mam". Yeah, it helped relieve some of the stress... Kind words.
Woke up Sat 10/28 morning wondering why a portion of our bedroom wall is bathed in a shade of pink. Forcing myself to rise and look out the window I saw the sun peeking out (it's been cloudy the past days) its glow painting the sky with shades of yellow, pink and orange reflected in the lake's placid water. I immediately took my camera and took the pics above showing the view from the living room. The trees are now bare, shedding their leaves after a series of cold blustery days as if saying "naked are we, the lake is now yours to see". A beautiful site on a cold windy morning.
In my previous entry, I mentioned that I would talk about King Solomon in brief. So what about him? A colored life if I may say. His name is synonymous to wisdom. That is what he requested when God asked him what he wanted (1Kings3:5-14). The son of King David and Bathsheba (formerly the wife of Uriah, a loyal officer in King David's army whose death was planned by David himself to cover up his indiscretion 2Samuel 11:1-17) it is said that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1Kings11:3). Alas, it would be the reason he fell from grace with God (Sirach 47:19-20). I'm just wondering that with his God given wisdom and insight (1Kings4:29-31) he was not able to temper himself nor control his wives and concubines, Instead he was influenced by them to worship their idols. As it was then so it is now. Behind powerful men are women (wives, mothers, lovers, sisters?) influencing their decisions and actions. Unfortunate are those whose partners have different agenda. Solomon, the wisest of the wise, was unfortunate for he not only failed himself but he failed God,
