Sunday, July 29, 2007
Week Past 07/23-07/29/07
Finally after two false alarm my co-worker's spouse gave birth to a healthy baby girl (their second) on Tue 07/24. The waiting is over, finally.
My aunt lamented that time really went fast when you are enjoying. As mentioned in my last entry, they flew in Sun 07/22. Tue 07/24 they spent the whole day at the Mall of America. As I was driving them to the airport early (3:30 am) Thu 07/26 for their departure that's when my aunt made the comment. Everybody (dad, mom, and my sister) were quiet. Parting is really such a sweet sorrow. I treated them to dinner night before at Mystic lake and on hindsight I guess that melancholic feeling was already there especially with my sister. She was more "subdued"that night.
Fri, 07/27 I drove again to the airport for W's arrival from Manila. She arrived a little after 5 pm. On our way home we called my parents so they would be ready to go out. It's my parents 55th Wedding Anniversary. My fault that I forgot to bring my camera to document our simple celebration. We were planning on going to Red Lobster. Being a Friday we saw the waiting line outside the restaurant and thought otherwise. We''re hungry so we ended up at Cam Ranh Bay. To think that I originally scheduled their departure on this date. Changing their flight schedule costs me $$$$ but spending their anniversary with us: priceless. But where's the pic???? :(
Pic below at right is that of moi, my aunt, dad, mom and sis taken day before they went back to Boston
Sat 07/28 there was a PointWest party at home to welcome Rene, one of their exec from Manila who flew in a day ahead of W for client meetings. Pic below left shows Rene with W and some of their staff exchanging banter.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Week Past 07/16-07/22/07
Tue 07/17 I drove W to the airport. She'll be going to Manila for over a week. It'll be business trip and short vacation. So that leaves me and my parents at home. But not for long.
Sun 07/22 my sister and aunt from Boston flew in for a short (four days) visit. So we picked them up after mass. It was supposed to be a surprise visit. But since they (aunt and mom) have been communicating over the phone daily since my parents arrived somebody slipped. My dad only learned about it night before their arrival. From the airport we went straight to JunBo, a dimsum restaurant. My aunt was honest enough to say that she's already hungry having left Boston early morning and almost twelve noon (their time) when they arrived in MN.
That puts me in charge of four visitors without W. No problemo. Since most of the days I'll be coming home a bit late from work I told my mom to just check out the fridge on what food they can re-heat or cook. Just for safety I also showed her where the fire extinguisher is located and how to use it.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Week Past 07/09-07/15/07
Learning
My parents arrived Fri 06/08. So it's been a month this week. And I'm learning things. I did not know that my Mom does not like going to theaters to watch movies. She gets dizzy. I learned this when we suggested that Sat 07/14 we would go watch a Filipino movie being sponsored by Couples/Singles for Christ as a fund raiser at the Mall of America. She said she'd rather not go and told W the reason. I got curious so I asked her when was the last time she went to watch a movie. She said when she was still single. It dawned on me that when we were growing up, we never went out to watch a movie as a family nor did we went out as a family like what most do on a Sunday. I can recall going to my grandmother's house on weekends. But to eat out...if any of my siblings is reading this, he or she may hit me in the head if I'm missing something.
Our Dad, I also learned, doesn't want a "repeat" or re-heated food. He'll just eat salad instead. Pressed for time during the week W would usually cook our food that would be good for a week. There would probably be three or four kinds good for two servings. We'll divide it, put it in it's container and just re-heat it. Sometimes we'll buy a take-out for additional mix. I've noticed that at first serving Dad would have the appetite. But serve it second time during the week the gusto is not there. Even the binagoongan, one of his favorite dish. Oh well, I just rationalize it would also be good for his health. He won't be eating too much and the salad would provide the roughage.
Looking back I guess my Dad never did, or if ever seldom, ate re-heated food. Dinner time in Manila we always have freshly home cooked food. With my Mom a full-time homemaker and with househelp that's a given. Lunch we sometimes re-heat leftovers from dinner. Dad doesn't eat lunch at home during weekdays because he's at work. On weekends lunch are not "repeats". Eureka. It's not because Dad became picky with age but it's what he's been used to. But when in Rome you have to do what the Centurions orders you to. Alas, we also have to please the "Emperor" :) so now Mom cooks dinner for us. Now that's a treat. But W and I better not get used to it since it's temporary.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Week Past 07/02-07/08/07
Added some plants in front of the house. It's still planting and landscaping that's taking most of our downtime. I've finally did some dent at the back after working on it this past two weeks. I was able to edge pave and put a mulch on it. Menard's was having a sale on it's paver and mulch. Pic at left shows the development.
Sat 07/07 we went to George and Mikki's home blessing at Rosemount. Food was great like pancit Malabon, binagoongan, kare-kare, sisig, relleno, ginaataan and tupig to name a few. There's nothing like Filipino dishes cooked home style. There was even gulaman for beverage. My Dad and Mom enjoyed it and was able to meet some of our friends' parents. Their peers.Sun 07/08 I took the 8:00 am mass at St Peter's in Richfield so I could be at work by 9:00 am. I just observed that there were only 2 or 3 kids (12 and below) in attendance. Mostly elderly couples, me included :). We were about 100 or so parishioners. It just caught my attention because at Farmington and Prior Lake there would at least be a "sprinkling" of young couples with their toddlers in tow at the same mass schedule. Just proves that St Peter's surrounding community is "old". The church itself by design can be circa 70's. I have to check on that. Writing this entry, I also remembered that the priest who officiated the mass must be retired. Walking, or should I say shuffling with his cane, he was being assisted by another priest to walk and climb the three steps going up the altar. Opening the mass he said, "Fear not it is I". That elicited laughter from the congregation. I think they "aged" with the priest.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Week Past 06/25-07/01/07
This week is the start of the 7th month (July) and the end of the 6th (June). We're half way through the year. Before you can even say "summer", fall is already knocking on the door meaning winter is not far behind. But summer is here indeed. The heat is oppressive even at night. I don't know if our central air is not up to par. We had to use electric fan at night to sleep comfortably. Even resort to opening our windows. Reminds me of Manila. Unfortunately our basement, where its cooler, is not done yet so we cannot sleep there. That's what we usually do at our former home in Farmington.
Early Wed 06/27 around 5:45 am as I was going down the stairs I saw from our living room window two deers treading their way slowly in the woods at our backyard. Still sleepy I got hold of my camera. Alas they were gone before I could even say "cheese". That would have been oh-some if I had the pic.
Fri 06/29 I called American Airlines to extend the stay of my parents from July 27 to Aug 19. I was just "reminded" that my Mom's birthday is on Aug 16 so might as well celebrate it here with us.
Highlight for the week is planting and more planting. W's been buying perennial plants to add to our landscape. Most of it at the back of the house. I also bought pavers and mulch at a bargain to line the lawn at the back. I'm posting these pics and hopefully next year if my blog is still active I'll have the "before and after" comparison. Pic at left is the work of W. That's a total of 34 plants or holes that she dug. Gardening is her form of exercise now. At right is a Japanese Maple whose trunk is bent. I told W it's a Japanese tree alright since they have this knack for shaping or altering, some say "deforming", the trees' trunk and branches to look unique. That seedling is a tad expensive though.
