Wii are Family

Woke up at 8:30 this morning. I was planning to cook brekky for Joy & family but Joy informed me that Bry already bought some food from McDonald's. The trip to Maryland was canceled because they still have to drive back to Illinois... which will probably take them 13 or so hours. So with a heavy heart, I bid goodbye to my evil twin sister, Bry and the adorable JB. I promised to visit them again soon.

Heard mass at noon with Rene and Alwyn. Rich attended an anticipated mass the day before so he just dropped us off.

After mass, we went back to their apartment. That's the first time I saw the Wii game. You must be wonderin' how we got our Wii. For the past few weeks, Alwyn & Noel have been going to shops like Best Buy, Circuit City and Toys "R" Us to check if they're selling this ever elusive game. They always get, "Sorry, it's out of stock." Crap! Jeff, an officemate, is the solution to the problem. He sold his console to Alwyn. Sweet!
Alwyn gave me a quick tutorial with the controller. I made sure that I wore the wrist strap. There were stories that TVs got broken because of flying remotes. We also cleared the area. When you play with Wii, you definitely need space. What got me more excited is that Alwyn created our Mii characters. I look like my Mii character! Guess who these characters are.

We played tennis first. And that was freakin' awesome! The experience of playing a video game with realistic movements plus the fact we're watching on a huge HDTV LCD screen is totally out of this world. I'm pretty sure Boyette would love this. I won!
Noel and Alwyn played doubles later. 'twas fun watching them because Noel was doing a lotta crazy movements. And he found out how to do a power serve.
Next game we tried was boxing. Alwyn instructed me to attach the Nunchuk to the remote. This time, we can use both hands to jab and punch our opponent. You can block the punches when you raise both controllers. I enjoyed this game a lot but it was freakin' tiring. I won against Alwyn again. When Rene and I dueled it out later, I thought I would die. My heart was racing and I was totally spent after our game. After winning, I gave up my controller to Noel ;oP

Then Alwyn and I tried bowling. I tried to remember Mama Butch's bowling tips. I had a few strikes. I won again. Oh my god! A lotta winnings for a day. That truly made me an instant Wii fan!

Oh, other things you could do with Wii are: you can leave messages for your family members (or other Mii characters), you can browse the web (we put my knottydon blog addy in the favorites section), or you can even check out the weather report (Alwyn can do a nice weatherman impersonation).

I really hope I can get one for myself. Now, where's Jeff?

Tell Me Her Name

Last Saturday, Rene gave us a tour of DC. This time, it's my turn. Joy, along with her family, and I went to DC after our late brekky. We took the route suggested by Bry's portable GPS device.
We parked on 18th street (just like the last time) and I tried to retrace my steps last weekend. I showed them the R2D2 mailbox, the tulip beds (too bad some of the tulips were wilted already) and the White House.
Next stop was the Museum of Natural History. JB got frightened when she saw the giant elephant. Teehee. Instead of proceeding right away to the Dinosaurs & Fossils section, we went inside the Mammals room first. Sumpthin' we didn't do last time. I got excited when I saw animals that look like someone pushed the Pause or Freeze button on them.
Then we went inside the Bugs section. There was a small group listening to some peeps dressed in white. Unforch, the discussion was over when we joined 'em. I mustered enuff courage to handle the lubber grasshopper and the infamous Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (if you've been watching "Fear Factor", you know what I'm talking about). Y'know that I hate roaches but I tried not to show it. I wanted to put the roach on my face but the lady assistant told me that they don't allow peeps to put the insects on faces. Oh bloody well.
We checked out the dinosaurs next. Found the mammoth and some totem poles too. We searched for the penguins section (JB requested for Happy Feet) but according to the lady by the Information desk, they don't have penguins. She actually said, "we don't have pin-guins. I'm sorry." Is that how you pronounce "penguins"?
'twas getting late so we ended our museum experience and looked for a place to eat. We wanted to have a good lunch so we looked for the Chinatown in DC. We also got worried because the sky was a foreboding shade of gray. On our way to the car, I took a photo of the Foronda family with the Washington Monument.
Found this Chinese resto called "Tai Shan". Joyish has a simple way of telling if the food is good--if there are many peeps eating there. Anyhoo, we ordered Peking duck, soft shell crabs, Chinese-style beef, and some soup. Everything was delish. We checked out our fortune cookies. Mine says, "Your love life will be happy and harmonious." Rrrriiiiigggght.
We checked out Chinatown. Found the Verizon Center where they hold basketball games in DC. The atmosphere around the area was crazy. Scalpers were everywhere, a band was entertaining the peeps, and a Wizards mascot was scaring the bejesus outta little kids like JB.

We went back to our car. Our 1-hour parking session had already expired. While looking for another spot, Joy and I decided to do more shopping in Chinatown so Bry dropped us off. We visited different souvenir shops but found nuthin. And then we found Hooters. I've been wanting to see this place ever since I got back here in the US. As soon as we opened the doors, we went directly to the merchandise booth.
I requested Joy to ask a waitress to have a photo with me but she refused to do it. According to her, if I had the balls earlier with the insects then this was just easy for me. Soooo I waited for the right moment and chose my prey. I think it was worth the wait. Now, let's play a game. Can you tell me her name? ;oP
Went back to Constitution Avenue, parked on 20th street and walked towards Lincoln Memorial. If you're wondering why JB wasn't looking at the camera in one of the photos, well... she was crying. Her daddy didn't wanna pick her up for the photo shoot.
Had some ice cream before heading back to Virginia. We went to Dulles Town Center and looked around for good deals. Found a nice Gap shirt for just 8 bucks, a cute Mickey Mouse shirt for only 5 bucks, and a white Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirt on sale. Since my credit card is in good standing, I got myself an A&F Proof cologne too. It's the scent that you smell when you visit their shops ;oP

Reunited with my Evil Twin Sister

Around noon, I tried to get hold of Joyish. She and her family left Illinois last night and I dunno if they're already in Virginia. Left my cellphone at home so I looked around for her number. Finally found her old message in my Friendster inbox. Immediately gave her a ring. No answer. Hmmm.... I left a message in her yahoo account.

After a few minoots, I got an answer back. Her phone was on silent mode. Anyhoo, I found out that they're still having lunch in Maryland. Some 50++ miles to go.

And so I had my lunch first with my Ashburn friends. We went to Burapa Thai. First time to eat there. When we entered the establishment, I noticed a couple of familiar faces. Remember the Leesburg party that we attended a few weeks ago? One was the Tita Cecille and the other one was her sister, I think. I asked the guys if it's okay to approach them but we decided to have our lunch first.

I ordered some fried rice with kaprow (chicken with basil & bell pepper strips) and water. The portion was large. The presentation was kinda weird though. Fried rice + 2 cucumber slices + 1 lemon wedge + steamed rice + chicken. Why is there a steamed rice in the middle? Well, good thing the food was delish!

Around 2 pm, I got a message that Joy & family were already waiting at the parking lot. I rushed to meet them. Hugged Joy. Last time I saw her was March of last year. According to Bry, they drove for like 12++ hours straight. I gave them the key to the apartment so they could sleep for awhile.

After my work, Joy & family picked me up and we went to Leesburg Outlets. 'twas deserted. We decided to have our snacks at the Food Court. Got myself some Sbarro pizza slice. I ordered the meatlovers but the server accidentally dropped it when she took it out of the oven. Crap! I settled for their supreme flavor.
My friends didn't wanna go shopping anymore so we decided to check out Old Leesburg. Unforch, the shops looked close and just like the Outlet mall, the area was empty. Although I must say, it's like going through a time machine. I told Joy that it would be super nice to walk down these streets. I'm excited to see what's inside the quaint shops.

Inside the car, I worked my charm with JB. She's been awfully quiet for the first 30 minoots or so. Eventually, she warmed up to me. We started chatting. We sang a few songs like "Happy Birthday" to her mommy and "Dancing Queen". Now we're BFFs ;oP
Since it was already getting late, we thought of just buying food for our brekky tomorrow. We went to Safeway first but left our stuff when I found out that they sell Chips Ahoy for more than 3 bucks. At Walmart, you can get a pack for 2.50 bucks. So we decided to go to Target instead. Bought some bacon and eggs. Found this latest family member of Coca-Cola. It's called Diet Coke Plus. The "Plus" is for vitamins and minerals added to the drink. Interesting.

When we got home, Joy showed me her pasalubong: a bag full of goodies. It's like Christmas ;oP Also, she brought me some quarters. Super thanks!!!

Last Supper with Faye, Boy and Richie

The group (minus Noel) decided to have our last supper at Ruby Tuesdays. I've never eaten there so I'm excited to try their food. The minoot we walked through the doors, we all got a big smile on our faces. The lady who walked us to our table was very pretty.

Faye was still full from her heavy lunch with Jon C so she ordered dessert already. I got myself some baby back ribs with baked potato. Rene got the group some sampler for our appetizer. It has cheese sticks, chicken strips, spring rolls and buffalo wings.

While waiting for our food, we chatted about the relationships that formed while we're in Ashburn. We teased Faye, Alwyn and Rich.

Whenever I see bagoong with vinegar or hear John Legend's "Save Room", I'll remember my first femme flatmate, Faye. Pepper, cabbage and Coke will remind me of Boy who loves soda, who once puts the whole cabbage head in his nilaga and puts pepper on ALL his meals. Ogie A's "Kung Mawawala Ka" has been associated with Rich. Yep, he's the Ashburn balladeer ;oP

Speaking of music, our group even has a theme song, Michael Buble's "Home".

Perfect Combination

For the past few months, I've been using Olay's Whitening Cleanser and Total Effects. Somehow, my skin kept breaking out. Mostly on the left side of my face too.

I stopped using the Whitening Cleanser and replaced it with Neutrogena soap. I put on Total Effects after my morning and evening shower. And that is helping my skin a lot. I noticed that I get less pimples now ;oP

I'll stick with these two products from now on.

Gold's!

A month ago, I got a call from the manager of Gold's Gym in Ashburn. He invited me to try out the gym for a day. I told him it's kinda difficult because I don't know how to get there (no car here). I could try jogging though but that's a long jog. It would take me about an hour.

Today, I got an e-mail from Gold's and they have given me a free week-long trial membership. The offer expires on May 15th. What to do?!

They're open till 10:30 during weekdays and 8 pm on the weekends. Not sure if Noel would like to pick me up daily around those time.

*Sigh*

Spiderman 3 Soon!!!

In 9 days, we'll get to see Spidey again on the big screen. But I'm not talking about your usual movie theater experience. I'm planning to watch "Spiderman 3" on IMAX.

The nearest IMAX theatre in Ashburn is at Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly. It's like 20 minutes from our place. If you reserve your tickets through phone, it will cost you 12 bucks. But if you go to their box office, it will be just 10. Not bad eh? I remember watching "Superman Returns", IMAX version, at the Mall of Asia and it costs even more.

The number to call is (202) 633-4629. And they have 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 screening time.

I heard from my friend, Bel, that "Spiderman 3" will be shown in Manila on May 1st. Now that's crappy! My friends back home would get to see it first =o(

Haberdey, Evil Twin Sister!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

We're supposed to leave at 9:45 this morning to check out Toys "R" Us. Alwyn is planning to buy a Wii. 'twas already 10:30ish when we left Coltsfoot Terrace. Before heading to "Christ, the Redeemer" church, we dropped off Noel. Alwyn decided to go to church with us ;oP

After mass, we picked up Noel. He wasn't at Toys "R" Us anymore. I talked to one of the peeps there and he told me that around 6, there was already a line. And they opened their doors at 8. And by 10, the elusive product was already sold out.

Circuit City's just within the vicinity so we walked there. Noel was holding a package when we saw him. Unforch, it's not a Wii. He bought another DS Lite instead.

Quick shoutout to my friends, Jowee & Bess. Congratulations! Tanya Arabella is adorable!

Washington, DC - Revisited

About 6 years ago, I, along with my friend, Aster, saw Washington, DC for the first time. We visited the Archives of the USA, US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. This time, I came with Rich, Alwyn, Rene, and Faye. Boy and Noel didn't join us because the former was sick and the latter didn't like walking ;oP
We reached DC around noon. We parked near the US Department of Interior. We began our walk. I made sure that I brought my water bottle with me. I also hope that my K-Swiss shoes won't fail me.

We saw some souvenir stands where magnets, t-shirts, caps, etc. are being sold to tourists/visitors. Didn't buy anything yet 'cause I'm pretty sure I'll visit DC again once my evil twin sister & family pay me a visit. Later on, I saw a US flag towel that I couldn't refuse to buy (10 bucks).
We noticed a lot of beautiful tulips especially near a Red Cross building. They look fake at first.

It's funny that Rich makes 2 versions of his photo: first, a normal one and then he borrows my shades and takes another shot.
First stop was the White House. They now extended the gap between the fence and the area where peeps could take photos. Stricter security perhaps. There's a small monument I didn't notice before--Zero Milestone. It was meant to be the initial milestone from which all distances of places were to be calculated.
Next, we went to National Museum of Natural History. This is where I enjoyed the most. I saw bones of dinosaurs like T-Rex, Triceratops, and other creatures that lived millions of years ago. A huge African elephant situated on the ground floor is stealing the thunder from our Jurassic friends.
The second floor was filled with gems, including the infamous Hope Diamond (rumored to be cursed). I think the ladies would definitely enjoy this area. Colors everywhere!!!
It's already 2 o'clock so we decided to have lunch. Rene suggested to eat at the Air and Space Museum. At the food court, they only have Boston Market and McDonald's. I went for the more common. I had a quarter pounder plus 10-pc nuggets, fries and Dr. Pepper. While our tummies are being filled up, our eyes are also having a feast with the beautiful peeps in the crowd.
At 3:30, we resumed our museum tour and picture taking.
Then it was time to check out the US Capitol. We walked outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the peeps. Some were sleeping on the grass. Some were playing football or throwing frisbees at one another. Some were sitting on the benches with their loved ones. Some were walking with their dogs. Some were jogging with their iPods. Some were in a field trip with their classmates.
We checked out the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. We went into this room featuring the holocaust in the eyes of a kid named Daniel. We watched a short intro video on his childhood, his family, and how the holocaust affected his life. There are rooms showing Daniel's kitchen, bedroom, the Ghetto, the death camp, and lastly, an area where the visitors could mail their messages to Daniel. Of course, I created a letter stating, "Thanks for sharing your story with us. We'll pray for you. - Knottydon 042107"
Afterwards, we walked back towards the Washington Monument. We had a private joke on this one but I'll keep it to myself ;oP If you check out all our photos, you'd notice that this is our favorite background.
Before we reached the Lincoln Memorial, we stopped by the National World War II Memorial. We found Philippine Sea & Leyte and that calls for another picture taking.
Last stop was the Lincoln Memorial. It's nice to see the big sculpture of Abe Lincoln again. During my first visit, I didn't notice Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" mark on the tile. Found out later that this is where he delivered that famous speech.
We rested a bit before heading back to our parked van. We saw a guy carrying "Free Hugs" sign. I asked Faye to give him a hug which she refused to do. I bought a patch bearing "USA". I'm excited to place it on one of my jeans or jackets.

To top the day off, we decided to have dinner at Longhorn. Faye and I shared the Longhorn steak, complete with a house salad, mashed potato, and bread. I called JP to ask for his advice on red wine. He said, "Turning Leaf" for my Merlot.

While eating, a different waitress delivered my wine. After a few minoots, our waitress appeared at our table holding another glass of wine. I told her that another waitress already gave me my wine. Instead of bringing the second wine back, she gave it to me for free ;oP Rene suggested to give her an extra tip for that.

The steak was pretty tender. Love it. Plus, the wine was good. Ah, the joy of eating great food. What would've made the evening complete is if there's a jukebox in one corner and we could go dancing ;oP
I promise myself to have a nice warm bath before beddy time.