Separated at Birth: Adrian & Zanjoe

Am catching up now on season 4 of "Entourage". I didn't know if I could still get the remaining episodes of the 3rd season so I began with the latest season.

It's fun to watch Ari Gold again. I noticed that the writers give him more dramatic moments. It happened in episode 7, "The Day Fu*ckers". I looooove the scene where he's begging to the school headmaster to accept his son. That's my favorite Ari moment of all time. Also, in this season, you will see more boss-secretary relationship. Lloyd cracks me up.

One thing nice about watching "Entourage" is that you'll see celebrities "acting" as themselves. In this season, they featured Anna Faris. In the past, we got Mandy Moore. But her role was forgetful.

As for the 4 boys, it's good to see E getting clients other than Vince. He IS a manager after all. Vince (played by Adrian Grenier) still has a very strong presence. Lizette pointed out that he looks like our local actor named Zanjoe. I'm very observant with what they wear too. Each character has an interesting fashion sense ;oP

Wanted: Vegas Tips?

Now that I think about it, I regret that I didn't get to travel much when I was here in the US the last time. I would've loved to visit the different States, especially Vegas. I'm extremely happy that I was sent back here in the US again. This time though, I made sure that I'll get to see Vah-gas!

Tamyts is coming over here in September. A perfect time to have a reunion too. Joyish and I booked our flights yesterday. I'll be flying JetBlue. First time. I'll let you know how it goes.

Will also crash at Joy's hotel. We'll be staying at the Stratosphere. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep there though ;oP

I also started looking for things to do in Vegas. I don't wanna spend much so I googled the free stuff. Here's my list:

@ the Mirage
- White Tiger Exhibit
- Volcano Eruption

@ Bellagio
- Dancing Fountain

@ The Venetian
- Gondola Watching

@ Paris Hotel & Casino
- Eiffel Tower

@ Caesars Palace
- Roman Statues Show

@ Luxor
- Pyramid-Shaped Hotel

Of course, I will definitely try the slot machines. Am excited to play the video poker too.

For those of you who have visited Vegas, please post your suggestions here on what to do or where to go.

Californication (NSFW)

Nooope, I'm not talking about the album of Red Hot Chili Peppers. I just saw the first two episodes of this teevee series starring David Duchovny. I've been a huge fan of "X-Files" in my college days and watching him again on the telly is quite an experience. No aliens this time though. Instead you'll see his character getting serviced by a nun in the first few minoots. Enuff to satisfy my curiosity. Yep!

Hank Moody is a one hit wonder. He couldn't write. His ex-partner is getting married. Shitty life. He also sleeps with just about anything that moves. One of his interesting sex-capades is with Mia. Their sex scene is freakin' funny! His agent (played by Evan Handler--Charlotte's husband in "Sex and the City") offered him a job to blog for the Hell-A magazine. Watch out for what he writes in his first attempt to blog ;oP

The show contains lots of boobies (even Duchovny's sweet buh-hind, as a bonus for you, ladies) and adult language. Oh, cool music too. I highly recommend the show. I've got sumpthin' to watch now on Mondays.

Just a little trivia on Duchovny, he graduated from Princeton University and holds a Master's degree in English Lit from Yale. Impressive!

Hey There Delilah

While headin' back to work from a good lunch at Pho Royal last Friday, the radio station that we're listening to played this song. It has a catchy melody and became an instant favorite when I heard the chorus. The song is from a band called Plain White T's. I quickly got me-self a copy of the song and you can now listen to it when you click on the play button on the cassette to your right. Whaaat?! You haven't tried it yet? Shame on you. There's a little play button right there in the middle. The first song is called "Hey There Delilah". Also in my playlist is "Apologize" by One Republic, one of my faves now. Enjoy!

August in August

Got a wakeup call around 5:30 AM from Pattie. Mike and I were in charge of picking up Ogz. I got zero sleep so I requested Mike to drive for us. We reached Dulles airport around 6. I went inside to check the flight schedule. Ogz's flight wasn't in the list. The baggage conveyor belt is empty too. Hmm, did we miss Ogz?

We waited awhile. An old man was also waiting for somebody. He told us that the flight got delayed. Oh crap!

I borrowed the Blackberry from Mike and tried to call Ogz. After, like, 4 tries, he answered the phone. He informed me that he's on his way to claim his luggages. Sweet!

After waiting for sometime, I went inside to look for him. Found him by the baggage claim. It took us another 15 minoots or so to get his stuff.

Drove back home and had brekky. I needed sleep badly so I took a nap.

Did grocery around 4. Since we haven't had lunch yet, I suggested to eat at McDonald's. Ogz was still sleeping and Mike was playing with his lappy.

I cooked ground pork with bell peppers for our dinner.

Dry & Wet Saturday

After a few days of cold weather (think of Baguio at noon), it's back to humid days again. I suggested to my friends to take a dip at our pool. Only Pattie bought the idea. At least, I won't be swimming alone ;oP

We got the pool to ourselves. A guy was lost in his book. A girl was absorbing all the UV rays she could get. The water wasn't too cold either. Ah, refreshing! After a minoot of wading, the lady lifeguard appeared and told us that we can't swim yet. It's still 2 minoots to 3 and it's still break time. Oh well.

She also asked for our "boo" pass. Cue Scooby Doo's "Huh?" I just assumed she's trying to tell us "pool" pass. We went inside the office and requested for it. They informed us that we only have a week before the pool closes. Oh, man!

We went back to the pool and swam for like half an hour. I still couldn't float on my back without my legs falling down. I took one of the floatation logs and twisted it to form a pretzel. This would be for my un-floating feet. Took another one and placed it on my head. Perfect! I floated at last.

We checked out the jacuzzi. Pattie couldn't take the hot water. I told her to dip her feet first. The rest of her body would adjust later. The jet bubbles will be good for her achin' shoulders. I don't get my regular massages anymore so this is, like, a good substitute. Too bad it will only be available for a week.

Around 4, we headed back to the apartment. I took a nap. At 5:30, I got a call from Pattie. We're supposed to do grocery today. I looked outside to check why my room is dark. Here's what I got:

This caused a brownout in Ashburn. I found out that it's pretty hard to live without electricity here in the US. No way to cook or reheat your food. No way to know what's goin' on outside (no internet), and most of the restaurants are closed.

My Shemagh

Submitted my application form to the Canadian Embassy yesterday. I highly doubt it if they would give me back my passport (hopefully with a VISA) before the Labor Day weekend. Not sure what I will be doing next weekend. I hope I could go somewhere or do something exciting. Am happy that Ogz is coming over on Sunday. He might have some great ideas.

I was also surprised to get my shemagh yesterday. I wear it daily now ;oP

The shop where I got it from is called US Cavalry. They sell items like military bags (i like the duffle bag), night vision goggles, Maglite® flashlights, dog tags (too bad I already have one), name tapes (my US Army jacket has "Lowe" sewn on it and I'm planning to replace it with sumpthin' like "Knottydon"), and other military stuff.

They ship fast too. Remember I only ordered my shemagh last Tuesday? Two days!!!

Red Robin

It's a choice between a leftover beef nilaga with my Ashburn friends and a Red Robin lunch with Linda & Brenda. I chose the latter. I really enjoyed our beef dinner last night (thanks to Boy) but I'm willing to try sumpthin' new this time. I asked Brenda what I can eat at RR, she told me they've got burgers. It's been awhile since I last had my burger so I got excited.

The place reminds me of "Not Your Average Joe's". Picture-laden walls, relaxed atmosphere, and families eating. Linda told me that previous guys from Manila, she mentioned Alistair & Dennis, loved the place.

Linda ordered Whiskey River® BBQ Burger and when I checked the photo from the menu, it looks delish. I also got a banana shake. Linda mentioned that it's Nick's favorite and we tried to do a Nick impression: "Ba-nuh-nuh shake" ;oP

The shake comes with a frozen tumbler of (one time only?) free refill. The burger is wrapped in a paper and it's huge! They have this seasoning that you can put on your fries. I remember Potato Corner back home.

Verdict: I wanna go back to this place! Look at that mud pie! I also wanna try their Oreo milkshake. Mmmmmm... milkshake!

Ordering from Amazon

Even though I've started shopping online almost a decade ago, I have never tried ordering from Amazon. That changed today.

I wanted to buy an extra battery for my digicam. Alwyn got his from Amazon. It's really cheap and it delivers.

Another thing I wanna buy is a shemagh. My friend, Romy, who used to fix my dreadlocks, had one. A shemagh is a traditional Arabian scarf.
I found out that the site charges you for every item shipped. I thought it's gonna be a one time deal. Bummer!

Nah, I Just Look Like Him

If you wanna know your celebrity look-alike, go to MyHeritage.com (thanks, Pattie, for introducing me to this site). You can also create your family tree there or do some morphin' too.

Fall Lineup

Can't believe there's nuthin' good on the telly these days. I miss my teevee watching =o(

The most gorgeous prisoners will be back again on the 17th. Our favorite heroes come back the week after. The girls will, once more, swoon over McDreamy & McSteamy (no Addison. Crap!) three days after that. And lastly, the quartet of Susan, Lynette, Gabrielle and Bree will entertain us starting on the last day of the 9th month.

In the meantime, I'm playing "Neverwinter Nights 2". Pattie tried to install it but the graphics card on her lappy is not supported by the product. She calls her lappy, "Gung-Gong!"

Knottydon's Binagoongan

I've never cooked binagoongan before. Last Friday, I researched the net for some recipes and Pattie suggested her version too. My Daddy used to cook a delish binagoongan so I hope my initial version is at par.

I sliced the pork belly and boiled 'em. Put some vinegar, freshly ground pepper, and crushed garlic. When the meat is tender, I strained 'em and kept the broth.

Fried the meat until crispy. Now this is the worst part of them all. As soon as you put the meat into the hot oil, dodge. It will spit on you like an angry Beeyotch!!!

Saute some garlic, onions, and tomatoes. I enjoy cooking garlic 'cause it smells so good. Crush the tomatoes to get the juice out too. If you have some chili peppers, add them in.

Put the pork back in and mix. After maybe about 5 minoots, add the bagoong. Mix like hell. Add the pork broth (depends on how saucy you want it to be). Simmer for another 5 minoots and you're done. It will be a great dinner, I tell ya.

If you have other ways to cook this dish or other tried & tested recipes, let me know so I can feature your recipes in my other blog. Let's share the goodness!

Hanging Out with Pattie & Lizette

I miss going out on Fridays. I miss having fun with Nikks, Tabs, Joy, Ogz, and Aedner. Here in the US, I only have 2 friends who like to go out. Ogz, get your ass out here! The guys, Mike & Boy, would rather spend their nights playing video games. Nuthin' wrong with that. I play PC games too. But the experience of being in another country is too great to spend on just PC games.

"We" (emphasis on that) haven't been to Lansdowne Town Center yet so we decided to check it out. Pattie's the navigator. She told me to take Lansdowne and turn right on Xerox drive. Along the way, we found a very nice neighborhood. After driving for like 10 minoots, we still couldn't find Xerox drive. The map says it will only take us 5. We asked a group of peeps having a chat outside their houses. They told us that we already missed it. Great!

And so we followed their directions. The moment I saw the area, I thought, "Wait a minute, I've been here already!" We could've taken Route 7 and reached this place in no time.

We walked around the area and searched for a good place to eat. We found a lot of peeps eating at "Not Your Average Joe's" so we thought it's a good sign. We were given a good table, right in front of the bar and the telly. The place reminds me of Friday's, very casual atmosphere.

Liz & Pat ordered lemonade while I got myself a glass of Sauvignon Cabernet. When the waiter inspected my driver's license, she couldn't believe that I'm already 33. While waiting for our food, we were given bread. Our waiter mixed Romano cheese, chili peppers, garlic with olive oil. Tastes good.

The center-cut sirloin was good. Pattie ordered A-1 sauce to complement it. She also put a lotta salt & pepper on her mashed potato. The chicken picatta was just otay.

We still have space in our tummy for dessert. We ordered choco mousse and some butterscotch thingie. Soooo sweet!

The following day, the three of us looked for the Filipino store in Chantilly. We bought some chips (Chippy & Clover), sili leaves, chicharon, bagoong and longganisa.

We continued our Saturday adventure by going to a nearby Air & Space Museum. When we found out that it costs 12 bucks to park. I made a U-turn ;oP

Grocery time at Walmart and Grandmart. We had a super late lunch back at our house. I cooked the longganisa. Oh my god, it's sooooo good.

Around 5, Patti, Liz and I went to Tarara Winery. Remember I missed the wine tasting last time? When we got there at quarter to 6, the lady bartender told me that the wine tasting is over. Crap! I just bought their award-winning Merlot and Vidal Blanc to make me feel good.

Boy cooked monggo for dinner. We put some chicaron in it too. Yum!

Before bedtime, we watched the psychological thriller, "Mr. Brooks", starring Kevin Costner and my favorite comedian, Dane Cook. We enjoyed the Vidal Blanc while eating Chippy. Teehee...

So You Think You Can Dance?

Sabra, America's Favorite Dancer

I'm so freakin' happy tonight. My girl, Sabra, won in "So You Think You Can Dance". Congratulations.

It's good to see the other contestants again. Sara must have the most number of dance numbers tonight. I'm glad that they featured again the disco number of Neil & Sara, jazz number of Neil & Sabra, and the contemporary number of Neil & Lacey.

The biggest letdown of the night is the supposed dance number of Cat Deeley & Nigel. They just pasted the photos of the two and danced the "La Cucaracha". If you want to do the same, go to jibjab.com.

Remembering Daddy

It's been 40 days since my Daddy joined the Company of the Souls. I promised myself that I'll go visit a church and prayed for him.

I finally met the manager that requested me to be sent here. In normal days, he works from home in Texas (that's why I don't get to see him here). He gave me a quick geography lesson on places he's lived and visited. He's very friendly. Before we parted ways, he told me that he's heard so many good things about me and he's happy I'm here (extension please *cough* *cough*). Awwww!

After work today, I drove myself to Christ, The Redeemer church in Sterling. I was hoping that the church won't be locked. I went inside and tried the door. Thank God, it's open! There's an old man sitting on the last pew. I went further down the middle row.

I prayed for Daddy first then my family. I prayed for good health. I prayed for all my loved ones and friends. So if you're my friend, chances are, I prayed for you ;oP

I couldn't stay long 'cause I need to pick up my friends back in Ashburn. Took me quite awhile to get back. Traffic on 7 is not so good around 6.

Called my family back home. They told me that they got the small package I sent them a week ago. I just bought them chocolates and vitamins (no moolah yet). Mom told me that our neighbors back in Bulacan and an uncle went to Daddy's grave and prayed. Kuya will also have a small gathering in Boracay to celebrate Dad's 40th day.

Before din-dins, we watched "So You Think You Can Dance". The choreographies aren't quite as exciting as last week's. I like Sabra & Danny's number. Oh, I just remembered Neil & Danny's number. Wicked!!! Sabra's fall was really sickening. You can hear the thud. Good thing she's got big hair to cushion the fall.

Voted for Sabra. I just wish a female dancer would win this time. Lacey is hot and all but one winner in the family is enuff. If Danny wins, he deserves it. If Neil wins, it's because of the shrieking girls. He could have a career in acting too ;oP

What to Do???

Now that I'm done with the Potter book, I can now concentrate on other stuff, like:

• Play PC games again. Am currently playing "Neverwinter Nights 2". Last night, I got to morph into different creatures (been wanting to do this!!!). Became a spider and a useless gargoyle. Am also currently "trying" to install 2 games: The Sims 2 and Titan Quest. Hopefully, I get to figure out how PowerISO or MagicISO works. I can't get to install any of 'em (sulking now)
• I'm happy that Virginia is a wine haven. So far, I've visited Hidden Brook and Tarara Winery. Happy with both. That's two stamps on my wine passport, baby ;oP
• More places to visit. I hope I get to visit my relatives in Canada. I hope I could see Vegas, San Francisco, and LA. And I hope I can fly to these places for free. Go, Northwest!!!
• So many things to do. I wanna watch a football game. I wanna go see a Maroon 5 or Michael Buble concert. I wanna go to the beach!
• Next week, I'll go back to the gym. Won't lift anything. I'll jog
  

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

I could be the last person who's still reading this book! My gulay! That's why I decided to finish it tonight. By hook or by crook.

I cried buckets when Dobby died. I cried again when Harry saw his parents when he's about to sacrifice himself. I remembered my dad there.

Hagrid didn't do much here. Professor McGonagall had more participation. And who would've thought that Neville's got the heroic potential?! I couldn't figure out how Neville got the sword though. My friend, Boy, pointed out that a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the Sorting hat.

Alan Rickman (Snape) has got the best character/role. I didn't expect him to be in Team Potter the whole time! Nice twist.

I wish Voldermort didn't die THAT easily.

It's an all-star cast alright. Can't wait to see the movie version.

Where Art Thou?

After taking my shower today, I went to the mall to have my picture taken. I need a passport picture for my Canadian tourist visa. Yep, I'm planning to visit my relatives in Mississauga. Hopefully, my visa gets processed before Labor Day weekend. That's less than 3 weeks.

I visited Dulles Town Center and went directly to the Shoppers' Guide. I found Ritz Camera in the list and looked for it. After 10 minutes of searching for the camera store, I gave up. I can't believe there's not a single camera shop here!!!

Oh well, I just went to the food court and got myself some Chinese food. There's still plenty of time so I looked around a bit. Before checking out Abercrombie & Fitch, I stopped by the Customer's Service. The guy there told me that there is a photo shop on the second floor. Can't believe I missed it. It's called "The Picture People".

Went there and had my picture taken. I told my photographer that Canadians don't allow the applicant to smile in their photos ;oP

After 15 minoots or so, I went back to the studio and asked about my pictures. The guy there told me that they ran out of photo paper. Ugh! I had to wait some more. Good thing, there's a Brookstone nearby. Remember my free massage last week? Well, I did it again ;oP 15 minutes of pleasure....

I went back and got my photos. Inspected the four copies and all of my images were smiling back at me. What the....! I asked the associate that I can't take these pictures for my Canadian VISA. They told me that they'll give me the serious versions. Crap!

It's almost 5 so I went home and checked on my friends. Looks like they don't have any plans of going out so I continued my solo adventure.

I looked for Willowcroft Farm Vineyards. I got about 30 minutes so there's no time for blunders. It's hard to navigate when you're driving solo. I missed my exit and had to drive some freakin' miles before I found a road to turn around. I didn't make the 5:30 deadline. I found another vineyard but it's closed already. Crappy day!

Cooking Pattie's Menudo

We're down to 5 here in Ashburn. That means, Boy and I are now going to share food with the guys at the other apartment. We'll be doin' one grocery for all. And more cooks this time!!!

Tonight, I told Pattie that I'll help her cook dinner. She wanted to cook menudo. Cool beans!

When I entered their kitchen, I found all the ingredients already prepared. Wow! I felt like I was in a cooking show. I also noticed that she doesn't have tomato sauce. Menudo, normally, is tomato-based dish with pork, liver, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, and sometimes even with hotdogs. She informed me that it's a different menudo, one she's accustomed to. Otay!

I sautéed garlic, onions, and tomatoes. She told me to crush the tomatoes to let the juices out. Then I added the diced bell peppers.

Next was the pork and potatoes. We put some freshly ground pepper (a lot!), vinegar, soy sauce and sugar to taste.

That's it! You must wait till the pork & potatoes get tender and you can serve this simple dish with piping hot rice.

It tastes like mechado though. Delish!!!

What's Your Scent?

It's Mark's birthday today. His boss gave him a choco coconut cake. I had 2 small slices. Yummy! I had to drink brewed coffee afterwards to counter the sweetness of the chocolate.
A lady two cubicles away from me approached me and asked for my scent. At first I didn't understand her question. It dawned on me that she wanted to know the cologne that I wear. She knows that I didn't apply it today too. I told her that I brought it with me and showed her Abercrombie & Fitch's "Fierce". She wants to buy the ladies version of it. I was tempted to spray some after she left but it would be too obvious. Teehee ;oP If you haven't visited any A&F store, then you're missing out on this great scent. It's my favorite.
While waiting for my friends, I went outside and took these photos:
We went to King's Buffet for dinner. We normally eat here at lunch time. The good thing about having dinner here is that there's no rush. That bad thing is, it's more expensive. Lunch would cost ya around 7, plus gratuity... 9 bucks. For dinner, it's like 12, minus the tip. The main topic of our conversation was 7 (since we're only 7 now). 7 Deadly Sins. We chose the one closer to our personalities. What do you think I chose?

I had TsingTao along with my crabs. I first tasted this beer in Hong Kong. We really enjoyed our food. There were times when crab juices would spurt on our faces but it comes with the territory.
This is what I got in my fortune cookie, "You are goning to take a vacation." Whoever types these things should turn on their spel chek. Besides, I don't think that's a fortune. That's a plan ;oP Here's what Mike got in his, "Confucius says, 'Show-offs always shown up in show down'." What the hell does that mean?

Before heading home, we checked out Borders at Sterling. Read some entertainment mags.

Wuthie & Mark are leavin' tomorrow. Down to 5 for us.

Mmm... Cheesecake!

When we found out last Monday that JC is treating us for lunch at Cheesecake Factory, we got all excited. We just love the food there... not to mention, the yummy desserts!

Before noon today, I went there with Linda and JC went with the rest of the group.

While walking towards the restaurant, Linda spotted the Big Daddy of all cars. Of course, I had to take a picture with it. It's my first time to see a Rolls Royce!!!
When we got inside, the place wasn't too busy yet. They gave us a round table, perfect for chit-chatting. I sat beside Linda and Wuthie.
We were served bread while waiting for our orders. I got myself some Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta. I requested the waiter to grate some cheese and put freshly ground pepper on it. Still not that spicy though. I tasted Linda's chicken barbecue pizza, Wuthie's Jamaican shrimp, and Pattie's Spicy Beef.
JC asked us what they could do differently in reference to our stay or flying over here. Here are the suggestions: 1) No flying on weekdays. Friday is the best choice or Saturday; 2) No flying solo; 3) Better internet and Blackberry connection at the apartment; 4) Cigarettes, powdered milk or chocolate from home; 5) Gas allowance; 6) No to Northwest (Korean Air? *wink* *wink*); and lastly, 7) Direct deposit for our salaries.

It's Mark's birthday tomorrow so he was asked to have his birthday dessert. He ordered strawberry shortcake. There's this funny incident involving our waiter bringing in a cake with a lit candle. We're excited to sing for Mark but it turned out that it's not his. Teehee.

I don't know about the others but I got Chris' Outrageous Chocolate Cake (who the hell is Chris?). Thank you, JC, for this wonderful treat! Sa uulitin ;oP
Before leaving the resto, we heard about the earthquake news in Indonesia =o(

Wii Keychain

Am so happy to receive my Wii keychain in the mail today. How did I get one? Well, I bought the Brain Academy game at Circuit City. After registering my game, I got an e-mail from Nintendo. They wanted me to take a quick survey about the game. Y'know that I'm a sucker for reviews so I completed the survey. As my reward, they gave me a pretty cute Wii remote keychain that gives you a blue light when you press the "1" button.

New Buff

When I was still sporting my dreads, I bought my very first buff in Manila. I lost it after more than a year. I got myself a new one and lost it after just a few months.

I don't have dreadlocks anymore but my hair is getting longer (I could now do a small pony tail!) so I thought of getting my third. This time though, I bought a buff with a high UV protection made with Coolmax Extreme. Yeah, I just typed that while looking at its cardboard label. According to the label, it dries faster, highly breathable and blocks more than 95% of UV radiation.

I don't go out in the sun often but you'll never know when this will come in handy. I love that I can use it in different ways other than having it as a headband.

Tarara Festival

After dropping off Wuthie & Liz at the Leesburg Premium Outlets, I looked for Tarara Winery. I found out that it's close to the last winery I visited, Hidden Brook. True enuff, after passing by that winery, I located Tarara.

I didn't know there's a festival going on so instead of trying out the wines first, I checked out what's happening at a nearby field.A group of kids with their parents gathered around some parrots on display. Some guy was explaining sumpthin' about these parrots but I'm more interested in getting their photos.A lot of tents house some sort of merchandise: woven baskets, paintings, tie dye shirts, cheese, apple cider, etc.There's a local band entertaining the drunk and tipsy peeps. Yep, you could actually smell the wine breath when you get too close to the peeps! A half-nekkid guy shouted at me but with a big smile on his face. Drunken bastard.There's an ongoing blackberry festival too so peeps could pick berries. I got myself one and tasted it. It's crunchy but a bit sour. I didn't know it ain't for free. Teehee... You have to pay 5 bucks for the berry pickin' ;oPAfter 30 minoots of looking around and tasting some free stuff, I looked for the shop where I could taste some wine and get my wine passport stamped.
Inside the shop, I asked the bartender to put a stamp on my passport. It took awhile for him to find the Tarara sticker (no available stamp). Took some photos of their wine glasses.
It's time to look around the shop. I found this underground self-guided section (they call it a cave) where you could find large barrels and steel storage. A bit cold in there too. They also explained how they process their wines and the difference between red and white wines.Before I left the shop, I found out that Tarara's wines, like Merlot & Sauvignon Cabernet, won some awards in Virginia State Fairs.
I drove myself back to the festival. When I asked if I could try the wine tasting, the guy there informed me that they already closed at 5. Son of a! I guess I have to come back here soon for the wine tasting. I'm excited to taste their Merlot & Sauvignon, plus my favorite, Vidal Blanc.

The Brookstone Massage

The only plan today is to drop Wuthie off at the train station. She's meeting somebody in the DC area for dinner. Boy & Mike didn't wanna go with us so Lizette, Mark and I accompanied Wuthie.

Since we're in the Tyson's Corner area, we postponed our trip to Leesburg Premium Outlets. We checked out Marshalls first. I miss this store! I got myself a nice plate featuring 4 cities: London, Paris, New York and Roma.
Next stop was Circuit City. I looked for an extra battery for my digicam but I remember Alwyn's advice (to buy a generic one from Amazon). Mark bought a bag for his lappy.

It's already 5 when we decided to have lunch. At Tyson's Corner, we looked immediately for a place to chow. Found Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC store. I got myself some personal pizza.

We waited for Wuthie's call (for pickup) at Barnes & Noble. I read a few pages of the latest Potter book (I know, I'm still not finished!). Wuthie informed us that she'll be meeting us around 9. That gave us an hour to kill.

I found a nice pair of pants at Urban Outfitters. I was shocked that it costs 44 bucks. No moolah so with a heavy heart, I gave it up. While walking around, I saw a guy with an iPhone. Cool gadget!

Went inside Oakley and found this nice pair of shades. When I asked about the price, I gave him back the glasses and left. 320 bucks!!!

Didn't find anything good at Aeropostale nor Abercrombie & Fitch. I went inside Haagen-Dazs and just bought two scoops of ice cream: Butter Pecan and Strawberry.

Before I went back to Barnes, I visited Brookstone. Found a vacant massage chair and tried it out. Oh my god! It felt so good!!! It massaged my neck, shoulders, back, and waist. It kneads, taps, rolls, vibrates and can do both kneading and tapping. Plus, you can have heat on your back or on your thighs. I almost fell asleep ;oP

Around 9, we picked up Wuthie at the Vienna station. She brought us some leftover Paella.

Dinner Party @ Unit 103

When we found out that the bosses wanted to have lunch at the apartment, we almost panicked. It's the first time that we'll do this. They wanted to taste Filipino dishes too so we can't just order Chinese ;oP It would take some time to prepare the dishes so it was agreed upon that we'll have a dinner party instead... at 5 pm.

We left early so we could prepare the food. The night before, the guys at U-103 already boiled some beef shank so it would be tender by dinner time today. Patty will cook her shrimp in butter & catsup sauce. We'll also cook Rene's recipe: the uber simple salmon with mayo & onions. To have some veggies on the table, we'll just heat some mixed veggies.
Guests started to arrive even before 5 pm. I brought my MagicSing to entertain them. Turned out that Mark, Patty and I will be the designated entertainers. I also explained to a few peeps how MagicSing works. They were amazed that it doesn't require CDs or complicated setups. Too bad we don't have the Wii here anymore. It would have been a blast to show the guys their Miis!
Hugh showed us his photos from their recent Jamaican trip. We showed them photos of Boracay. We told them that the water there is clear & warm and the sand is powdery. Lizette also showed her wedding pictures. 'twas really grand!

Thanks to Hugh for the Hess Select. He also informed me that he owns a similar digicam (Canon PowerShot SD850). TTOW!!!

Although the party ended in 3 hours, we're very happy that they enjoyed the food.

Navigation Bar None

Notice anything different about my blog today (aside from the new cute banner)? I took out the Blogger Navigation Bar on top. Y'know, the one where you can do a search or go to the next blog? Sometimes though, that "next blog" turns out to be of your-mom-won't-approve-of nature. Don't worry too, there's no legal issue if you remove it. I checked first ;oP

Go to your Template section and type this piece of code right before the </head> tag and you, too, can say buh-bye to that bar:

<style type="text/css"><br />#navbar-iframe {<br />display: none;<br />}<br /></style>

I ♥ NY

Here are never-before-published photos from my New York trip last June (thanks, Joyish):
Taken at the Crab House in New Jersey. First time to meet Marvin & his family. This is also where I lost my freakin' earphone rubber piece.Crabs, crab legs, prawns, mussels and a lobster!!! Happy Fiesta! I also enjoyed the rose colored wine that I ordered.I promised my friend, Alwyn, that once I get back to New York, I'd do a Hiro Nakamura impression. This would've been a perfect shot, if not for the guy showing his ass behind me.
Another take.This time, with the whole gang. That's my evil twin sister, Joy, Bry, and their cutey patootey daughter, JB.
Lastly, here's a photo from the World Trade Center. This is one of my favorite shots. I might have to look serious in pictures from now on ;oP

Reunited with my Ashburn Friends

When I saw Ashburn again yesterday, I thanked the Lord and smiled. I dunno what will happen to me if I stay in Bulacan.

Today, I get to see my friends again at work. When I reached the office around 9, I immediately went to JC's office. He's talking to somebody so I made a detour to my good friend, Linda. Hugged her and we chatted a bit.

Next stop was my immediate superiors' area. Dennis informed me that Emily's on vacay.

Then, I went to Brenda. My eyes got misty when I hugged her. She informed me that one of her dogs (Lila) got UTI =o(

Went back to JC and we chatted a bit too. Thanked him for bringing me back here.

I also met Nora and Liu (I still dunno the correct spelling of her name). They were saddened when they heard about the news about my dad.

Jetlag is kickin' in but I had to cook dinner tonight. I prepared the ground pork and chopped the veggies: garlic, onion, tomatoes and bell peppers. This is a simple dish but very tasty. The only problem is our rice ain't meant to be fried. It's too sticky.