Lemon Pulp

Time Out

2009-06-20T22:49:00.001-04:00

Taking a break from blogging; tweeting instead.

The Ghost of Mr. Francis Magalona

2009-03-12T16:32:00.004-04:00

I don't really give much thought about paranormal occurences, but I believe I just had one. In the wee hours on Sunday the 8th, after nursing my lovely Cameron, I sat in bed wide awake. Out of nowhere, Francis Magalona popped into my head. I was thinking about his cute smile, trying to remember if he had dimples or not. Then I started singing his songs in my head:

Ma-ma-ma-mga kababayan...
Mga kababayan ko/dapat lang malaman nyo/
bilib ako sa kulay ko/ako ay Pilipino...
Kung may itim o may puti/meron namang kayumanggi/
isipin mo na kaya mong/abutin ang iyong minimithi...
Then there's The Man from Manila and also Kaleidoscope World. I just started singing them. I reminisced about the first concert I had ever seen when he visited CDO. Then I went back to sleep, Mga Kababayan still playing in my head.

Two days later, I happened to visit the Inquirer website and guess what headline greeted me: FRANCIS M. PASSED AWAY! On the 6th! Goosebumps! Did I just get a visit from Kiko? Why? Was it because growing up I was such a huge fan of his? Whatever the case, I'm still creeped out. And the song hasn't stopped playing.

Random Thoughts

2009-02-05T22:19:00.003-05:00

1. I was half-right about Gabriel Byrne. He didn't win an Emmy but he won a Golden Globe for his role in In Treatment.

2. Anna Paquin for Best Actress--right on! K--I'm surprised you're not hooked on True Blood. That's totally up your alley. Even I'm addicted!

3. I'm due on March 6th. 03/06/09...weird! But I think I'm gonna be early again. I feel like I'm ready to go now. And I mean right now as I'm typing.

4. My son has picked out a name for his sister. We asked him one day what he'd like to name her, and he blurted out, "Cucamonga." He's (and we've) been calling her that since then. And that was four months ago. Should be interesting once we tell him her real name.

5. The massive salmonella outbreak on peanut products here in the U.S. has really put a damper on my cravings. I have two tubs of mixed nuts, one half-empty, and a jar of peanut butter, barely touched. What's a pregnant mama to do when she's jonesin' for PB&J???

6. The only reason I'm blogging again is work has really slowed down. I used to have something to do every single night. Now my work hours have been cut drastically and that's no good--financially and mentally.

7. Lastly, Sports Season has officially started for me. It always begins with the Australian Open, then Spring training, the Masters, the French Open, regular baseball season, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and so on. I'm a happy camper!

Maayong Pasko!

2008-12-21T15:37:00.004-05:00

My First Time...and It Felt Good!

2008-11-07T14:40:00.002-05:00

I voted. It was very empowering. I went to the polling place at six a.m. thinking, "beat the crowd." As it turned out, hundreds of people were thinking the same thing. I waited in line for 45 minutes but it was well worth it. Despite the long line, nary a complaint was heard. Just gleeful greetings from complete strangers on a cool, brisk Tuesday morning. Stories shared, giggles and laughter spread, opinions exchanged, I've never felt like I belonged to this community until that day.

And when it was my turn to go to the polling booth, I.D. presented, name checked, ballot handed, I walked to an empty stall, deliberately taking my time just so I could take it all in. When I got to the stall, I looked around and saw that the smiles were gone. All that was left was a sense of purpose. A let's-get-down-to-business look on all the faces. And so I did. I grabbed the pen and cast my vote, walked to the scanner and fed my ballot through the machine. Then I left the building involuntarily grinning.

I voted. And my president won. Things can only get better now.

Age Matters

2008-06-08T14:59:00.003-04:00

My son is now two (awesome party!) and I'm about to hit the Big Three-O. I'm old. I don't care what anyone says, I feel old. But I have to say, I don't feel as bad as I did when I turned 26. I remember feeling so bummed about passing the mid-twenties mark. At that point, I felt that I had lost whatever youthfulness I had left.

For my birthday, hubby is treating me to a spa getaway. I aim to feel rejuvenated, reawakened...reborn! Maybe my perspective will change then. But right now, I feel old. And my sore, aching body is not helping!

I Need a Shrink!

2008-05-08T22:44:00.001-04:00

One click. That's all it takes to make my mommy-blog (mlog!--yes, you read it here first!!!) public. I can't do it. I've hovered on the button one too many times but I can't click it. It scares the bejesus out of me. Same with Friendster. I have pics to show, but when I get to the upload page, I cower. I feel uneasy. Obviously, I have issues. I hope someday to overcome this fear.

But don't get me Dr. Phil. I want Dr. Paul.

David got me hooked on a new HBO series, In Treatment. It's a talkie, so it looks really boring. But once you watch and listen, it really gets to you. Somewhere, trophies for a Golden Globe and an Emmy are being crafted for Gabriel Byrne.

Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven!.....7!

2008-04-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

Funny how, after seven years of marriage, I still learn something new about my husband. Like this weekend. We went on a roadtrip and decided to stop by a Filipino food store. I got the staples: pan de sal, sinigang mix, bihon, sotanghon, atbp(!). Then I saw, in a glass enclosure, three rows of piping-hot siopao. Row 1 was chicken; Row 2, pork; and Row 3, dog meat. (I kid, it was a combo). Not knowing which flavor to get, I ran back to the car to ask him what he wanted. He came back to me with this: I DON'T EAT SIOPAO. Who doesn't like siopao!!!

This year, we didn't go on a vacation as is our anniversary tradition. We were going to take the little boy to a car show; instead, we brought the car show home. Check out our new baby...

Chop Chop!

2008-03-17T22:33:00.002-04:00

I heart my new Santoku knife. It slices and dices meats and veggies like buttah.
Funny how I used to be all about techno gadgets. Now it's kitchen and houseware. I don't remember the last time I used my iPod, but I can tell you I use my One-Touch can opener at least twice a week.

Tomorrow, I'm making beef stew so I can play with my new toy some more.

Hardy Har-Har

2008-02-28T11:44:00.004-05:00

Too swamped to write! In the meantime, here's a picture to make you laugh. Took this almost over two years ago (with a disposable camera!). The owner's gotta be Filipino.

Snow Storm

2008-02-24T16:47:00.004-05:00

Took several pics of a nasty/beautiful snow storm that we had a couple of days ago. Most of the pictures came out dark. But who has time for Photoshop? Not me. So here's one, au naturel.

The rest are here.

Idiot Box

2008-02-20T23:07:00.003-05:00

It's been almost two years since I've watched live primetime TV. We record a few shows (House, CSI, Sarah Connor Chronicles, 30 Rock, etc.) but we have yet to watch them.

Surprisingly enough, I don't miss the shows at all. The moniker does make sense. TV does nothing to improve one's well-being. I actually regret wasting all those hours glued to the tube when I could have done something more worthwhile, like pick up a good book.

Thankfully, I haven't turned into a boob yet. At least I don't think so! But more on that next time.

To My Sweetie

2008-02-13T22:06:00.003-05:00

Thank you for your love that keeps on growing.

Happy Valentine's Day, my boo. I love you.

"Free" Time

2008-02-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

I swear, I'm not being lazy. I was really swamped these past three weeks. I had two back-to-back projects on tight deadlines. So any "free" time I had, I spent working. I finished the second project this afternoon, so here I am tonight, writing whatever pops into my head.

How about this: A typical day in the life of JZ.

6 am: I wake up. More like, David wakes me as best he could. Then we drive to the train station.

7 am: Breakfast.

8 am: Reading time/play time.

10 am: Jakob's nap time. "Free" time. Work, work, work.

12:30 pm: Lunch.

2 pm: Playgym.

4 pm: Jakob's second nap time (if I'm lucky). More "free" time. Work/clean/work.

5 pm: Cook dinner.

6 pm: Pick up David at the train station.

7 pm: Dinner.

9 pm: Jakob goes to bed.

9:30 pm: Work/Surf/email/blog.

11:30 pm: Clean up.

12:30 am: Bed time.

And somewhere in the middle, I manage to make phone calls, do the dishes, take a shower, pay the bills. So you see, I'm not that busy at all. I have all the time in the world!

Bye, Heath

2008-01-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

Such a waste. So young and talented. Such a waste.

Cuckoo

2008-01-18T14:22:00.000-05:00

You know what the problem is with hands-free/bluetooth cellphone devices? You can't tell the crazy from the sane. One day, you're walking behind somebody muttering to herself and you think, this woman's cuckoo. Then you realize she's got a Jabra plugged in to her ear and is actually in a conversation. Another day, you're seated across from somebody, again muttering, and you think, ah he's just on his cellphone. Then he gets up and you realize he's not plugged up! Cuckoo...

New Year, New Me?

2008-01-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So one of my resolutions this year is to be more transparent. You all know how I'm always so quiet--rarely updating my blog; rarely commenting on yours. I have this weird trepidation about sharing my personal life for everyone to see. Can anyone give me the phobia name for that? Whatever the name is, I hope to change that this year.

I realize that with the help of a good glass of red, I'm able to express my thoughts better and with more confidence. Does that make me a lush? Not yet, and if so, that'll be for next year's resolution.

Among the things I'd like to do are a.) reveal my secret mommy-blog; b.) add a few pics of my family on friendster (at least as private photos--baby steps); c.) touch-base with friends more frequently; d.) tell more people about this blog.

I have 11-plus months to go and I'll be damned if it takes me that long to accomplish these goals. So if you see that I'm slacking, feel free to give me a good smack on the forehead. Or a little nudge and say, "Where's the mommy-blog you promised?" or "Why don't you write about such and such?" Anything.

-----------------------------------

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO KK MASLOG-LEVIS: So sorry I forgot to greet you on your birthday. Happy belated birthday and I look forward to seeing pics soon!

I Need Glasses

2007-08-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

I've needed glasses since three years ago. I've just been in denial about it. Recently, I caught myself squinting a few times at the TV, mostly to check scores. (I'm a sports nut, didn't you know?) Today, I squinted so hard, my eyes were almost shut, and I STILL couldn't see the scores! Time to face the music. And the eye chart.

It's Official

2007-07-15T14:32:00.000-04:00

On Friday morning, July 13th, I pledged my Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America. I am now officially an American citizen. It took us six years to get to this point. I'm so glad it's over. No more paperwork, interviews, and proving to the government that we are, in fact, legitimately--and happily--married. Next up, voter's registration.

Hurray!!!!!!

Reminisence

2007-02-19T20:51:00.000-05:00

Remember those days when your biggest problem was how to get past the school guard at the gate because:

a. you forgot your ID;
b. you were not wearing white socks;
c. you were not wearing socks; or,
d. you were wearing sneakers instead of black school shoes?

Oh, how simple life was back then.

What's in a Name?

2007-02-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

My full name is Jade Sheryl--not Jade, not Jadesheryl, and not Jade-Sheryl. Americans seem to have a hard time accepting this fact. "It's like Mary Jane," I tell them, "or Billy Bob." They still don't get it. (In America, if you're given two names, the second name automatically becomes your middle name.) Ever since I arrived here six years ago, it's been a constant struggle to set things straight, especially when it comes to paperwork. My husband keeps telling me to give up the fight, not worth the aggravation, he says. But I can't. I was born with that name, and I'll fight to keep it. The battle:

Credit Cards. The credit-card invitations I get in the mail have either of the three iterations I've mentioned above. If I'm interested, I call them up and say, "I'll sign up for your card if you can fix my name." Their response is either it's "too long" or "we can't fit two words." WTF! (I acquiesced once because the deal they gave me was too good to pass up. They printed my name as Jade S. Y. Z---.)

License. When I got my Learner's Permit, same response (too long...no two words). So my name came out as Jade,Sheryl. Then, when I applied for my driver's license, the rude woman behind the desk made me choose between Jade or Jadesheryl. "See here miss, the computer won't accept the spacebar." Fucker. I chose the former.

Citizenship. Now this is tricky. When I got my green card, both names were printed correctly. When I applied for citizenship by mail, some clerk (probably caffeine-deprived) typed in my name as Jake Sheryl. I sent them a letter to correct my name, and when their acknowledgement came back, they addressed me only as Jade. Now I don't know if that's what my citizenship card's going to say. I'll have to wait and see.

So for all the people in the world with a Samuel, a Kay, a Renan, a Rose, I hope you're not having as hard a time as I am. The Beths, Aldwyns and Teds are the lucky ones.

My Movie List

2007-01-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Below is a list of movies that I can watch anytime, over and over again. I say that because whenever I channel-surf, any one of these movies always makes me take my thumb off the remote. These are the movies that make David say, "You're watching that again?!"

Before I give you the list, a little disclaimer:
1. This is NOT a list of my favorite movies.
2. These are NOT all good movies. In fact, some of them are awfully bad, yet I can't help but watch them.
3. This is NOT a final list. I may add titles from time to time.

So here goes....

-American President
-Before Sunrise (added 2/8)
-Before Sunset (added 2/8)
-Birdcage
-Christmas Story
-Christopher Guest Movies (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, Mighty Wind)
-Coming to America
-E.T.
-Ferris Bueller's Day Off
-Harry Potter - all four
-Home Alone
-Kill Bill - Vols. 1 & 2
-Lord of the Rings - all three
-Love Actually
-Madagascar
-Matrix - all three
-Monsters, Inc.
-Mr. & Mrs. Smith
-My Cousin Vinny (added 8/13)
-Napoleon Dynamite
-O Brother, Where Art Thou?
-Office Space
-Other Sister
-Others
-Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (added 9/24)
-Rat Race
-Signs
-Sixth Sense
-Uncle Buck
-What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Season's Greetings!

2006-12-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (Kay wala man koy lingaw.)

I AM THE PERSON OF THE YEAR!

2006-12-17T00:29:00.000-05:00

Time Magazine awarded the Person of the Year to ME (and YOU).

At first I thought it was a stupid idea, a cop out. But now I realize, heck yeah I deserve to be Person of the Year. Why not? Bloggers, Friendster and MySpace page owners, YouTube video uploaders--we, the ordinary people, certainly made our voices heard this year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US!

Bayabas, anyone?

2006-12-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

So I did my weekly grocery shopping today, and guess what I saw? Guavas. I was about to bag a handful when I saw the sticker price: $1.99 EACH! A fruit that I used to pick off a tree for FREE when I was a kid was going to cost me almost two dollars apop? It just didn't sit right with me to pay that much so I put everything back.

So to my friends in the Philippines, here's my Christmas wish: padal-i ko'g bayabas, bi?

Giving Happy Thanks

2006-11-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's 10:42 in the evening, our guests have left, and my baby boy is in bed fast asleep. Our Thanksgiving dinner is over. Last year, we hosted Christmas dinner, this year it's our turn to do Thanksgiving. I started cooking at 8:30 am and didn't finish until 5 pm.

It was one helluva dinner! Here's my menu:

Appetizers:
-Spice-Mulled Apple Cider
-Edamame
-Cocktail Shrimp
-Peach Galettes
-Crackers with Smoked Gouda and Port Wine Cheddar Cheeses
-Papadum Chips flavored with Yogurt and Dill
-Grapes

Main Course:
-One mean 12-pound roasted turkey!
-Hickory Smoked Ham
-Giblets Gravy
-Stuffing
-Mashed Potatoes
-Mashed Yams
-Cranberry Relish
-Green Beans in Lemon Butter Sauce with Almonds

Dessert:
-Coconut Custard Pie
-Upside Down Pineapple Cake

Yes, I am super tired, but that's okay. Everyone liked the food and had a great time. Plus, I'm getting a nice foot rub from my hubby as I'm writing this.

Need I tell you what I'm thankful for?

Finally--here are some pictures from tonight.

Before dinner

Our annual Thanksgiving tradition.

After dinner

Parched

2006-11-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

So what do I have to do to get my writing juices flowing?

I just don't have it in me right now.

I've made several attempts, all ended up in the trash bin--digitally and literally.

So many thoughts waiting to be written. So many writings waiting to be thought out. (Does that even make sense? See what I mean?)

My poor blog.

My Favorite Part of the Weekend....

2006-03-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

...is our home-made breakfast:

Scrambled eggs with ketchup

Waffles

Bacon

Home Fries

Yum!!!

Happy_Misery

2006-02-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

How apt. This was both a sad and happy week.

Sad
My boss left the company. I happen to like her a lot. She was fun to be around. When she thought we were stagnating, she found ways to challenge us. When she saw us drowning with work, she knew not to bother us, and even absorbed some of our workload. She came in at seven in the morning, sometimes even earlier, and left after most everyone does. She was dedicated and cared very much about the business.

Imagine my shock when she called me into her office one day to tell me she was leaving, and worse, that she had only one more week left. It felt like a bad prank had been played on our department. But when she started cleaning out her office, it became more and more real. When we said our good-byes last Friday, I was just beside myself. I couldn’t really concentrate on my work, so I left five minutes early (shocker!). I just wanted to get the hell out of there and forget about what happened.

Happy
It was especially difficult because that same Friday, we found out our baby’s gender. (I’m not telling—you’ll all have to wait until the big day to find out!) It was a wonderful feeling knowing what to expect. No longer do we have to call the baby “it.” (Note to self: avoid using pronouns.) During the sonogram, the baby was so active and would not stop kicking. At one point, the doctor exclaimed, “Look, your baby’s doing yoga!” It was funny, and luckily, the doctor was able to capture the moment. Aside from determining the baby’s gender, we were also able to see, among many other things, the brain, the heart, the spine, and their cross-sections. We even saw the four chambers of the heart pumping. It was simply amazing.

Our next task is to pick out a name. Who knew it would be this hard?

I Should Have Seen This Coming

2006-01-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

Dearest friends,

I have been keeping a secret for quite some time now, and I feel the time has come for me to confess.

Four months ago, I tested positive for hCG.

As you can imagine, this news came as quite a surprise to me and David. I underwent several tests to validate the accuracy of the result and all of them came back positive.

Things changed since that fateful day. Now, I’ve become slower, weaker, and sometimes, more irritable. I get tired very easily. Oftentimes, I fall asleep just watching TV and yet, I keep tossing and turning every night, unable to find a comfortable position. From what I have read, things will become even more uncomfortable in the coming months.

But I’m ready to face the challenges of this condition. Thankfully, I have David by my side. He has been very supportive and understanding. Without him, this would have been very difficult. (He is, by the way, partly responsible for this.) I also know that you, my friends, will be there to support me, and I thank you for that.

Finally, I take solace in the fact that this condition will not last forever. It will, however, bring forth a responsibility that I will carry for the rest of my life.

To learn more about hCG, click here.

A Peaceful New Year’s Eve

2006-01-03T22:33:00.000-05:00

Last year, we welcomed the new year with a bang. Actually, plenty of it, considering all the firecrackers we lit.

This year, we went the peaceful route. Since this was our first New Year’s in the house, we declined an offer to join relatives for a celebration.

Instead, David and I spent it alone in our house. We had a nice home-cooked meal, sat by the fireplace, watched the ball drop on TV, and toasted with milk (mine) and chocolate milk (his) in wine glasses. We called family and friends to wish them well. Then we cuddled. In silence. Just our hushed voices and the crackling fire.

It was the perfect way to end a crazy year, and usher in more craziness to come.

Holiday Hangover

2006-01-02T01:08:00.000-05:00

This was the first holiday spent in our house. (Last year, we spent Christmas and New Year’s in the Philippines.) David decided to have the whole family over for Christmas Eve and I gladly stepped up to the challenge.

Ambitious as I was, here’s what I had on the menu, almost all of it homemade:

APPETIZERS:
Honey Dijon Mini-Chicken Drumsticks
Mango Galettes
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Avocado and Goat Cheese Dip with Plain Tortilla Chips
Garlic Salsa (from a jar)
Cheese and Crackers (Smoked Gouda and Port Wine Cheddar; all store-bought)

MAIN COURSE:
Honey-Glazed Ham (store-bought)
Breaded Turkey Cutlets
Sotanghon
Green Beans with Lemon Butter Topped with Toasted Almonds
Mashed Potatoes (made awesomely by my sister-in-law)
Sweetened Yams (another awesome creation by sis-in-law)

DESSERT:
Leche Flan
Apple Pie (courtesy of pop-in-law)
Coconut Custard Pie (store-bought; didn’t quite work out!)
Coffee
Hot Chocolate
Eggnog
Bonus: I adorned the Christmas tree with a variety of chocolates so guests could “pluck” them from the tree.

Hungry yet?

I had everything planned a week in advance, but as always, nothing ever works out as smoothly as one intends. I was going to start cooking the day before, but all I managed to do that day was marinate the little chicken drumsticks.

The following day, realizing I had my work cut out for me, I woke up extra early to get things rolling. I re-organized my schedule and managed to finish preparing the appetizers just as the guests started to arrive.

The main course was easier to prepare than I thought. But I have to say, had it not been for David’s help, the whole thing would have been a big mess.

End result: Everyone loved the food and had a great time. After all our hard work, seeing the satisfied faces of our guests was all that mattered. That, and opening the presents.

Next up—New Year’s Eve. Quite the opposite of Christmas Eve. But more about that later…

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

Well, hello!

New Year, New Me.

I'm back and I hope to stay around for a while. Many things happened while I was "off-line," and I'll try to talk about them as much as I can.

Lastly, I took the liberty of adding links to some blogs I frequent. If I forgot anyone, or if you want your link removed, please let me know.

I miss everyone and hope to hear from all of you soon.