Calottery

I went out yesterday to make a quick trip at Serramonte Shopping Center. I needed to get a memory stick duo for Ate Pining because the sd card that I have isn't compatible with her Sony CyberShot digicam. It was also my first time to ride the bus. I went for a walk to the bus stop along Del Monte but five minutes after the schedule stopover I got impatient and decided to walk. A few steps away from the bus stop, I saw the bus coming. Darn! So I went to Serramonte on a 1 mile hike. It was okay because I was talking to Misis Tikboy on the phone.

On the way home I took Bus 133. The fare was $1.50 for a one way trip. I alighted at a stop near Jack in the Box. I walked again and saw a few stores. I took the liberty of checking it out. There was an Asian store there. Beside it was a store offering to go foods, I went inside and found a vending machine for different card games. I took out a dollar and picked the green Calottery card scratched it and it revealed four $1 and two $3 totalling ten bucks. I didn't know that I won so I walked home. How did I know that I won? I was telling my housemates about the card and have them take a look at it. They told me I won and that I had to claim it from the store where I bought it.

Hmmm.. beginner's luck? Maybe. Let's see if my luck surges tomorrow for the Super Lotto. Now, this is how it feels like to bet in the lottery. Jose Rizal won the lottery while he was exiled in Dapitan. He spent the money he won on real estate. Given the chance, I'd do the same here. I'll buy a condo unit. Hahahaha!

Halaaaaaaaaa!

Tikboy was trying to book me a flight to SF last sunday but for some reason, hindi nya makita yung departure at arrival dates na gusto ko.

"Ibigay ko na lang syo yung visa card number at ikaw ang mag book"

500 miles away, napangiti si Misis Tikboy. Nakaisip ng kalokohan.. "O sige..."

"Tapos na mahal?"

"Opo... Hala ka, nasa akin na credit card number mo. Pwede na ako mag online shopping...hahahaha!"

"Lukring"
"Hah! Oorder na ako ng Coach online?"

"Christmas gift?"

"Hmmmmm...."

"Nag-isip pa talaga! Kumpletuhin mo muna sweldo ko. Loka!"

Alam ni Tikboy na mahilig ako sa medyo mamahaling bag. Nakita na nya ako in action sa Coach store sa Cabazon. Kaya lang her being kuripot in nature, can't accept me buying a $200 bag. "Susme, bag pa lang yan????"

Kaya, eversince, I kid her when I have a chance. Nakikita ko kasi nagtatalo yung kuripot nature nya saka yung love nya sa akin, hehehehe! Mamumula talaga sya sa hirap na mag decide, hahahahaha! Nung nasa Pilipinas sya and she learned how much my bags are, bigla daw sya nag chest pain. Baliw!

Haaay, in fairness... sa outlet store lang ako bumibili ng bags ko. Mahal pa rin pero half of a mall's price. Wala eh.. mahirap talagang kokonti ang luho.

Kokonti nga.... nosebleed naman ang presyo, ehek!

One Sunday afternoon

Originally, Nanay Pining and me planned to go to downtown SFO and attend Sunday Mass at St. Patrick's. But she begged off at the last minute this morning because of a cold. She told me that we would just go to Mater Dolorosa for the 12 noon mass. After the mass Kuya Lito wanted to take us to the Aquarium somewhere in San Francisco area. Parking was a problem so they decided to just eat at Moonstar. When we got there, the place was closed down so we ended up eating inside a mall. I told them to just leave me there and I would find my way back home by just riding the BART. I wanted to learn how to do it all by myself. So, they did leave me and went on the other stores along downtown SFO.

BART Station at Powell St.

BART Fares

The BART station looked a lot like the LRT line 2 along Cubao. Good thing that they have free brochures in there so I got three brochures: Fares and Schedules, Transit Connections and Destinations Guide. It was my first time to ride the BART but its not that hard. I bought a ticket for $15.05 which I could use for several rides. My ride from Powell St. to South San Francisco cost only $3.35. So, tomorrow I could still explore the train ride to SF Airport and back to either Colma or Daly City then ride the 390 or 391 bus and then take off in front of Jack in the Box along El Camino Real St. to get home. Or I could just go to downtown SFO again and go to Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39.


Hmmm.. I just talked to my Dad right now. Ang lakas daw talaga ng loob ko. Napagalitan rin ako ni Misis Tikboy kanina, worried kasi siya dahil nagpaiwan na lang ako basta sa downtown para mag-explore daan pauwi.

Talking to Misis Tikboy inside the BART. Nawawalan ng signal!

I got home safe though, kung hindi nga lang masakit ang ulo ko lalarga pa sana ako hanggang sa SFO Airport eh!

ETA announcements

Ticket office of MUNI buses in SFO

Halina't mag-explore..

I am off duty for two days. So, today I took the liberty of exploring by foot. Yep, you heard errr read it right. By foot. It isn't that bad. I am used to walking. Praktisado ito sa "schooling" ni Misis Tikboy. But it would have been easier if there was no rain. Rain poured practically the whole day. Even so, I had taken the time to take snapshots of my route. Hehehe!

This is Hickey Blvd. The first major street outside of the village.

Bus stop along Camaritas Ave.

View of Royal Inn, the nearest hotel near my place.

The Royal Inn. They don't have reservations online.

Travelers Inn. Another hotel beside the Royal Inn.

Approaching Daly City where Serramonte Plaza (the nearest shopping center) is.

Catching my breath inside the SamTrans waiting shed.

Had to take pictures on my own!

Yes! Serramonte Blvd. after a long uphill walk.

Serramonte Plaza

It took me a mile or so getting here. I did not buy anything extravagant, just a cell phone load for $25 and a diet Pepsi for $1.54. I was looking at a Mamma Mia DVD for Misis Tikboy and I found one. Kaso ayaw niya ipabili sa akin kasi $22 siya samantalang sa mall na pinupuntahan niya $15 lang! Ngek!

Next exploration? The BART ride and the bus ride. Got to familiarize myself with it. I've got three weeks to get used to it. Or else.. patay ako kay Misis Tikboy!

Daily routine

Since I got here my daily routine changed a lot. Gone are my petiks days in Tempe or Jersey City. I am always on the run. Always on the road - well, that was before I started working. Now, I wake up as early as 5:30, start working at 6:30 and then end my days' activity at about 20:00 hours. Busiest time of the day is from 6:30 until 13:00. After that I can go petiks for about an hour and a half before I get busy again.

Misis Tikboy and I were talking during one of my petiks moment. I was telling her about my may patients and what I did in the morning. I will spare you the details, I know she can deliver it better in one of her posts. But we had a good laugh. And it is the first in four days since I moved here in California. It was cut short because my boss came in so I had to put down the phone. Hehehehe!

I miss how Misis Tikboy giggles.. it makes my heart sing. I miss her smile, her scent, her stares.. I miss everything about her.

And yes, I do hope January comes sooner. For now, I asked my boss to give me a straight 6 days duty and 1 day off so that I could use up my extra off come January. Now, that's something to look forward to.

Text..Email..Chat.. Call

Text.. Email.. Chat.. Call - theses are exactly what me and Tikboy do these past few days. Not necessarily in that order but we try to be in touch with each other everytime. My schedule is not that hectic these week. I have two nights duty and a day full of meeting. That's it. I am keeping myself busy shopping and wrapping gifts. Tikboy's sked is a little different though.

And because it is less than ten days before Christmas, I have to finish my shopping.. So, kahit na maulan, nag ikot ako. I was walking in the rain in San Tan Mall and I suddenly felt a wave of sadness.. I shuddered. I don't know if it's because of the cold rain or because I was in the verge of crying.

Sana January na...

I miss my Tikboy...

Cold

It's 41 degrees here. My work is done for the day but I still couldn't sleep. I'm waiting for Misis Tikboy to arrive home safely. I miss her so much. Not a minute goes by that I think of her. When I'm about to break into tears I swallow whatever pain I have in me and then look the other way while talking myself out of it. I am doing this for us. I am doing this for me. I have to be strong.

It's freaking cold in here. But I have to keep myself together. I need to do this.

Bagong simula

Haaay.. bagong simula, bagong buhay.

Ito ang drama ko ngayon. Nasa kabilang daigdig na naman ako, malayo sa misis ko. Pero kailangang magtiyaga para sa ikatutupad ng mga pangarap. Buti na lang dalawang oras lang ang pagitan naming dalawa. Mas madali kesa sa dose oras na byahe. Pera lang ang katapat, tiyaga ang puhunan at tatag ng dibdib.

Simula na ako ng trabaho bukas. Umeskapo lang ako ngayon para mag-internet habang nakikipag-usap si boss sa mga pasyente. Buti na lang meron dito sa facility. Dito rin ako magdu-duty ng dalawang araw, tatlong araw sa kabilang street. Training pa lang naman, pero kailangan kong patunayan na kaya ko ang trabaho. Bawal kasi magkasakit dito.

Hanggang sa muli..

Girl time at Toni&Guy and Dillards

Once again we had our own version of girl time - this time at Toni&Guy salon and Dillards. Prior to this Misis Tikboy tried to mess with me by saying she'll not come home. But I know her well enough to decipher that she was just bluffing. Hehehe! So, I played along while she was messing with me on the phone and then smiled when she knocked at my door. Ewan ko ba naman sa misis na ito, may susi naman kumakatok pa sa pinto!

We are breakfast and then I gave her time to sleep. Of course I was in bed too. I gave her a massage and then she dozed off to sleep. I woke her up an hour before our appointment at Toni&Guy. She's a regular there so she was assigned to her stylist, Shelley while I was assigned to Bree. During the consult, Misis Tikboy and Shelley went to my spot and helped me out. Sabi ni misis idea daw ni Shelley na lumapit sa amin. Lokang hairstylist, ang lakas ng radar! Hahahaha!

Bree was trying to initiate small talk and of course, polite as I am, I engaged her into one. Kasama kasi 'yun sa serbisyo nila. When I told her that I'll be moving to California she immediately offered info on her last summer's visit there. Sabi pa niya sa akin, Does it snow there? Gusto ko nga sana sabihin na, okay ka lang? Ngayon pa lang ako pupunta dun ano! Malay ko! Pero syempre, ngiti na lang ako sabay sabi na pagbalik ko ng Arizona sasabihin ko sa kanya. Hehehe!

Taken at Dillards, tingnan niyo naman kung ano ang ipinasuot sa akin ni misis. Hehehe! Muntik pa nga siya kumuha ng gown para ipasuot sa akin eh!

Which Character Are You?

Grey's Anatomy Character

Well, I've got nothing else to do. I already finished the novel Left Behind and the other books are with my wife. I've lost interest with the idiot box because most of the shows are basically reruns. Nothing else to do so I checked the schedule of Grey's at ABC.com and found this test.

So, I am Derek.

Toe socks

Well, this is about my toe socks. I kind of preferred them than the regular socks because I usually wear sandals. When I went here in the US, I brought 3 pairs with me. All of them white. Misis Tikboy teased me about my kind of socks but she got used to it. It's actually one of our private jokes. ;)

When I went to NJ and they saw my socks, they immediately asked me where I bought it and for how much. I told them that I got it in the Philippines for P200, 3 pairs. Dapat daw pala nagpabili sila sa akin kasi gustong-gusto nila ito. If I only knew..

Yesterday when we were at Costco, this woman couldn't help herself and asked me where did I get my socks. She was telling me and Misis Tikboy that she couldn't find a plain one like these. Sabi ni Misis Tikboy sa kanya, sa JC Penney's daw meron.

Hmmmm.. kung alam ko lang na gusto nila ito dito sana nagbitbit na ako ng marami at ibinenta ko! Hahahahaha!

Tempe Marketplace Outing

After mass last Sunday, we decided to go around and shop (oh yes!). Tempe Marketplace is a huge shopping place (close to 1.5 million retail space I think) with outdoor fireplaces and unique water features. My Tikboy was so patient all through out my "relaxation time" that I give her an A+, hahahahaha! We even played around with coats and outerwear trying them on!!!! Girl time, yeah!

One Afternoon

We decided for a quick detour to Ikea today because we were craving for those yummy swedish meatballs. We ordered kid's meal (yep! the adult meal is way too much for both of us) and we had a blast trading childhood stories.

At the restroom, we saw this....


It's a hands free new way of drying your hands. This was the first time I saw this so syempre pa, pinag laruan namin ni Tikboy. Tawa kami ng tawa dahil sa sobrang lakas ng pressure, parang nag mo-move ang skin namin, hahahahaha!

When we were ready to go go out, I asked Tikboy, "Mahal, guess kung ano ito?"


To which my Tikboy confidently answered, "Lalagyan ng halaman"
"Hahahahaha! Lalagyan ka ng halaman, food bowl yan ng aso!!!!"
"Ha?????"

Patawa talaga...

Out

Well, I finally went out today. Misis Tikboy's been urging me to enjoy the sun since yesterday but I preferred to stay inside. She's got work and I wanted to stay beside her while she slept. I did too. I guess my body needed to regain the lack of sleep while I was in Jersey City.

Today I got up late. Continued reading Stepanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, the 4th book since Twilight and then took a nap. I had a dream that a vampire bit me, thinking that she would turn me into one. But I guess my blood tasted that good and she couldn't stop from drinking my blood - then I woke up. Probably got too engrossed with the book. Hehehe!

Ate lunch at around two in the afternoon and then took a bath. I decided to go to the mall. I actually wanted to buy two things: the mocha coffe chip ice cream from Haagen Dazs and the Bulgari Rose Essentialle eau de toilette for Misis Tikboy. So, I walked 0.6 miles to get to the mall.



I did get the ice cream and Misis Tikboy. But I did get a bonus too, I got my CK One for less than $58. Hehehehe!

My last night in Jersey City

This is my last night in Jersey City. My cousins wanted to take me out to a strip club but I told them not to. Instead I requested that they just buy food for dinner and invite our aunts and uncle over to eat. Pete, my cousin's best friend, complained that I am so lame. But in the end, I won. So, we just hang out here at Ninang Hermie's house and reminisced the good old days in the Philippines.







Misis Tikboy, I promised them that on my next visit I am going to take you with me. They're all excited to meet you. For now, I am going home. I miss you so much.

What Am I Doing?

Mr Tikboy is in NJ since wednesday... So, what have I been doing without my Tikboy? Aside from working, I've been just lazing around. I did organize my shoes and bags though, hahahaha! And I'm attempting to put up christmas decors.... but still...

Hirap because I got used to seeing her everyday and being with her. Sabi ko nga we shouldn't be like this because we still have a lot of plans. This is just the start.... This wouldn't be the first time that we'll be away from each other.

I miss her so much.. She'll be coming back on wednesday and I just can't wait..