how to fry fries, and why i blog

not being able to write an entry is like missing an episode of smallville, or mula sa puso, whichever you fancy. it's also like visiting a favorite blog only to find that there's nothing new there when it had already been 30 minutes since you checked. lazy blogger.

also, there's a lot i want to post here, for two reasons: memory capsulation, and fun. although i have never read back here as far as three pages, someday ill have all the time in the world and read about my wrong grammar and pretend writing skills. and when i do that, i dont wanna miss a theeeeeeng.

so let's pretend that i did not miss writing a why not wednesday entry yesterday, and let's talk about something that id want to remember and take to heart:

i love french fries.

potatoes, actually. i see potatoes and i imagine fries, mashed potatoes, afritada where id only eat the sarsa and the potatoes, and other similar ulams. im the type of person who eats A LOT when sad, so when i get fat it's only either im pregnant or im eating fries out of depression.

so i tried to fry my own potato strips, and i havent perfected it yet. the photo below reflects my wrong moves: not enough oil; not hot enough oil.

on the second try, i researched. the potatoes should be fully submerged in super hot oil that when they are done, theyd float to the surface. better looking, more appetizing french fries, now.

however, i didnt achieve the subtle crunch of the usual homemade fries. i hope my chef friend reads this and tells me what's wrong with how i cook the potatoes.

ps: caesar dressing for dip :D

gift # 4

since gail is 24 today, i decided to give him...

24 gifts every hour for 24 hours on his 24th birthday!

yehey! i woke him up at 12 midnight for his first gift (a bday cupcake), but waking him up broke my heart a little. so i resumed the hourly gifts at 6am when it was really time to get up. hehe.

my birthday is never a big deal to me, but gail's? it's something i want to celebrate ng bonggang bongga, like thank you God and thank you Mommy Sha and thank you Daddy Vic for loving each other and bringing this wonderful boy into the world on April 19, 1987. like that.

blows my mind every time i step away and look at myself with him. i cannot, for the love of justin bieber, believe that i am married to this strong and wise man who is even more gwapo than justin bieber. so if you think you wont die of mush, go ahead and read below the things that i love about gail.

he's clean and organized: we have identical umbrellas bought on the same day, but mine looks a hundred years old and his looks and even smells new. how this happens i dont know. also, he always carries two fresh hankies with him every day.

he's for all things healthy: we turn into vegetarians every lunch and dinner. he's the only person who convinced me to eat veggies. we were friends then, and when i ate my first veggies because he told me to, i knew he was something else.

he's wise: every decision that he makes goes through an intricate process of praying, weighing pros and cons, consultations, research and more praying. as the man of the house he has the final say in everything, and i cant be more thankful for that. whew.

he's humble: he always says that he's not magaling, pero napopromote.

he's a great cook: im the sous chef at home. sous chef =  taga gayat at taga gisa.

he's my personal serenader: he replaces song lyrics with my name, i love you, mahal kita, and similar phrases. quite the charmer.

he grows every day: i see him get better because he studies well and he strives for excellence. i honor and admire him for his focus and i wish id be as industrious as he is. speaking of...

he's industrious: this guy is never lazy, and when i say never, i mean it. he says "nakakatamad" but he still works, still cleans up, still studies, still lists, still organizes, still takes photos, still reads, etc. i dont think he ever sat on our sofa for more than 30 minutes, except for when he's having his quiet time.

*if you got to this point, bless your heart, maybe you're cheesy like me*

he has style: every morning, i have a screening. i change my top/bottom/shoes/bag based on his "recommendation." also, he can pull off an all white ensemble, something i havent done ever except on my wedding day.

he loves Jesus: his relationship with Jesus is priority. when i see him with his bible, i see a dome-shaped shield which i cannot enter lest i get struck by lightning. hehe. i see intensity when he spends time with God, and at the same time it gives me peace and joy, that no matter what, he'll be fine because he has Jesus.

it is the birthday of the man i love the most, so this blog entry is about him and his awesomeness. im overwhelmed with things to say about gail, but you get the point. i love him and this is his birthday gift for this hour. ;)

*if you're still here reading, congratulations for living through mush*

currently reading

i USED TO BE a reader, but now i use all the excuses to tell people that IM A reader without enough time. ill update you (and myself) of every book that i read, just to see how long it will take me to finish a book.

so right now, im reading two books: the prince of mist and the art of racing in the rain.

i got to read the prince of mist at powerbooks shang while i was waiting for gail. i almost finished it, and i admit it was the first time i wished gail would take more time at work (mga 20 minutes lang naman). haha. im sorry. it was really good. ill go back to powerbooks and continue my journey with the prince of mist, as soon as possible. see? there's no concrete plan of action, no schedule. just an "as soon as possible" blah. the operative phrase "used to be" is proven and manifested right here.

anyway, the plot is interesting, and would make you turn page after page after page. im not much of a book reviewer so i wont dwell on how i find the book. ill just tell you that young adult (except vampire stuff) is my genre, i love zafon and zusak, and the other z authors who make awezome novelz. so if you like some mystery with life and love braided into it, the prince of mist is a good pick.

the second book, the art of racing in the rain, is an ebook i bought online. im past half of it, it's a very good read - highly emotional and will hurt your soft heart. it's like watching a telenovela, only you inject your own colors. it's written simply, but the feelings and thoughts and symbolisms are beautifully complicated. it's the type of novel that you can use for a literature class.

when i will finish these two books, and when i will pick a new one, are questions ill answer "as soon as possible".

ps: i got this from saab magalona's blog:

"the prince of mist in your pants"; "the art of racing in the rain in your pants"

a lesson in waiting

waiting had me married to the best guy 'in the whole wide universe and beyond'
it brought me to the best job for me at the moment
made me appreciate the first day of my period in a whole new way *whew*
always brings me closer to God.

however, it has always been a challenge. it's not easy to stay still when it's not your turn yet and some bully is making your patience-practice harder. but i try to sit and wait and just spend time with God, the one who holds every single thing that i am waiting for. and as i do that, i appreciate the beauty of what is happening right now. i get to see that we're good here, but God is taking us someplace best and super and awesomesauce.

i came across this poem from thammie sy's blog, and it ministered to me in such a strong way that it made me cry. (although crying is my reaction to most anything) im a fan of spoken poems, and this one below goes to the number 2 spot, next to juddha paulo's bigkas pilipinas piece.

puppy

it's supposed to be why not wednesday today, but i have to suspend it to let everybody know that i am looking for a new puppy to give my grandparents the joy that budoy gave them. :)

budoy is one of the two dogs that my lolo and lola has. they love him like a baby, so when he got run over by a car/jeep/trike (i still dont know) last night, it hurt them, especially my lolo. if you're a guest in our wedding, if you met my lolo, you know that he's a cheery person. but not last night. he cried.

and none of the family can take that. this weekend gail and i will come home to laguna, and ill make sure that ill make lolo and lola smile. if only i can get a puppy that fast. please say a quick prayer for my grandparents' comfort, and yes, it is a big deal to me. i realize that there should not be any day for them to be sad, especially since they have a large family who loves them dearly. what is one apo to text them i love you every day, right? there's 14 of us, enough for a round every two weeks. hehe. this weekend should be a blast for them. :) we love you lolo and lola!