I feel like a crappy mess. If I had to break it down, I'd say that I am suffering from 2 parts of feeling sick (a stuffy nose and itchy throat sucks) and 2 parts of feeling fat. No, wait... 8 parts of feeling fat. I act like this is all new to me, but it's a song and dance that I am all too familiar with: I get down with the post-Thanksgiving weight-loss plan, only to let that go to shit when I fly back East for Christmas. But it's not like you can help it. When you go home to a Filipino Christmas, you best realize that there is a food involved... and TONS of it. You've got eats during Noche Buena, and while that usually consists of arroz caldo and a list of sweets and desserts, you tend to indulge in obscene amounts of these things.
The food-fest continues on to Christmas breakfast, Christmas lunch, and then the Good-God-Almighty Christmas dinner. This year our dinner was made up of both traditional Pilipino and American-based dishes. To name a few...
TUESDAY: I woke-up to find my nephew asleep in the family room. Dad was quietly watching TV beside him, in case he happened to wake-up or start crying. I, on the other hand, bundled up and hopped into the car and drove into the city. Despite the freezing temps, the skies were clear, and the sun was shining. As I drove into the city, all the sights and sounds started to familiarize themselves with me once more. The monuments looked as grandiose as ever, the tourists were out despite the temps, and the beat of the city was steady and up-beat.
I drove up 17th Street, and passed thru the National Mall. Then I got on Connecticut, before taking a turn or two and finding myself along M Street. I led myself into Georgetown, and I was overcome with the sense that I was really "home." Winter in Georgetown is, to me, quite special. The sidewalks are crowded, restaurants are bustling, and the shops all call out to shoppers with an array of "sale" signs in different colors, shapes and sizes.
I crossed the Potomac via Key Bridge, and entered Arlington. I ended up at Shirlington to 1) grab a cup of Caribou Coffee (one of my "homecoming" rituals), and to 2) pick-up another bottle of wine (or two) at Harris Teeter. Then I headed back home to take care of my nephew, who is super adorable.
Later that night, I drove to Centerville to meet up with a gang of friends for a pre-Holiday get together. It was great to see the familiar faces, and to exchange stories and updates. After dinner, I headed back home with a pit-stop at The Cantina, where I helped myself to a couple of drinks. I went to bed a drunk man that night.
WEDNESDAY: Christmas Eve, for me, was spent with the kids. Joie dropped off Lexi and Noah at the house, and around 11AM, the parental units dipped out to hang with my aunt and uncle who were in town for the next few days only. I spent the next 9 hours being "Super Uncle." I had to learn how to handle the crying 5-month old AND tend to the needs of my four-year old niece as well. The first couple hours were quite nerve-wrecking. But once I got the hang of it, I was balancing life like a pro. I had Noah in one arm, while I chopped, prepped, and cooked a curried chicken rice salad, AND prepared little meals for my niece throughout the day. I juggled bottles, formula, food, diapers, tears, wailing, and "Ninong, can you play with me?" all throughout the day. By the time Mark and Joie came home, I was done. And though I needed a nap, the adrenaline I found just being around my neice and nephew was so great...
As a fam, we wrapped presents, and helped prepare food for Noche Buena (arroz caldo, fried Cornish hens, and other stuff). Lexi fell asleep soon after, but Noah stayed up for the count, and was all smiles when we greeted each other "Merry Christmas!"
THURSDAY: I got up and drove into Old Town to attend the 10AM Mass at St. Mary's. Mom/Dad served/attended Mass the night before, but I didn’t go with them since I was still babysitting the kids. Mark and Joie had a later start, so I went ahead of them.
I sat behind the most annoying couple with children ever; the guy was a total tool. I love kids, but it’s rare that I see parents playing with kids and encouraging them to act a fool AT CHURCH. Super distracto!
After Mass, I drove through Old Town to take in the sights once more. And I noticed a man coming out of the Starbucks at the end of King Street, so I bee-lined for the next available street meter. I ran inside, ordered a latte, and picked-up a couple of last-minute gifts. You gotta love Starbucks stores that are open on Christmas Day...!
I went back home to take part in more prep for Christmas dinner. Friends and fam trickled in and out through the night, and there was a lot of catching up, story-telling, and fun times to be shared.
FRIDAY: I had a late start to my day after being up late to clean up after the guests had gone. Mom passed out early, and Dad followed her a little later. My brother actually went into work early Friday morning, and Joie was prepping little Noah for his afternoon doctor appointment. I, on the other hand, was getting ready to drop my parents off at the National Theater in the city to watch West Side Story.
After dropping them off, I went to Pentagon City to meet up with an old elementary school friend. We had lost touch after graduating high school, but we ended up finding each other on Facebook (go figure). So we met up and hung out while my parentals were enjoying the show. We caught each other up on the latest and greatest, and then we reminisced about the good ol’ days.
When the show was over, I hurried back to scoop up Mom/Dad, and then we headed home. Mark and fam came back later that night, and then we hooked up with some friends and went to the Shadow Room just outside Foggy Bottom on K Street. Some other folks we know were planning on showing up there, so we gave the place a try. Some of the gang had trouble with getting in, but me and the siblings got in right away. When we all eventually got inside, we found Gina at the bar, and the night took it’s course. Sho’ nuff… We were plastered, and good times were had by all. Despite the wanna-be pretentious-ness of The Shadow Room (goodness, what a joke), we had a great time. And it was an added bonus to see some familiar faces (Rach, Ramir, Cookie, Edsel, Karen, etc.). Gina-G got sick, so we had to take her car and get out of the city. We ended up meeting the Enrico brothers at IHOP in Potomac Yard, where we – later on – ran into a bunch of other familiar faces (Gemini, Lauren, Joyce, John, Brandon, etc.). SMALL WORLD it is… that Metro DC area, I tell you. A fight broke out at the table next to us – where a random group of people were seated (some South Asian, a black girl, a few white girls, and some other Asians --- VERY random, but multi-cultural at best…ahaha!). Black girl and one of the Indian guys got in a fight. Coffee was thrown, as were other liquids, then they were asked to leave. GHETTO.
We finally got back to Ft. Washington, scooped up our car at Siena’s, and drove Gina back to her house… helped her to her door (poor thing fell out her car), and made sure she was inside. When we got home we found the kids asleep in the family room with their grandparents; of course, Nunu was placed in-between grandma and grandpa; little spoiled one. AHAHAHA.
SATURDAY: Got up late again, and Mark and fam got ready to attend the Villanueva family get-together. I, on the other hand, left for Waldorf in the afternoon to meet Juvale and Nikki at Starbucks. Mom and Dad got ready for a party of their own, too.
I met Jev and Nix in Waldorf, and I got to meet little Nadeya. She is such a cutie! It was so good to catch up with Nix and Jev, and so we hung out for about an hour just quickly catching up.
When that was over, I headed back home and started to pack. Mark and fam came back, and we eventually went to the pho place up the street for a quick bite. We saw Gina there, and later on Laya came through to join her.
After dinner, we went back to Mom’s/Dad’s and Mark and Joie started to pack away their things into their car. I started laundry, and started to pack my bag. I said my good-byes to my siblings and nephew and niece, and they were headed back to Lorton. I finished up packing, and got ready for bed.
SUNDAY: Mom/Dad and I got up early enough, and we headed to St. Columba for the 10:00AM Mass. After Mass, we scooped up my luggage, and then went to grab a bite in Alexandria. Uh, the parentals love Chinese buffets, so that’s what we did. Ugh. Then they dropped me off at Reagan, and the long journey back to L.A. began.
The journey itself was un-eventful. I did grab a bite at Bonfire by Todd English while waiting for my connecting flight at JFK – a great way to end my trip. I kicked off my personal holiday week with a dinner at TE’s Olives in DC, then wrapped-up at TE’s Bonfire in NY. Then it was back to L.A. for me.
It was a perfect Christmas… and I have memories to last me a lifetime. Thank you, family and friends, for helping me to find the holiday spirit that I couldn’t seem to find before.
It's been quite a "vacation" for me so far. I got to LAX super early last Wednesday night, which was a good thing since the lines were insane. I think it took me a good hour and a half to wait in line to 1) check-in my bag, and 2) wait to go through security. My flight wasn't until 12:35AM, but I got to the airport a little after 9:00PM since my roommate had an earlier flight to catch.
After all was said and done (with regard to security and check-in), I got to a bar at 10:30PM... and luckily made it in for "last call." Ummm, it's LAX for crying out loud! THEY CLOSE THE LAST BAR AT 10:30PM?! WHO? WHAT? WHY? I had to make the most of it, so I ordered a double Makers and diet (Coke). Instant buzz. In my buzzed state, I ended up grabbing a hamburger and small fries at McDonald's before going to the gate. We ended up not leaving LAX until an hour past our scheduled departure time, so I naturally missed my 8:30AM connecting flight in Atlanta. And I hate Atlanta airport because the terminals are super huge, and the hallways are L-O-N-G. As usual, I got stuck with the gate at the end of the hallway. There was no way I would've made that flight even if I could fly. Luckily, they had me on the next flight out (which was scheduled to leave at 9:30AM). I finally got to Reagan National just a little past 11:20AM.
Damn Delta.
I spent the first day home fighting jet-lag. Mom had ordered Chinese and chicken wings with mambo sauce (oh yesssss!), and that pretty much sealed my fate for the next 10 days. I'm barely half-way through "vacay," and I've managed to eat everything in sight.
THURSDAY: After chillin' for most of the day/afternoon, I finally got off my ass and jumped into my dad's car and headed across the state line into Northern VA. I met my fam friend, Marz, at Target in Springfield (worst mall ever), and picked-up a couple of things for my niece/nephew. Then I went to my brother's house not too far away, and had dinner with them. It was great seeing them! It was especially great to hang out with my niece and nephew... who are both adorable. On the way home, I stopped by "The Cantina" --my friends' (Siena and Aydee) house (5 mins away from my parents') and hung out there for a bit. Drank.
FRIDAY: I woke up and saw that Rachel Ray had some repeat show with the New Kids on it, so I watched it. HA. There are some seriously psycho, hard-core fans out there. All I have to say about them is "WOW." The guys were a trip, though. I love how candid they are.
I got myself out of the house, and went to Potomac Yard... hit up Target and Shoppers to pick-up some groceries. (I got salad stuff as if I'm really NOT gonna eat mom's cooking; no matter how "fattening" it can be.) And later that night, I went back into Arlington to scoop up my friend, Leah, and we drove into the city to meet Carrie for dinner. We went to Todd English's Olives off K Street. At first glance, it was OK. My friend went to the bathroom, and was grossed out. In general, the dining area was a little drab, and maybe just "old," but the food made up for that. We started out with an amazing pork loin (basically liempo for you Filipinos). I would never eat that fatty mess, but for some reason it tasted SO good that night. Carrie ended up with the Maryland rockfish, Leah had the steak and frites, and I had the scallops -- everything was GREAT. We even stuck around for dessert: a chocolate molten-ish cake. Uh, yum.
When dinner was done, we ended up dropping by Carrie's office, and got the grand tour. She even took us to the roof, were we had a nice view of DC's financial district. After that, we headed to the U Street corridor to go to Red Lounge. It was highly recommended, so we went to check it out. Gina and Siena, two of our friends, were already there. It was sort of whack. The crowd was NOT what I expected for U Street... and the music was kind of lame. They played some old songs which were a throw-back to the late 80s/early 90s, and that was nice. But other than that, the DJ would play some whack shit... We spent more time going outside to grab a smoke than actually hanging out inside. At one point, they wouldn't even let us go upstairs (too crowded) so we kept "the party" downstairs. We made the best of it. Two things, though, that made it quite "memorable..." #1) someone was walking in the lounge dressed in a PIG outfit; straight-up out of Disney World or something... and #2) Carrie was being picked up by Jimminy Cricket (or someone that reminded us of him). WHACK. After that madness, we tried to go to Ben's Chili Bowl, but it was crowded. (Was I really on U Street?!) So we hopped in our cars and went to DC Cafe instead. We called it a night after that.
SATURDAY: I slept in, and pretty much did nothing all day. I wrapped some gifts. Then I went to Mass with mom and dad... and after that, we stopped by the new pho place in Ft. Washington (a minute from my parents' house). YUM. Who knew there was pho in Ft. Wash?! We were the only ones in the restaurant for a while, but then people started to filter in, even my friend, Leah, and her cousins. Later that night, I went back to The Cantina, and then Primo took Gina, Siena and I to Krispy Kreme in Alexandria for donuts and hot chocolate. On the way home, we did a drive by through National Harbor. So many pretty lights! HAHA!
SUNDAY: Sunday was my nephew's Christening in NoVA. So the parentals and I drove to the church sometime after noon. The ceremony was quick, and Noah didn't cry. Thank goodness! He was adorable in his all-white outfit, complete with white baby Chucks! (Pix to follow...) We spent most of the day at Noah's God-parents' (Abby and Alex) house for the reception, so there were lots of laughs and catching up... and lots of food. When we finally got home I was tired (and tanked; love homes with fully-stacked bars...), so I chilled the rest of the evening.
MONDAY: I got up this AM, and headed back into NoVA to do some shopping at Tysons. It was, and still is, FREEZING! Although there were tons of sales, I was just not feeling the crowds. I walked the whole mall once and it tired me out. Thankfully I scored jack-pot at Benetton (60%-off the whole store!!!), and picked up a few gifts. I headed back to Springfield to return something at Target, and I ended up picking up a few toys for some of the kids. I made a quick stop at Safeway and World Market in Kingstowne to buy the stuff I need to make my curried chicken and rice salad for Christmas dinner (my contribution this year). I made it home before dark...
I am freezing right now, and I'm debating whether or not to make it back to "The Cantina" to chill... I feel like the weather is definitely not working for me. The cold is unbearable, and I'm trying to enjoy my time here. I just hope the cold lets up a little. The niece and nephew are supposed to come over tomorrow, so hopefully I get to babysit. But other than that, I will have to make it through without turning into a freakin' block of ice.
The fro-yo wave hasn't reached a lull just yet. I was driving along Western the other night, and drove past an IceBerry. Nope, not a Pinkberry, or a "whatever-else-berry"-named fro-yo establishment is out there. This one was definitely called "IceBerry."
As usual, I did my research. Come to find out this one's based out of Reston, VA. Shocker, huh? Who knew that NoVA would be the home to a Pinkberry-esque enterprise? It works, I guess. Fairfax County (VA) is, in some ways, an East Coast equivalent to Orange County (CA), though absolutely not completely. So why not? With three locations in NoVA, they've branched out to West Palm Beach, FL, and - as I've mentioned - Los Angeles. And they've got one in the works for DC.
I have yet to visit an IceBerry, but I can surely give them an "A" for effort. Jumping on the fro-yo bandwagon is not easy, especially with all the Pinkberrys and Red Mangos popping up everywhere. And the fact that Starbucks bought out PB can only mean a sudden surge in growth. Let's just hope that PB doesn't crop up everywhere all of a sudden like cockroaches.
As I've stated in an earlier post, I am caught in the middle of a winter slump. I have no holiday cheer running through my blood. I scoff at the sound of Christmas carols (ok, I'll sing along for a chorus or two, then I'm over it). I haven't even given Christmas cards a second look at the store. I will not be putting up any decorations. And I've been showering myself with "Merry-Christmas-to-me" presents rather than putting others first.
But it's not like I'm being all Jack Frost about it, but I'm not being psycho Scrooge either. I'd call myself "Scroogey" or "Scrooge-ish" more than anything. I mean "yay" for Christmas trees and ice skating in Santa Monica even when it's like 70-degrees outside. Whoopee. Even the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon didn't reel me in this evening. Last year I almost killed myself for missing it on TV.
I don't know what I have to do to find the spirit within. I'm just spirit-less.
Maybe it's the whole "delayed weather" thing that's going on here. Right now it feels like I'm going through a surge of East coast fall weather, but I know I should be freezing my ass off. I think I am mentally trying to grapple with what I should be feeling weatherwise, and this year it's taking me a lot longer to process everything. Poor excuse, I know. But whatever.
I am flying back East next week to spend about 10 days with the fam-bam for the holidays. I'm hoping that being in "real" cold, and being around extra-familiar faces, will conjure up some kind of awakening. I'm especially excited to see the kids. I can't wait to hang out with Lexi, and carry the little fat-ball that is Noah. In the meantime, I think I'm in need of making seasonal changes in my drink choices. Even though I love vodka and most clear libations, I think I need to switch to something more "winter." Does this mean I'm searching for a return to whiskey? I did love Makers Mark for a while. I may have to pass on the vodka sodas, and go for the Manhattans.
MANHATTAN (on the rocks) 3 oz Rye or Bourbon 3/4 oz Vermouth dash of bitters maraschino cherry for garnish
Not to drag on with my current NKOTB "throw-back" mania, but I just have to share this video. This is my song. (OK, I don't know about the sob-fest by some of the chicks in the audience... but it's still my song. Thanks.)
As the holiday weekend continued, so did our sleep. At least that's how it happened for my sister, my friend, Les, and myself. While people lined-up outside storefronts, we each stayed in bed, and loved every minute of it. I did manage to escape to Target for a quick second, but that was only so that I could buy something that I needed rather than picking up any more Christmas presents. I'm so un-spirited this season it's sad.
That being said, the rest of the weekend went off in a great way in terms of food, friends, and fun. Friday night, we headed into the city (San Fran) and went to The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero. I had been trying to visit this place for a while now, but each and every time we'd tried in the past we just didn't get to swing through. Not to mention that it's still sort of hard to get a table there on a given weekend. But Allan was able to pull a few strings, and we were in for a late dinner.
When we got to the restaurant, it was still abuzz with the chatter of patrons combined with the clinking of knives, forks and glasses. The main dining room was packed, as were the bar and lounge area. It made for a somewhat tight seating experience, but that was easily overlooked by the room's ambiance. Large glass walls surrounded the place giving guests an excellent view of the Bay Bridge lit up at night. The decor was minimalist, but bearing much Vietnamese influence. The night started out with a round of vodkas (on the rocks; dirty on the side), and we shared an order of The Slanted Door Spring Rolls (with shrimp, pork, mint and peanut sauce) and Wood Oven-Roasted Manila Clams. This was soon followed by our "family style" array of fine dishes: Niman Ranch Shaking Beef, Chicken Claypot, Roasted Alaskan Black Cod, Spicy Monterey Squid, and Star Route Farm Baby Spinach. Many of these dishes are typically found in both traditional and modern Vietnamese restaurants, and The Slanted Door surely did not disappoint with their renditions.
My personal favorite: the Niman Ranch Shaking Beef, which is made with cubed filet mignon, watercress, red onions and lime dipping sauce. The beef was tender enough to melt in your mouth, and the spices were well complimented with the lime dipping sauce. This is definitely one of their gems.
We skipped dessert at TSD, and instead headed into the outer end of the Castro to a spot called Lime. There we had more drinks and a few mini-desserts to help quell our need for something sweet. Lime is a great place for inexpensive eats, and decently-priced drinks. The music (a mixture of pop, hip-hop, and R&B), not to mention, was also a bonus.
The next day (Saturday) was not without its food adventures as well. We headed into San Bruno for a late lunch at Patio Filipino, which - obviously - serves up a great traditional Filipino dinner. We ordered Lumpianitas (lumpia Shanghai), Beef Bulalo (beef shank and bone marrow soup w/vegetables), Pancit Canton (noodles with veggies, chicken and shrimp), Sizzling Chorizo Sisig (finely chopped chorizo and longanisa fried with an egg on top), Cripsy Fried Chicken, Carne Ala Cubana (ground pork cooked with raisins, garbanzos, and peas served with fried plaintains) and Kare-Kare (beef oxtail and vegetables simmered in peanut sauce). Sounds disgustingly much for a party of five, but in grand Pilipino style, we threw down... and felt sick afterwards. But the food was excellent; almost as good as mom's. The only miss would be the Pancit Canton, which I felt was way too oily for its own good.
We spent a couple of hours at a shopping center in Emeryville before meeting up with friends in Berkeley for a final dinner at Corso. Our friend from home, Franc, works as a bar-tender there so he invited us to give the place a try. It turned out to be a great experience. Berkeley, itself, is a quaint area. The main drag is, like many other cities across the country, dotted with cafes, restaurants and bars - yet without any hint of "big city" traffic. Definitely a nice area for a cool, quiet evening.
We started off with drinks, as usual, and then the food fest came in droves: Gnocchi con Funghi and Tagliatelle al Sugo (with beef and pork), followed by two pizzas (Funghi and Salsiccia), Bisteca alla Fiorentina (T-Bone), Braciola di Maiale (pork loin), and Pollo al Burro alla Sostanza (chicken breast cooked in Plugra butter).
Me personal picks: the Funghi pizza, which was prepared with truffle oil, and the Braciola -- tender grilled-pork with sweet and sour onions.
Conversation seemed to abound, especially among those of us who hadn't seen each other since our high school days. The drinks steadily flowed, and the company was top notch. We even met some of our friend's optometry school classmates, and a couple of the restaurant's regulars. We also paid the chef our compliments for a delicate, yet precisely prepared, meal.
After saying our farewells to our friends, we headed back to Fremont. The next morning was spent preparing for the long drive back to Los Angeles.
Ultimately, the Thanksgiving weekend was well-spent. Great company, amazing food, a nice flow of libations, and a lot of catching up. There were lots of laughs, stories exchanged, and yes - even Les and I were "roasted" for our recent stint as NKOTB concert goers. The experience was truly the epitome of a family affair, and a distinct reminder that despite the petty drama that we experience daily there is so much for us to be thankful for. ---
The Slanted Door, 1 Ferry Building #3, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-861-8032
Lime, 2247 Market Street, San Francsico, CA, 94114, 415-621-5256
Patio Filipino, 1770 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066, 650-872-9888
Trattoria Corso, 1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510-704-8003
I am sure that it's one thing to be a parent, but it's an equally daunting task to being an uncle. Well, it is - at least - for me. I still remember the day I became an official, full-fledged uncle back in 2004. That June, my niece was born to my youngest brother and my then-eventual sister-in-law. That day easily ranks as one of the happiest days of my life. With my friends and other family members around, however, I knew that being an "uncle" wasn't going to be left to only being a mere presence in the life of my niece. I realized soon that there would be more to the equation than just buying her cute things, or planning to take her places when she got older, or even hanging out with her and being the "cool" uncle that every child seems to have in their life.
Even more so important than showering my niece with Prada and Sprinkles cupcakes (ok, I honestly have yet to buy her something from Prada, and I never bring Sprinkles cupcakes with me when I travel back East - ahaha... totally just an "expression" for those who get it) is the fact that I must care for her, be an example for her (although many question my aptitude for that; just because I'm the "fun" one - sheesh!), and - above all - love her as if she were my own daughter. It's quite intimidating, yet an honor all the same. I'm sure those of you who are uncles and/or aunts know exactly where I'm coming from.
I happened to check my cell phone not too long ago, and noticed that I had a missed call. There was no name attached, but it had a "202" exchange. I called it back to see who it was. My call was answered by some automated system at Washington Childrens' Hospital Center, or something like that, and it went to some generic voicemail box. Granted, on any other given day, I would've brushed the call aside. But when I heard "Washington Childrens' Hospital Center," my body went into some kind of temporary shock. Seconds later, I was fumbling on my new phone (which I have yet to truly master) to call my brother's cell. When I got his voicemail I started to panic ever-so-slightly, but I gathered myself together and left him a message: "Hey, did you or Joie happen to call me from Washington Childrens' Hospital or whatever it's called? I got a missed call, and now I'm worried. Call me. Please."
Visions of my niece, as well as of my 4-month old nephew, began to flash before my eyes. I could feel the tension building up in my head.
Thankfully, my brother knows when to NOT ignore my calls (he only ignores other calls - haha). I heard the Demi Lovato ringtone play from my phone: "This is real, this is me..." (Oh yes, I went there.) I snatched up my phone, and was like, "DID YOU GET MY MESSAGE?!"
"Uh, yeah? Everything's fine, Kuya. That wasn't me or Joie."
PRAISE THE LAWD! I could sense my brother's worry suddenly turn into a sigh of "goodness-gracious, Kuya Wendel." Hey, I'll take that any day.
"OK. Cool. As long as you guys are fine, then it's all good. Sorry, I just got worried," I said. "Everything is good?"
"Yeah, we are all fine!" My brother reassured me.
"Alright! See you in about two weeks then! Bye!"
My neurotic tendencies amaze me sometimes.
But hey... it's all part of the joy of being "Uncle Wen."
Right now, the holiday cheer is supposedly ringing in everywhere. Deck the halls, silent night, and all that other mumbo-jumbo surrounds me every day. But yet, I am spirit-less this season. I'm not even ready for the flight home to the DC area for the holidays. I feel like things have been happening so fast in my life that I somehow can't find that moment where I could just scream. I don't even think I'll be sending out one Christmas card. Oh well. I'm hoping that seeing my niece and nephew will change all that. I know that part of my reason for living is for them, and I realize each and every day that being on the other side of the country doesn't make it easy for me to NOT miss them.
Being an uncle is hard work. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.
In fine Thanksgiving holiday tradition, this year was long-awaited. There definitely was much to look forward to, especially in the weeks leading up to it. As usual, the days prior to Thanksgiving drudged along ever-so-slowly. Long days at work, compounded with tons of errands to be done on the weekends, seemed to make the holiday seem so far from reach. But in the blink of an eye, it passed just as quickly as it came. My holiday started last Wednesday when our offices closed at noon. Not that I could relish in the time off since I had a laundry list of things to do. My to-do list had included a number of things including packing for road the trip to The Bay, picking up the rental car, and somehow slipping-in a hair cut. Once that was done, I had to get ready for the concert.
Oops. Did I mention that I had tickets to see NKOTB at L.A. Live! (Nokia Theater) for last Wednesday? Yes, I know. I had already seen them once at Staples. But Lesley and I went to see the show one last time. They ended their U.S. tour in L.A. last Wednesday night before heading off to Mexico and Europe. For those who care, the show was a good time. We had orchestra seats, and had an awesome view. The theater was packed, and the crowd was mixed --more so I thought than it was at Staples just a month before. We laughed along with those who were screaming seriously, reminisced with the old songs, and grooved with the new ones. Jon (Knight) got a birthday serenade from the fellas and audience, and everyone got to "hang tough" during the encore. Fun times, most definitely. (But if you want to hear my deeper insights on the audience, then drop me a line. Hee.)
Here's a clip from my camera (the encore number, "Hangin' Tough"):
We got in after a late-night stop at Norm's on Pico, so the next morning we were off to a late start. I scooped-up Lesley around 10:30AM on Thanksgiving morning, and we headed off to The Bay. Traffic was practically non-existent, except for that strip along the Grapevine (which is so annoying). We made it to Fremont after about 5 hours.
When we got to the Bernales' condo, the majority of the guests were already there. Final touches were being placed on the food, and the table was being set. I swooped in to do my part and help where I could. The table was beautifully set, and the menu items were amazing. Among them: rigati (tossed with olive oil, parmesan, peas, and sun dried tomatoes), baked salmon, honey glazed ham, haricots verts w/garlic and onions, mashed potatoes, stuffing, tossed salad, and a nicely-prepared bird --which was tender and juicy. To add a little ethnic flair we had Philippine empanadas, puto, and a yummo "pandan"-flavored cake. To add to the dining experience was an array of appetizers (including sweet potato fries dipped in ranch dressing, fried mac 'n cheese balls dipped in marinara sauce, and cheese/chicken stuffed "purses"). A red velvet cake and pumpkin cheesecake topped everything off. Mind you, all of these things (save for the Filipino dishes) were made from scratch by our hosts, Lenore and Allan, and my sister, Tes. Their work was simply magical that night. We had great conversations, and there was a lot of catching up done among the majority of us who all grew up back in MD. Libations flowed (I actually drank for a good portion of the evening; I didn't eat until very late), songs were performed via Amelie's "Magic Mic," and we played "drunk" charades and poker (while I continued to perform songs throughout the rest of the night; don't ask).
After putting stuff away, and cleaning up, we vegged out before passing out. A much-needed end to a super long day. But what Thanksgiving doesn't end that way?
--- To come... Partie Deux -- lazy 'Black Friday,' The Slanted Door, Lime, Patio Filipino, and Corso.
This is my spot where I can randomly rant about anything from world-changing events to the dumb thing that happened to me on the way to... you get the picture. Come along as I dish about anything and everything from backyard BBQ recipes, to my latest experiences & random thoughts, to the fun and crazy times with family and friends. Float along...!
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