Two Flat Tires

in less than three days, bj and i will be flying to manila for a vacation. we planned the trip a long time ago and we have a lot of things in mind that we want to do, eat, and achieve.

given that, we have been trying to save up by avoiding too much expenses for the past weeks. yes, it's an ordeal especially for me, being impulsive in opening my wallet for emergency movie dates, buffets, and pizza.

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i was on my way to pick up bj from the office yesterday afternoon. the plan was to drop off my dirty clothes at the laundry shop, then head to the office. i showered, dressed up (our vice president was here last night), packed the smelly clothes and went off.

i only realized, after probably a hundred steps from home, that i haven’t brushed my teeth. but i was too lazy to go back. i had a toothbrush and a toothpaste in my bag anyway.

just as i have dropped the clothes off, i got a text message from bj saying that she’s in ayala. realizing that i will be unable to go to the office to brush my teeth, i passed by a store to get some mints.

i tried to pick the seemingly cheapest among the bunch without even checking the actual prices. it’s candy, so how expensive can it be? i went on queue at the cashier.

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the line was long. i waited for a good amount of time. when it was my turn, the lady ran the mints through the scanner “89 pesos, sir”. split second debate:

it is expensive. we have an upcoming trip. the price can buy me a good dinner!

i did not just wait in line to back out. a lot of people are looking. what, can’t i shell out 89 bucks?

pride got the most of me.

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i hailed a jeep bound for ayala to meet bj there. the moment i got comfy in my seat, i popped one of the mints in my mouth.

mmmm…. so cool in the mouth… so refreshing… beats actual brushing!

is it really that good or am i trying to justify my 89 bucks?

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when I got to ayala, i realized that my hair was not fixed yet, so i went to the comfort room. after setting my soft spikes, i washed my hands at the sink. cool running water.

i could have brushed my teeth there.

i hope you like the new layout. finally, i am blogging again.

motorola t2288

i like gadgets. if my memory serves me right, so far i had 54 phones, 3 ipods, 2 digital cameras, and a laptop. while some of them (including that motorola which is no longer functioning) are still with me, most of them may be found either in second hand stalls or recycle bins.

back then, i just had to feel a different keypad every other payday otherwise i get restless. have chills, and i rock back and forth at a corner in a fetal position. the root was probably a mixed breed of a stereotypical-guy-crazy-over-gadgets, immaturity, and loneliness.

nowadays, i'm using a low end phone that calls and texts. no x-megapixel camera, music player, or colored teeth. i have a camera and an ipod if they are needed. i'm kinda contented. there's a lot of things that i would rather buy these days than a new gadget.

but there is still that invisible force that pulls me towards them gadget stores even if i'm not buying anything. i even told bj once, in my defense, "women window shop for clothes, so let me be..." or something like that.

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being human brings about that invisible force that makes us want some things so badly. and sometimes, this wanting brings about urges that we should not be nurturing.

at the cebu party last saturday, i found a phone sitting at the top of the toilet cover. it was an expensive phone with the latest features.

my initial reaction was to return it, and i did. my conscience just can't take it. the owner got his phone back, and i'm happy.

i personally know how it feels to lose something you spent and worked for. i lost a phone, a camera and a chunk of my 13th month pay last christmas.

but being human, there was that "what if?".

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i was at bj's place the next day to cook for her family. i was unable to buy basil so we headed to the nearest store.

on the way home, she lost her phone.

bj had the phone for three years at least, and they have been through a lot. it's all-original, with a cracked glass in front, and a rusty keypad. that was no insult. i was just stressing that the phone really was "old reliable".

i sent a text message pleading to return the sim card at least so she can retain her contacts. i called it many times. until it got turned off. i would assume it's already in a glass cabinet in colon waiting for a new owner.

it pissed me off that i had the heart to return someone's lost phone and we did not chance upon another good soul when bj lost her phone. but she made me swallow one of my own medicines, "sabi mo nga, di bale nang malamangan, 'wag lang makalamang."

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so now she is window-shopping for a new phone. and seeing the displays, brochures, and 12-month-zero-percent offers, i have a feeling that a 55th is about to come for me.

uncaptured night shots
the whisper of the breeze
as the wheel turns
the world stops
half my body sits
but my entire soul rests
on the journey going home
my life is right beside me
protected by my arms
i will never let go

my 4PM alarm just went off. i should have already taken a shower, dressed up, and going on my way to the office by now to pick bj up. then we have dinner and/or dessert. then i take her home. then i go to my 11PM shift.

but no. i'm currently in a place that i used to call "home". yet, i feel like i'm miles away from home. already depressed by the current events i'm facing right now, i still have to deal with the cherry on top which is missing her badly. longing for that hug that seems to say, "please stay with me" and "there is nothing to worry about". maybe it would have been easier to deal with everything if i can hold her clammy hands.

month-saries - i used to think they were overrated. i probably hated the idea before because of the bitter, play-safe, single-for-the-nth-year me during those times. but there i was the other day, making special arrangements at a fancy restaurant, handing a boquet of roses to the food attendant, and giving instructions on when to serve the food and when to give the flowers to her.

i waited for more than two hours for her to arrive but i was not dissapointed about it. that day was a happy day. it can not be ruined even if the food attendant dropped two glasses of frozen iced tea in front of us, or if the cab driver and the flower arranger was taking advantage of the occasion and charging double for their services. they may not really know about it, but the blooming smiles on our faces are enough to show that we were celebrating something special that day.

now i think i know why people in relationships tend to celebrate these so-called "month-saries". people indeed do crazy things when they are in love. and the list does not just end with celebrating "month-saries".

some people would call in sick for work just to spend a day or two with you; would not eat skip some meals just to save up for your big date for the coming weekend; would love your quirky parents, siblings, relatives and children; ultimately, they would also love you even if the you had your own idiosyncrasies; and some people would leave their comfort zone and change their way of living just so their way of living would include you, because you are now the comfort zone.

i guess "month-saries" are just one of these crazy gestures. maybe they are held because people would like to celebrate each moment that they have with the one they love. heck, if "day-saries" are feasible, some people might even consider it.

the dinner was fairly good, yet the boquet of flowers was just the typical kind. the view of the cebu skyline from tops was exceptional, but getting around was a challenge because of the lowballing cab drivers. but it did not matter if majority of the date was just so-and-so. just the same, it would not have made a difference even if we traded the fantastic dinner with street food.

bottomline is, the date itself could have gotten better or worse but it was not a big deal. it was not the dinner, the view, nor the flowers that counted. it was the person i was spending all that time with. i would not have it any other way.

happy first!