Archive for the year 2010
This is the Oldest that I’ve Ever Been
Posted on October 31, 2010 by Ching under Family, Life.
It’s been fun celebrating turning a year older. I really don’t mind being ancient. LOL. My actual birthday was yesterday, but we decided to have our party a week early because we figured no one would show up otherwise. There are way too many parties going on during Halloween weekend, and then several of our friends are spending this weekend in Las Vegas, and then the people with children will be busy with kid stuff. As soon as it was decided that we were having a party, I agreed to compromise and have it a week early.
We began by having a pre-party dinner party at our place last Friday. It was a “thank you” dinner to the Dills and the Phelpi. We’ve spent a lot of time with them this year and we really appreciate their companionship and camaraderie. You all already know what went down on Saturday… It was so great to see everyone, specially those we hadn’t seen in quite a while.
We had originally booked Virginia for a couple of hours. She wasn’t feeling well that night, though. She was a trooper and played for about an hour before we broke for cake. We chatted a bit during the break, which I really enjoyed because I find her so interesting.
VW: Is it okay if I only play a few more songs?
ME: You don’t have to play another set.
VW: I just want to give you your money’s worth.
ME: I think everyone’s pretty much left. Don’t worry about it.
She’s just had so much going on of late, besides being under the weather. I wasn’t about to force her to play another one hour set just to “get my money’s worth” when there was only a handful of us left. Plus, I’m sure she was relieved to finish early so that she didn’t have to miss her friend’s birthday that night.
After most of the guests took off, we decided to play Guitar Hero in the movie theater room. I’d never played Guitar Hero before. I’d only played Rock Band and I generally only play the drums. I suck at playing guitar almost as much as I suck at singing. I eventually got the hang of it after a few songs, though. I had so much fun playing that I’ve decided I want to buy a Wii and get Guitar Hero. Well, I want that dancing game too so I now have two very good reasons to want a Wii system. LOL.
We started with the Tom Petty song “American Girl” but, being a noob, I kept failing. After a couple of tries, we decided to tackle some easier songs first. After a while, I started to get better. I actually outscored Brian on the Kings of Leon song “Sex on Fire,” which I really like so I got into it pretty good. A dozen songs later, we decided to try “American Girl” again and were able to successfully complete it.
It was well after 2 AM when we decided to call it a night. I think I stayed up until 4 AM or so because it took me a while to wind down. Too much sugar, maybe? The frosting on the cake was way sweet. Cory actually beat me by staying up until 5 AM because he was sick as a dog. Anyway, we all ended up at their place on Sunday for football and leftovers. The weekend was pretty much one long day for me.
The festivities continued on Friday night. Mom and Dad B treated Brian and me to dinner at Red Lobster. Donna was not feeling well the weekend of the Ponderosa Party so they couldn’t make it. The dinner at Red Lobster the other night was pretty much our family celebration.
Our server and a couple of others came to our table and sang “Happy Birthday” to me. It was nothing like Virginia’s sexy rendition for sure, but I think the idea is pretty much the same — let’s embarrass the birthday celebrant. I naturally pulled out my camera and snapped a picture of the girls (because I like to document every moment of my life). The girl in the middle actually tried to hide. When they were done she said, “We’re supposed to embarrass you and not the other way around!” LOL. Nothing embarrasses me anymore. That’s what happens after you’ve lived a third of a century.
After dinner, we stopped by Jan’s place to drop off her work laptop and bring her some dinner. She’d been at home sick all week. We rested a while before heading back out to check out Chris’ exhibit at Go Away Garage. That’s one of his pieces on the left.
I love Final Fridays, but we always seem to have something going on and are unable to go. This time around we just came out to support Brian’s coworker/friend Chris. We didn’t really hit any other exhibits. Well, except for the tattoo art exhibit at Tangent Lab, which is next door to Suede. Friday night is our Salsa night and since we missed it the previous weekend because of the pre-party dinner party, we didn’t want to miss again. Tangent Lab is conveniently located next to Suede, though, so it worked out great.
I did snap a couple of pictures at Go Away Garage before we took off. This piece below is by Chris’ friend Mark Walker.
Brian and I loved the phone booth exhibit and couldn’t pass up the photo op.
I wanted to put the phone next to my ear, but Brian wouldn’t let me. He was paranoid that it was exceedingly “germy” from all of the people who had played with it already.
These are a couple of pictures of Brian at Tangent Lab.
You can see more pictures from Final Friday and the Indelible exhibit here.
Speaking of people we hadn’t seen in a long time, we ran into Dominic as we were leaving Tangent Lab.
Rene and George (Salsa night regulars) were already at Suede when we arrived. Rene is probably the most polite, respectful guy there. The first time that I danced with him was the night that we were there with Sergio, Vivian, Jeremiah, Casey and Sarah. He had asked both Vivian and I to dance that night. At the end of the evening, when we were leaving, Rene took the time to thank Brian for letting me dance with him. We’ve liked him ever since.
We met George earlier that same night at the Harry Reese Dance Studio. He was one of the people teaching us how to Salsa. It’s funny because he asked me to dance the Bachata with him a couple of weeks ago and he didn’t realize that I was just learning how to Bachata right then. I guess he thought I already knew how to do it. It’s pretty easy to pick up (us Filipinos can dance anything), but I don’t think I’ll ever learn how to dance it as well as Richard and Amy. LOL.
Brian had a glass of wine as usual… He usually just chills until a Merengue song comes on. He loves to Merengue (or “marchy marchy” as we call it) with me. He will Salsa with me a little bit, but he doesn’t enjoy it as much as the “marchy marchy” songs. I think Brian is glad that there are other guys there to dance with me because he’ll usually get tired after a couple of songs and I’ll still want to keep going.
It’s nice when Rene and George are there because they’ll usually Salsa and Bachata with me. Rene really, really likes to Salsa. He totally gets into it. Chacha is my favorite, but Brian doesn’t like it. It was nice when George asked me to Chacha with him a couple of weeks ago because I rarely ever get to Chacha with anyone. We didn’t get to Chacha the other night, though.
He did ask me to Bachata with him the other night. It’s funny because I get so used to dancing with Brian that I’m not a very good follower. At one point he set up to do a turn (his own). I wasn’t supposed to turn with him, but I did anyway. It was pretty funny and we laughed about it afterward.
I got a good workout from dancing pretty much nonstop that night (check out the sweaty photo of us, above right). Rene and George and Brian kept me busy. I think that was the most I’d ever danced in a long, long time. Perhaps I was making the most of my last night as a 32 year old. LOL. I will never be 32 again.
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Happy Halloween!
Posted on October 31, 2010 by Ching under Videos.
I had to post this video because I love, love, love The Office. Isaac got me hooked on it and life hasn’t been the same since. I hope everyone is having a great Halloween weeeeeekend!
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I’d Like to Stay 33 Forever
Posted on October 30, 2010 by Ching under Life.
Brian and I had joked about throwing me a surprise birthday party this year. However, I’m a control freak so it ended up not being a surprise party. I wanted to pick the entertainment and help with the planning and everything. So we just had a regular party instead. It was a great excuse to get everyone together.
I got this idea from a friend to have Virginia Williams perform. She is simply amazing, and I can listen to her for hours and hours. Except, most of her songs make me want to cry. I think maybe we’ll hire a karaoke DJ for the next party instead. Except, Brian absolutely hates karaoke. LOL.
I think one of the coolest but most awkward moments of the evening was when Virginia asked me to sit on her lap while she sang Happy Birthday a la Marilyn Monroe. Virginia has this sensual way about her… For a brief moment, I almost forgot my sexual orientation. LOL.
Doug and Tammy Nixon, Jim Zachary, Melanie McMillan, Roy and Bonnie Hull
Roy and Bonnie were the best-dressed couple of the evening. Actually, they’re always the best-dressed couple at every event I’ve ever seen them in. They’re just cool like that. They’re my idols. 😉
Misty and Jeanne
With Jenni (left) and Vivian (right)
With Sunny Wylde
Somehow Tallboy is still almost taller than me kneeling down…
Kathy, Sunny and Kurt
With Mom, Tita Esper and Janet
The Nixons
Our best buds April, Becca, Chad and Jay
Mike took most of the pictures and videos…
I think Becca really liked my Sangria. I think everyone liked my Sangria, actually, because there was nothing left. Darcy and Bobbie drank the last of it. 🙂
Armando Allison, Jennifer Teves, Jenni and Me
Because we’re nerds, we ended up playing Guitar Hero in the theater room after everyone left. The theater room actually saw a lot of action that night. I heard there was a couple (who shall remain nameless) who got caught making out. 😉
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My First “Smash” Cake
Posted on October 30, 2010 by Ching under Babies, Poker.
Since I turned 33 this year and we’re both poker nerds, we decided to get a “Pocket 3s” birthday cake. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our poker lingo, a pair of 3s is also called Ponderosa, which is why we came up with the title “Ponderosa Party” for the event.
The term “Ponderosa” for pocket 3s was actually coined about six years ago back when Brandon and LeBlanc used to live at Ponderosa Apartments down the street from T-Mobile. It was funny because we’d squeeze 30+ people into their one bedroom apartments. For seating, they’d roll a couple of the round tables from the T-Mobile break room and borrow some of the break room chairs as well. Whenever we were done, we’d return them so that things were back to normal the next day and no one would be the wiser. Although, I suspect that a couple of chairs got misplaced and didn’t make it back.
At these poker games at Brandon’s or at LeBlanc’s (whoever was hosting that night), pocket 3s seemed to always win no matter what they were up against. I’d lost count of how many times pocket 3s cracked aces by making a set or straight or flush. Since they always won at the Ponderosa Apartment poker games, we dubbed the hand “Ponderosa.” Whenever a 3 would fall on the river to make a set, we called it a “Natural Ponderosa.”
I had never had a “smash” cake before. I was only introduced to it this year when Brian and I attended Gavin’s first birthday. I think it’s a recent invention. Basically, you have the regular cake that everyone eats and then you have a smaller cake for the baby to “smash” — so to speak. Gavin is a little more sophisticated, though. He refused to “smash” his little cake with is hands. It wasn’t until April gave him a spoon that he started attacking it.
My friend Misty said that “smash” cakes are just another way for bake shops to make money. Instead of only buying one cake, parents now have to buy two which translates into more money for the bakery. I think it’s brilliant!
But I digress… We thought it would be funny if my “smash” cake was a 3 on the river for a “Natural Ponderosa.” I don’t think anyone got it except for us poker nerds. It was still funny, though. I loved that my first ever “smash” cake was an homage to the Ponderosa Poker Posse. Those were the days!
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Are You Ready for Halloween?
Posted on October 28, 2010 by Ching under Games, Life.
BRIAN: How are you doing the candy?
ME: I figured I’d just let the kids grab candy from the candy bowl.
BRIAN: I wouldn’t do that. They’ll grab a lot and your candy won’t last.
ME: You can be in charge of doling out the candy then.
BRIAN: Haven’t you ever been trick or treating?
ME: No. I grew up in the Philippines remember? We didn’t do any of that when I was growing up.
BRIAN: What did you do for Halloween then?
ME: We went to the cemetery and partied for kalag-kalag.
BRIAN: I like that idea better.
ME: I know. We are cooler than you guys.
I’m kidding. I’m really a big dork. I’m way, way, way nerdier than Brian.
For instance, today when we stopped by Cox Communications to pick up some free passes to Poltergeist on Saturday from @Cox_Will I was really excited because I didn’t just get to meet @Cox_Will for the first time, I also got to meet Joey Shirt.
ME: You’ll never believe who I just met. That was Joey Shirt! He’s @Cox_Will‘s supervisor.
BRIAN: Who?
ME: Joey Shirt! (Brian still had this baffled look on this face.) He used to play with us on Ogame. He played on Red Hot Pawn also. I will never forget him because the first time we played chess together on Red Hot Pawn I checkmated him in six moves.
(I couldn’t beat him anymore after that. I think I just took him by surprise because he didn’t expect me to actually know how to play. He probably underestimated me and was playing too easy.)
BRIAN: What department was he in?
ME: He was in tech support at the time, I think.
BRIAN: That explains it. I didn’t really get to see those guys.
The sad thing is that I think I remember more people from Cox Communications than Brian did — and he’s he one who actually worked there! LOL.
There was a period of two months in 2005 when I was completely consumed by Ogame. I ended up joining the Cable Mafia through Brian and actually leveled up faster than him. Anyway, I got to play with a lot of the Cox folks through that game and found out that some of them played chess also — which is how I ended up on Red Hot Pawn. It’s a convenient way to play chess with other people online.
I find it amusing that I remember all of these people from five years ago that I’d never even met in real life. I just know them through their game handles. I didn’t even know real names. So five years later, I finally get to meet Joey Shirt. And we wouldn’t even have met if it weren’t for @Cox_Will.
This made me realize a couple of things: I’m really, really nerdy and it’s a small, small world! I guess we all already knew that I’m a nerd, but it dawned on me that I’m way nerdier than I originally thought. =P
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