rain in summertime

a sudden rush of rain kissed the summer laiden streets cooling the smoldering heat enveloping the pavement.

Believe

why can't the anger cease in my wounded heart?
why can't I get anywhere?
so many questions, why should i even care?

where can we run when there's no one we can run home to?
If you can't find the reason why we must go on living
search your soul then you'll know that
we just have to believe

neighborhood bookstore

a neighborhood bookstore is located near my office. i go there when in need of a breather. today, i read stuff about inspiration. how to gather myself up and proceed with life.

one piece

still hanging in one piece....

wealthy rich!

The thing about "wealth" is that there is more than one way to measure it. Traditionally it is measured in dollars, but there are many other scales. You can be "rich" in ways that have nothing to do with money. For example:

Rich in friends—A person who cultivates friendships and who is a joy to be around can have hundreds of good friends and can be rich beyond the wildest dreams of others.

Rich in health—A person who spends time eating right, exercising and relaxing from stress can be extremely healthy, and this health can be far more valuable than any amount of money.

Rich in strength—A person who works out with weights every day, runs, swims, etc. can be rich in strength and will have an attractive body.

Rich in family—A person who devotes time to his or her spouse and children will have a strong and happy family that is rewarding throughout life.

Rich in knowledge—A person who reads and studies will become rich in knowledge.

Rich in skill—A person who practices anything daily (a skill, a sport, prayer, whatever) will become excellent in that skill area. Excellence has its own rewards.

Rich in character— A person who works hard at being honest and truthful in all situations will become rich in character and will be trusted by everyone.

One funny thing about all of these different areas is that none of them are taxed. You are taxed on the money you earn, and that is it. There is no knowledge tax, for example. You can learn freely throughout life and acquire a huge "bank account" of knowledge. No one can steal it or diminish it in any way. Presumably, knowledge is the one thing you might be able to take with you to Heaven.

All of these alternative types of wealth are different from financial wealth, and yet all of them can be equally rewarding in their own ways. The point is that the act of buying things by itself, despite what television tells you, may not be what will bring you maximum happiness in life. Things like good friends, a loving spouse, well-raised children, a home built on love, a good relationship with God, a clear conscience, a worthy goal and a job you truly enjoy bring you contentment that lasts and has meaning. These things are often very hard for some teenagers to understand, but as you mature they become more important.

As you look at the world around you and come to understand what is important to you, keep these things in mind. Think about what it is that you enjoy and what makes you truly happy. See what you find. In thinking about it consciously, you might be surprised by what you discover. Money is incredibly important—you need it to survive. But it is not the only thing you need, and money itself will not bring lasting happiness to most people. Man does not live by bread alone.

-as seen on this link .

prize surprise!

i gave my baby a nice o2 xda mini! she works too hard for the family and for herself. she actually deserve more than this. i love her so much.

xda 2 mini

i will surprise my hunny tonight. i'll give her a new phone. xda 2 mini. she will be surprised!

sausages and eggs

my hunny prepared me a nice lunch.

sausages and eggs.

the jumbo sized hotdogs were cut cris-cross, par-boiled and fried.

eggs were scrambled together with onions and celery.

lighter fluid

just learned that lighter fluid is a non-conductor which is useful in cleaning circuit boards. very helpful to my job.

griller

we went to an old mall in las piñas. my dad got me a good griller.

a thick, heavy, square, flat, cast iron pan that is placed directly on top of a range.

may be used in grilling pork chops, bell peppers, fish, eggplants and other grilling stuff...minus the coals and smoke!

credit card photo finish

i was just in time to pay my dues in my credit card. i zeroed out our balances just a few hours before reaching the end of the due date.

i feel so good!

credit card photo finish

i was just in time to pay my dues in my credit card. i zeroed out our balances just a few hours before reaching the end of the due date.

i feel so good!

credit card photo finish

i was just in time to pay my dues in my credit card. i zeroed out our balances just a few hours before reaching the end of the due date.

i feel so good!

savings entered

we added some more to our life savings. these are blessings which we will share sometime in the future....

blue jacket

my wife prepared a blue jacket for me.

it's cold in our office. the nice jacket warms the weather.

i love my baby.

ampalaya con carne

one of the treats given by daduy is the ampalaya con carne. he made it fast before we left paranaque.

Ingredients:
3 ampalaya (bitter gourd)
2 tablespoon fermented salted black beans
1 medium onion
2 tablespoon minced garlic
thumb size fresh ginger
1/2 kilo beef
1/4 cup oyster sauce

cut ampalaya lengthwise. remove the seeds and the white cottony stuff stuck on its inner flesh. rinse ampalaya on salted water and drain. this is to mellow down the bitter taste of the vegetable.

wash once the black beans with running water on a strainer to lessen its saltiness.

chop the onions and garlic. slice the thumb size ginger.

slice the beef to bite size slivers.

saute garlic till golden brown. add the onions and ginger. saute until ginger is translucent and that you can smell its aroma.

add the beef slices. add 2 cups water. boil the beef till tender. add more water if needed.

when tender, add the oyster sauce and black beans. simmer for two minutes.

add the ampalaya. do not mix the pan after adding the ampalay. this is to prevent the bitterness from overpowering the flavor. simmer for three minutes.

add salt and pepper to taste.

chicken sandwich and pimientos

we visited paranaque and daduy gave some nice stuff.

We had chicken salad and pimiento spreads.

Chicken Sandwich

Lean chicken breast
white onions
good mayo
salt and pepper

Boil the chicken breast. Chop the chicken in chunky sizes.
dice the fresh white onions. Mix everything up. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add more mayo if you want a moist spread. Lessen it up if you want a spread that will look like more of a chunky chicken sandwich.


hundred-cheese cheese pimiento

old cheeses left in the ref
canned pimiento
fresh milk
salt

grate all the cheeses that you can find aging in your ref.
chop the canned pimiento to small pieces.
mix cheese and pimiento. add milk to desired consistency.
add more milk if you want an easily spreadable spread.
add salt to taste.

met an old classmate

i met an old classmate yesterday. i was eating the hamburger my wife gave me and she called us at ayala. can't remember her name. can't remember when she was my classmate. but i just know, she's a classmate.

brass jug

i found a brass jug on the net. but it's a bit pricey. ate k's looking for it. i hope we come to terms with the seller.

tapsilog math

i had a nice lunch at the office.

my dad made a nice salpicao and it slept in our ref for quite some time. when we cleaned the ref, the salpicao came to life.

i pan fried it again with soy, cut it up in small bite size pieces and topped with a sunny side up. Heres the tapsilog math:

Tap + si + log

TAPa + SInangag + itLOG

pan fried beef strips + fried rice + fried egg

slept early, woke early

we slept last night at 9 PM and woke up at 6 AM. that's a good long rest in the middle of the work week.

fine lunch on fresh banana leaves

we had a great lunch last sunday at san luis.

San Luis is a small town where my wife grew. Her family is still there and we frequently visit the place on a weekend.

Last sunday, we had a great feast. big banana leaves were placed on top of a bamboo bed. We call this as 'papag'. No plates were used. No spoons and no forks.

Hot steaming fluffy rice is placed at the center. Served were kare-kare, pesang bulig and fried tilapia.

Everyone was eating on the papag. kids and adults together.

That was one happy moment where everyone is there sharing stories, teasing each other, enjoying the meal, and showing the closeness and the strong bond of the Palma family!

no rain on a very cloudy night

my hunny washed our dirty laundry on a cloudy night.

i hang the clothes outside as the hanger in our home is already full of washed clothes.

the night was very humid. scant drops of rain fell on my face. i just hope that it would continue to a rolling rain shower.

i asked for some help from up above to give us one night of no rainfall.

i hung the sheets and several pants. we slept soundly.

as i woke up, the clothes are dry. no rain. i was heard!

forces of nature

yesterday's ash wednesday.

my hunny and i went to the chapel at greenbelt.

there was an unexpected large turnout of mass goers. the crowd reached the small mall building at the back of the chapel. and even at that far end, people are still jammed elbow to elbow.

that's where we met and where we stayed till the end of the mass.

the crowd was a bit restless as the heat is a bit annoying. the crowd went close to berzerk when they started the imposition of ashes.

my hunny and i were lucky that from where we stood is the station where they will impose the ash.

we got the ashes first.

but moving out of the station is difficult. you have to push around just to be out of the mayhem.

a few minutes after, rain fell!!! which is very unexpected on a time like this!

we rested a while near a posh resto and then.... earthquake!!!!

good thing we were at safe ground.

we had dinner at david's tea house and got a nice taxi ride back home.

pasta from subic

my hunny went to subic yesterday. she gave me a surprise pasta when she got home! the pasta was good. basic spaghetti red sauce, two meatballs and a slice of garlic bread. I had it for lunch today at the office.

Sauce is tangy, which i like. Common filipino red pasta sauce here is usually very sweet. This one is not like that. Thank you baby!