over the holidays...

Hello to my very neglected blog. I guess it's time to write some updates...

December 18, 2006

Last day for my midnight shift at Southwestern. Whopee! I get two weeks off with pay. Life is good :) I still have to work at Reiss-Davis though, but that's okay.

December 21, 2006

Went to pierce College to see if Kyla can go to school there. I really wanted her to start school. Thank God the people there were nice. It took us less than an hour for her to get admitted. She's still interested in Accounting so that's what we're looking at right now. Registration appointment was January 2, after 9am.

December 22, 2006

Picked Axel us from my sister's house. Nanay went with us because she wanted to go to the mall near our apartment. She also needed to do some shopping for her Christmas presents. Good thing there wasn't too much traffic so we got there still with plenty of time to go shopping. Nanay said I'm too old to be getting presents so only the kids got one from her, wah!!! :(

December 24, 2006

Went to Raplh's to do some shopping for food. Had to do some cooking because my Mom requested some stuff which she said only I can cook, hmmm... doesn't that sound like sucking up? Just my luck... We're still without ham at this timebecause we don't know where to buy it... Good thing Kyla was working that day and she met a customer who knows exactly where that honeybaked ham can be bought. So, with the food safely cooking in the oven, Axel and I went to find this ham and wonder of wonders, there wasn't any line! We got in and out of that store in less than 10 minutes. Yehey! Now my Mom can't complain that Christmas is not complete without ham on the table.

After all the cooking, picked Kyla up so we can go to my sister's house. Mario couldn't come because he's got work early the next day.

When I got to my sister's house, there's still much cooking to be done, no miracle who got elected to finish up everything. My sister had to rest and my Mom said she's got a headache... Hay! So I ended up cooking till midnight... yes, midnight. The fried chicken was still frying as the clock struck twelve.

Everybody had a great time eating all the food on the table. It was like Christmas in the Philippines... all would have really been great if not for someone that's missing from all of us. I think we all felt that loss more at that time. Usually, it would have been my Dad finishing up anything that needed cooking. At exactly 12mn, he would be sitting by the table drinking something while we fill our plates with food. He'd probably crack a joke with the way we're stuffing ourselves.

After the Noche Buena, all trooped to my sister's front room. Everybody gathered around the Christmas tree... all are excited to find out what presents they got. At the back of my mind I can hear my Dad commenting on each of the presents that the kids got. From "baka puro laro na naman ang aatupagin mo dyan", "parang para sa kin yata yan", to "naku, may iwawala na naman si Kyla".

This is the first Christmas that my Dad is not with us. Usually, my sister and I would be frantically dialling the phone hoping to get a connection on such a busy holiday. I really wished things could have been different. He should have been here with us, celebrating that finally the whole family is together on Christmas. It was through his perseverance that we were able to do this, but then he had to go off on his own adventure. Somewhere where we cannot follow, at least not yet...

When all the gifts were opened, we gathered around and decided that we wanted to see the video of Dad's funeral... kind of a sad thing to do, but then, we wanted him to be part of our Christmas. Merry Christmas Tatay. After that we drifted off to get some sleep. Still a full day tomorrow...