January 22, 2006 6:40 PM Sunday, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Two tags

The tagged from Lani “Profile of my Perfect Lover”, and Jane, “2005 highs and lows” have long been overdue. Much more my IRS Tax Certification Exam.  I have yet to take the test but not quite ready yet as I am still cramming up, reviewing the bulky materials IRS sent to me.  The fact of the matter is I just started leafing through few pages of this 2006 Pub 17 last week right after I got a call from IRS telling me to turn in the homework they asked me to complete.  I tell you, this is overwhelming. My brain doesn’t seem to work as it had been. I am losing the wits and the drive to do the job. Maybe I should step back, re consider other options and think it over again whether or not I really would like to do the individual tax returns of the masses. I mean as it is, I am completely happy and feeling stress free in my current job so why set hurdles to the undemanding life? Aaah I am having a headache righ now so I thought for kicks and gigs, I’ll carry on the blogger’s mission and see if this would inspire me to finish my homework later.

Profile of a Perfect Lover:

Growing up, as hopeless romantic as I am, my dream has always been to marry a perfect man someday.  However, as I grow older, I realized that there is no such thing as perfect man. So I thought, well, I can settle with a good man and I sure did :-)

Target: Tony otherwise..  known as my “DH”. 

Tony when he first enlisted in the Military Service in 1982.
 

I know the controversial coined word "DH" stirred a lot of confusions among Pinays out there ;-)  Truthfully though, he is such a Darling Husband to me and a  Domestic Helper on top ;-).  Although, I won’t deny, he can also, although hardly ever,  be a  D**k Head as well! Oopps, did I say that out loud? LOL

Eight strong points of my  Darling Husband:

1. He loves and accepts me unconditionally. He made a commitment to transform into a better person for the sake of our love and relationship.  He completely quit smoking and gave up drinking beer the day I arrived here in the United States. On some occasions though especially when I am on vacation and he is left alone at home, he still enjoys a bottle or two of beer at night but that’s about it. He vowed never to try tobacco/cigarettes again.
    

2. He never ever raises his voice on me not even when I pissed him off occasionally. He knows exactly how to express his resentment in a most calming way.
    

3. He respects my faith and virtue without question. He, of his own free will, got himself converted from Protestant to Roman Catholic religion to be one with me in the practice of religious conviction.  He waited patiently to make love to me until our wedding night. For once I thought maybe he is a Saint ;-)
    

4. He trusts me completely.  He entrusts with me his finances and gave me full control to his accounts at the very start of our marriage. He also trusts me enough to go anywhere by myself without any single hint of jealousy even when I mingle with other men.
    

5. He is an intelligent and smart man. He earned his Bachelor’s degree as a full academic scholar and graduated Magna-Cum Laude yet he never treats me any less.  He wholly treats me as an equal partner--the only love of his life. He never shows any superiority in our marriage and never makes me feel less of a wife/woman.  He allows me to be on my own self yet gives me comfort and support whenever I need it.
    

6. He is as always willing to compromise and be an “under de saya” husband anytime. He likes to play “the martyr husband” just so to please me and makes me happy but of course I still recognize him as the man of the house. He is definitely NOT “the henpecked husband” nor a pussy whip type but a Real Gentleman. Believe me, after all these years, he still opens the door for me, kisses me and hold hands with me anywhere we go.
    

7. He voluntarily and always go out of his way to help around the house; cooks, wash dishes, do laundry, iron my clothes, do grocery shopping and even hem or put buttons on my pants if I ask him to. He truly makes my life so much easier to live day by day. He is indeed a Darling Husband and Domestic Helper rolled into one ;-)
    

8. He never ceased to make me feel so special, loved and blessed that sometimes I wonder if I ever survive without him in my life. He knows how to treat/pamper me especially on special occasions like anniversary, birthday, Christmas, Valentines and other special occasions. He tells me all the time how beautiful and sexy I am and that I am and will always, forever be the ONLY ONE for him and he goes to assure me all the time of his constant love and devotion.

I’ve found what it seems impossible to find in a man but here I am proudly say I am one of the very few lucky women in this world. 

I am not saying Tony is faultless. Of course, he has his own moments. He gets moody and grumpy too at times especially when he’s so bushed from work much more if they had patient/s who sadly didn’t manage to carry on another day of life due to illness complications.

Tony is also more of an “anti-social”, introvert so to speak type of man. You have to get to know him that well before he’ll open up with you. He also prefers a quiet life and would like to be left alone once in a while to be at peace with his self and surroundings.

Now, if Tony's got the money, hot looking body like when he was 21 (see above picture) he could easily pass for a perfect husband. However, I am thinking out loud, if he is all that perfect, I am afraid, (my insecurity is kicking in again)  I wouldn't be as happy, safe and secure as I am now because I would always worry about other girls snatching him. 

Honest to goodness though, I know deep in my heart that I would fall in love more deeply, over and over again with all the qualities/persona of an overweight, poor and "badoy manamit" na Tony than with any wealthy, hot good looking dude but treats woman like a toy.

Despite of Tony's imperfection and shortcoming, I fell truly in love with him and accept him as he is. He is the one and only love of my life. In fact, he is my life. He means the world to me now and forever!

So what does he get for being such a Darling Husband? He gets a loving back rub every night except on the weekends ;-)

Now the Highs and Lows of 2005 according to date occurrence:

 Highs

1. We bought and moved in to a house that we both are so fond of although it is not quite our dreamed house but we have been pretty happy and comfortable with it.
    

2. I got the decent job in the government I have always wanted to do and now I am loving it.
    

3. We finally got the Road King Harley Motorcycle that we have been drooling for years and now that’s DH’s above-board mistress.
    

4. I met and had a 'biso-biso" with no other than my long time idol, The MegaStar, Sharon Cuneta in person. I was speechless!
    

5. We celebrated our 6th year wedding anniversary in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada, and it was indeed the experience of a lifetime! 
    

6. I spent a week of solo relaxing gateaway in Chicago and got to meet few friends around.

Lows

1. Our marriage has been bliss, yet lacking one very important part--a child. Needless to say, I think we both are handling our infertility issue with good wisdom at least we know we are and will continue to face this ordeal a little better than many other infertile couples we come in contact with. We want children, and we are that passionate to have kids of our own but we are not that stupid to blow or risk everything we have for IVF then live in misery later just for a slight chance that we might or might not conceive through artificial inseminations. Read the detailed story here.
    

2. We went overboard with our expenditures last year.  Buying a new house and furnishing it with new appliances, furniture and fixtures not to mention another big purchase (Harley motorcycle) definitely depleted our savings to a great extent but we pretty much got everything we want for ourselves and for the house.
    

3. We didn’t achieve our goal to get back in shape but guess what? That would be the major New Year's Resolution this year. I'll talk more about that next time when I'll get a chance to update this page again.

 

 

January 6, 2006 8:38 PM Friday, Jacksonville, Florida

 

Solo Trip in Chicago

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Tom and Geri for the very heartwarming accommodation!!!!

You two made me feel comfortable and so at home for the whole duration of my 6-day stay in your place. No doubt that my trip there and being away from DH is all worth it even though I didn't get the chance to see the snow ;-)
 

Here's the account of the trip:

Thursday, December 29, 2005

The flight from Jacksonville, Florida airport to O’Hare International airport in Chicago went uneventful. I was supposed to catch this 6:30AM flight from Jacksonville via 2 hour lay-over in St. Louis, Missouri to O’Hare, Chicago but I was told that the flight was overloaded hence the airline attendant put me in to a direct flight without extra charge. It was 9:20AM when we finally touched down O’Hare airport, 2 hours early than the previous schedule. The weather in Chicago was fairly cold as it was in the mid 30’s.

As soon as I disembarked the plane, I dialed DH’s cell phone, chatted for few minutes then I went straight to collect my luggage. Few minutes later, I was on the phone with Geri. We chitchat and decided it’s most likely best for me to hail a cab to her place rather than wait for her to come pick me up at the airport. Forty minutes later, I was in her doorstep and we hugged as she warmly welcomes me to Chicago :-)

Geri and I chatted amiably for hours until it was past 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Then we decided to go down, walked around the neighborhood, by the lake and all of the sudden snowflakes started to sprinkle all over... it wasn’t much and it only lasted for about a minute but it felt so good. As Geri quipped, it was Chicago’s way of welcoming me to their place.

We had lunch at Japanese bistro around 1:30pm then we went back to her place to watch Ophra’s 20th Anniversary in DVD. Later in the afternoon, we went grocery shopping, rented couple of Tagalog dvd movies and watched “Magkapatid” and “Mano Po”.

Tom came home around 8:00 o'clock at night as we were about to finish the movie.  We chatted for a while about Philippines, work, weather and etc. while Ger went to prepare his dinner. Few minutes later, she came in to join in the conversation. We finally dispersed to head off to bed around 11:00 o’clock which was 12 midnight in Florida. I thought of calling DH again but I hate to wake him in the middle of his deep sleep. I tossed and turn for few hours missing and thinking DH until eventually I drifted to sleep. I think I’ve heard Watshot scratching the door begging to let him in the bedroom but I was too sleepy to get up.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Tom left for work early morning of Friday so when I got up, Geri was alone in the kitchen getting ready to cook something for breakfast. We agreed to cook 3 cups of rice just for the two of us ;-)  . We had eggs, meat loaf and beef loaf with rice that morning. Get this, it was around 8:45 in the morning when we sat down for breakfast. We found ourselves lost in the conversation and before we know it, it was past 11 o’clock in the morning. Then we realize we still have to take shower and go out to pick up some stuff at the grocery store for the dinner party she had planned on having with few friends that night. I hope I didn’t bore Ger out with that unending blab of my life.

The rest of the afternoon was spent grocery shopping and preparing for the dinner party that night. Geri made wanton beef soup, unwrapped lumpia shanghai, and fruit salad. I cooked pork and chicken adobo. We had carrot cake, ice-cream and chocolates for dessert. Yum!

Before 8 o’clock at night, all invited guests had arrived. Cielito and Zhenya, showed up first, followed by Ryan and In~in, Wally and Judy and the last but certainly not the least, was no other than the cutest Rose aka Sister Salvation. With the exception of Ryan and In~in, that was the first time I’ve met these two couples face to face. I’ve known Rose through her blog but I have no clue about Cielito and Zhenya nor Wally and Judy. Needless to say, we all chatted animatedly, shared jokes and laughed... no qualms, no reservations. In~in, Rose and Cielito (in that order) dominated the “banter session”. They were the vim and vigor of the party so to speak. Wala akong masabi hehehe. They didn’t seem to run out of topic to talk about and for once I get mystified as to who am I supposed to pay attention to especially when they tell tales at the same time. I had so much fun listening to them though. As we all agreed, "whatever aired out at Geri's place, stays at Geri's place. Right guys?

The party ended, I believed past midnight. Ryan and In~in wanted to show off Chicago downtown at night so I went for a joyride with them. Rose had planned to take us out Saturday night to Neo night club so she decided to hitch-hike with us to downtown to buy the ticket ahead of time. I volunteered to go with her to Neo club to pick-up the ticket. However, upon seeing the place with team of both male and female smokers, I told Rose there’s no way I can possiblly endure hanging out in that place. She bought the ticket anyway hoping she’d talk me into it the next day or at least changed my mind. We were back to Ger’s place around 2 o’clock in the morning.  Poor, Ryan! We know he has to work early the next morning and from what I gathered, it would take them over an hour to get home then Ryan has to get up before 5 o’clock in the morning to get ready for work. Thanks, Ryan and In~n for the fun ride. I enjoyed it immensely.

Tom, Geri, Ryan and In, Cielito and Zhenya, Rose, Judy and Wally, I had a great time meeting you guys. Hope we'll meet up again next time.

Saturday, December 31, 2005

I slept through the night and it was 9:30 in the morning when I woke up. Then Geri and I just laze around practically the whole morning watching Tagalog movies and Oprah DVD.

It was around 3:00pm when we decided to go out. We went to a Pinoy resto and ordered topsilog for me, longsilog for Geri. Yum! I think we got back home past 7 o’clock at night.

New Year’s Eve, I opted to stay home alone with Wapshot rather than go night clubbing with Tom, Geri, Kenny and Rose at Neo.  I can't help but feel bad about it. I am sorry, Rose. I really do. I just don't know how to make up for it. It’s just that the place is definitely a no no for me. I can't stand being around with bunch of people who smoke/drink nor I am fond of loud, non-stop music and flashing disco lights. I never like disco houses nor night clubs.  I don't drink any alcoholic beverages. I don’t dance. I don't know how to dance to be honest.  Much more, my DH wasn't with me. I just didn't want to take the chance to go with the group knowing that I wouldn't like the place anyway.  The worst that can happen is, if I really can't stand hanging out inside the club, I might decide to leave the place by hook or by crook.  Then what? I'll be a big party pooper or "killjoy" then. Anyways, I was glad Tom and Geri went anyway without me otherwise I really would feel bad/guilty for disrupting their New Year's enjoyment.   

So what did I do on New Year’s Eve instead? Well, I burned my ear talking on the phone from 9:30pm to 11pm to my nephews and nieces in the Philippines. Then at 11pm, 12 midnight in Florida, DH called me. It was the very first time DH stayed up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. It used to be I had to wake him at 12 midnight so we can at least greet the very first few minutes of the New Year together. We hung up at 12:45 and I finally hit the sack at 1:00 o’clock in the morning which was 2 o’clock in Florida. I believe Tom and Geri got home past 2 o’clock already that night.

Sunday, January 1, 2006

We met up with another Pinay friend of mine for the first time, Marivic and her family who drove all the way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We met and had lunch at Filipinia Restaurant.  I’ve known Marivic through her husband Eddie, an African American, whom I met online nine years ago—that was even before I met my Darling Tony.

After lunch, Geri offered her place for us to hang out. While the three kids watch Christmas story, Marivic and I did a lot of catching up. They left around 4:30 pm.

At 5:30 pm, Tom, Geri and I went to Church but for some reason the priest didn’t show up. Darn it! One of the parishioners said that she actually called the Church earlier and she was told there is a church service at 5:30pm. Where the heck did the priest go? Who knows?!?

At 9pm, Tom and Geri took me to the Pub house nearby to kick off the New Year. I had hot tea, Geri had orange juice and Tom had wine. The fried calamari was appetizing. We didn't stay long there as there have been very few people around. We got home before 11:00 o’clock that night.

Monday, January 2, 2006

Geri and I took the train to downtown Chicago around 10 o’clock in the morning. The weather was gloomy, it sprinkled Intermittently, the temperature was in the high 30’s but it was very windy so it felt like it was in the low 20’s. We wander around downtown trying to find a good place to eat for lunch. We ended up having lunch at Bennigans Restaurant. We ordered hamburger and ice cream with cheese cake for dessert. Sweet :-)  After lunch, we strolled around Millennium Park and Magnificent Mile and took quite a lot of pictures.
 

Cielito had called Geri earlier to express her eagerness to meet up with us in downtown. Since her condo is just three blocks away from the park, we decided to just take a good walk until we get to her place. We chilled out there a bit.  Shortly after the break, the three of us were in tow marching down the road to the Navy Pier to see the Christmas Winter Wonderland.

Later at night, Cielito invited us back to her place. I thought it was so sweet and kind of her and her husband, Zhenya to take us out to dinner and even offered to drive us home despite all the hassles the two of them had to go through driving back and forth late that night. Geri and I were very glad and thankful for their generosity and kindness otherwise it would have been a nightmarish to wait and catch the next train back to Tom and Geri’s place late that night. Thank you so much, Cielito and Zhenya. What else can I say? You two are the sweetest "tuko" I've met so far! LOL You are just perfectly right for each other ;-)

More photos here.  Sorry, I am too lazy to write caption/s for each picture.  Check out Geri's photo gallery.

Tuesday, January 3, 2005

Geri again cooked 3 cups of rice, fried two eggs over medium and heated two cans of sardines. Believe it or not, there’s hardly any leftover on the table after we were done. I pigged out!

After breakfast, I took the 10:30 to 12:00 o’clock flight from O’Hare to St. Louis, Missouri  then I had to catch the connecting flight from St. Louis to Jacksonville at 1:20pm. The airport was jammed packed with travelers.  It was 4:20 in the afternoon when the plane touched down Jacksonville airport. Before I know it, I was back to the loving arms of my Darling Husband.

The rest of the night was spent with DH and complimenting him for cleaning our nest immaculately. He disclosed he didn't clean nor make his bed for 6 days that I was gone. He also undeniably confessed he had a grandiose time being alone for 6 days. So was I hurt by his confession? Should I be upset? Nope!  You see, over the years of our marriage, I learned that every husband or wife for that matter needs a breathing space from the cyclical life with his/her other half once in a while. Like "Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder" …or Does It? I think that makes the marriage even more stimulating don’t you think? 

Now, he got me into thinking....where is my next "solo" gateaway after this? Hmmmm.... Lanie and Carlotz in Michigan? Hey, Lan, you know I can babysit too while you and John can go out for a "romantic date" ;-)