Today's Free Work Lunch

We had catering from Capriotti's today. I got to try the Bobbie, which is home-made turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo.

I gotta say, the sandwich is pretty top notch. I could say that it's better than Earl of Sandwhich's version.

And.. they offer a 9" sub for catered lunch boxes, definitely worth it!

Preggo Brain? Maybe..

I get these articles everyday from babybump that just talk about what to expect with the baby and all the bodily changes and what not that go along with being preggo. Yesterday, I had an article about Preggy Brain, also known as baby brain. I sent the article over to Jeric because I thought I should let him know that my memory and absentmindedness may increase because it just happens. Just wanted to give him a forewarning. LOL.

Anyhow, I didn't see it affecting me much, especially not to the extent of stories I've read on the net (one girl put the milk away in the cupboard rather than the fridge and then blamed her sig other. Hahaha). Anyways, of course, on the day I read the article, my brain decides to go on vacay! YEY!

It happened when I got home from work. I left work and drove off like usual and when I got home, I parked my car in my spot and then had to power walk to our apartment because I needed to use the facilities.. like STAT! My bladder just doesn't hold much these days (another lovely preggo symptom). Anyhow, I get to the door, and holy crap.. my house key.. it's not there! I rush back to my car and do a quick check, but by this time, I really really had to pee.

Jeric was at the gym, so I called him and he came to my car. He gave me his house key so I can rush on to the bathroom while he searched hi and low for my key to see if it fell somewhere in my car, but sadly, it was not there.

There was only one place I stopped over at before coming home, and that was at the block. Jeric said to go check the block and if it's not around where I parked, to head over to home depot with his key and make a dupe. So off I went. I checked around my parking spot at the block, but no key was found. I called H&M just in case someone might have found it there as well, but nothing there either. I was pretty bummed because I had a cute keycap, it was a Little Twin Star one.

Now it was time to make my way over to Home Depot. This is where my temper reared it's ugly head. I entered the store and was looking for a worker to direct me to where I can make a copy. One very rude worker, who was also talking to another worker at the same time, was like, "Aisle 19, I'll get some one to go over there." And as he said that, he wasn't even looking at me. He was looking over at the other worker. So I seriously didn't think he was talking to me. So, I was like, "Excuse me...". About to ask him where to make the copy and he so rudely snapped at me and was like, "I said aisle 19." Well.. EXCUUUUSEEEEE ME! Maybe you should make eye contact with the customer so that they effing know that you're speaking to them. Jerk! I was pretty peeved, but just marched on over to aisle 19 and then waited for someone to come help me make the copy of the key. I was waiting for probaly 10-15 minutes when I started getting very aggitated. I walked over to the end of the aisle and couldn't see a worker anywhere nearby and the walk all the way to where the registers were was too far. I mean, normally, it wouldn't have been a problem. But I'm preggo and my feet were tired and I was might freaking cranky.

I call Jeric, and I start to complain and he gave me a great idea.. call them on the phone! So I did, but when I spoke to the guy that answered, boy did I give him an earful. He was nice too and totally didn't deserve my explosion, but I could not hold my temper. Whem he came by, he was so surprised to find that I was the one that called him. Hahaha. He said, "Wow, that was you on the phone? You're a little firecracker, aren't you?" LOL. Anyways, he made my key!

Of course, when I got home, the key don't work! Booo. Looks like there's a speciel thickness to the key that they can't duplicate over at Home Depot.

Now off to plan freaking C. Contact the building manager and see if we can have a new key made. I sent an email out last night, but of course they were closed at the time, so we wouldn't hear back until sometime today.

That meant, Jeric would have to leave me his house key since he leaves before me and he'll just head straight to his parent's house, since he also comes home before me.

Well, here we are. It's today. I get a reply from the building manager and luckily they can have a key made AND it's only $5! Sweet. I did want to check around work too, so when I got to work, I checked around where I parked.. but nothing. Checked around my cubicle, still nothing. For some reason, I decide to email the receptionist of our building. But, still, nothing. She was kind enough to forward it along to the receptionist in the blue building. And thank goodness for that! Because someone had found my key out on the street, which was where I parked. They left it on the blue building's receptionist's desk and she found it there this morning, with a note that read, "Found on Alameda St." Oh Thank the heavens!!

My key is back!!

Flat Tires! And I'm NotTalking About Beer..

After hanging out with my parents for my birthday, me and Jeric headed out to run some errands out in Cypress. Then, on the way back we wanted to stop by his parent's house. Well, ugh! Some lady stupidy went in front of us, which made us switch out of our lane. And suddenly my car started making a weird thumping sound. We checked my car stats and all seemed to be fine, so we both thought.. the tires!

Since we were right near his parent's house, we decided to drive there and check it out when we got there. Jeric got out and checked my tires, on his side (the driver's side), he saw that my rear tire had a nail stuck in it. But luckily it didn't look like it punctured through.. it was just a minor flesh wound. That as probably what caused the thumping sound. He went inside to grab pliers so that he can remove it. I was waiting for him outside, when suddenly I hear a low swooshing sound. I tried yelling for Jeric, but he couldn't hear me from inside. And then I had to pee really badly! So I had to rush inside as he was coming out with the pliers. I mentioned in passing that it sounds like air is coming out. Anyhow, I went to the bathroom and then rushed back outside. Jeric said, yup, I have a flat! It's on the other tire.. the rear passenger tire. And this was no itty bitty nail, like on the other tire. This was a fat ass freaking bolt! Which totally meant that the portion that punctured through was probably fat as hell too! Ugh! The sound of air gushing out of my tire started to grow stronger so Jeric checked my TPM (tire pressure monitor) and yup, I was in the red zone! UGH!

We knew we had to find a tire shop, but it was Sunday, and pretty late. Most of the shops were either closed or closing within the hour and the ones that were closing within the hour were fully booked. It was totally bumming me out. My new car's tire was deflating fast! Jeric's dad did have a compressed air machine, so we were able to hook that up for the time being. But if we didn't find a shop that was able to repair my tire soon, we'd definitely have to buy a brand new run flat! Ugh! And those are so so expensive! And even then, if we couldn't change it out quickly, we'd have to leave my car where it was over-night, or tow it somewhere. Oh the horror!

We must've contacted a dozen or shops and I was seriously about to give-up, thinking it was pointless and that we'd have to figure out our plan B. But luckily, one shop answered and was willing to take us within the next 15 minutes. It was also nearby, about 5 miles, so that was helpful since we had to unhook the compressed air machine in order to drive off. And they also do run-flats! Phew.

Jeric didn't want me in the car, just in case. So I stayed back while he and his dad drove off to the tire shop. Meanwhile, I was googling on how bad it is with run-flats and was kinda scurred because I read that there are instances where no repair can be done other than buying brand new run-flats. Ugh. Not an expense either of us wanted to incur right now. There were also posts that said to make sure that it wasn't just plugged, but patched from the inside, otherwise, my tire wont last long and I'd be in the same situation within a few days or weeks.

Luckily, Jeric texted me and said that all is well and that my tire was fixed. And when I asked if it was plugged or patched, he said patched. Phew! AND.. it was only like $15.00!

My Birthday w/ the Mostajo Fam Bam

My parents wanted to make lunch for my birthday. We set it all up for today. My parents said they would cook all the food. I was only expecting a small amount of food since it was just going to be me, Jeric and my parents. Brian & Ivon said they couldn't make it and Chris wouldn't be able to either since he already made plans. But, wow, my parents went all out! And I'm really thankful for all the effort they put in for my birthday lunch.

They made bbq ribs, lumpia and really delicious pancit palabok with all the trimmings!

They also made leche flan.. or so they thought they did. My dad forgot how the recipe went and instead of putting just the egg yolks, he put the entire egg in. Hahaha. Because of that it didn't cook well, so they had to leave it steaming a lot longer than normal, which ended up burning the carmelized part. It also made it very bread-like. It was dubbed.. Cassava-Flan. LMBO!

Afterwards we watched some NBA Playoffs and just relaxed.

Thank you Mom & Dad for cooking such delicious food for my birthday!!

All Homies Unite!

It's been ages since the whole lot of us got together, like probably a year or so. So it was really nice to see everyone come out tonight! It's so crazy too how things have changed drastically. The amount of strollers and babies has multiplied! Horray!

We all decided to hit up old town Pasadena for some burgers and hot dogs from Dog Haus.

The burgers were so so. I thought they were tasty, but at the same time, it was too much. Like they just piled on way too much sauce. It was very heavy and very thick and after awhile, it just wasn't appetizing. I also ordered onion rings, which tasted very meh too. But that's all fine, because we weren't really here for the food. Hahaha.

Me, Jeric and Ivan were all together before hand over at a their nephew's birthday party, so we all were together while hanging with the homies as well.

The greatest surprise? Eric and Yrel were there too! I seriously didn't believe it when Gen said they were there. I was like.. no way, you're lying. But she was like, no, their inside ordering.. and well, there they were!!

Jeric thought their surprise visit was fishy, but I was very aloof and just glad to see them. Well.. Jeric's instincts were spot on!

Eric and Yrel were sitting at our table and Eric goes, "So we're leaving for Hawaii in a few days... because we're getting married.... because... Yrel is pregnant!" YEY!!!! Such wonderful news! We were all so happy for them! Ahhh, another baby on the way! Our group is definitely growing!

After dinner, we all walked over to Pie House so that everyone could satisfy their sweet tooth.

Me and Jeric got the strawberry pie, which was pretty yummy. We ate it on the way home.

It was great seeing everybody! I wish we could all meet up more often.. but it sure is tough with all of our busy schedules, especially with all the little ones running around.

Back to Fuji's Burgers

Me and Jeric were hungry after work and decided to go back to Fuji's Burgers! Hahaha. This time, I decided on just ordering the teriyaki fries because i wasn't hungry. Jeric got the teriyaki burger this time.

Funny thing, for not being hungry, them fries were a large order!


They were super delicious, but when we got home, I felt yuck! I guess my body is trying to reject all the bad stuff. Haha.

A Gift for.. Just Doing My Job!

While on my lunch, one of the Deloitte team members came by and handed me a gift bag for helping them out. Funny thing is, I was just doing my job. Either way, it was really thoughtful of them!

What's in the bag?

Chocolates!! And Lindt ones at that! Thank you Deloitte Team!!


I didn't bring them home though. Jeric said to just keep them here. So, I shall share with my cubemate as well as the VP's I work for.

Gotta love chocolate!

Free Breakfast From the Building Managers

Getting out of the parking structure for work this morning was a bit of a feat. But that's because right before you exit the gate, a few of the maintenance workers were posted out handing out brown baggies!

What was in them? Some breakfast items! Nothing huge, but they pretty much gave everyone a breakfast danish, fruit snacks, and capri sun!


It was just what this preggo gal needed in the morning! (Jeric was late, so he just drove straight through, not bothering to stop and grab a brown baggie. hahaha)

Birthday Dinner.. So Lokey!

For my birthday dinner, Jeric asked where I wanted to eat. Like always, I had a hard time deciding. Then, I remembered that he sent me this mom and pop spot that his co-worker suggested. So, I said we should go try it out.



Jeric ordered the teriyaki burrito while I ordered the teriyaki burger.


Looks don't make the burger and burrito that appealing as they both don't look like anything special, but the taste.. that's on another level. We both agree that the burger was most delish!

Happy Birthday Me!

Today is my birthday and right at midnight Jeric totally surprised me with an ice cream cake!! The best part, though? The writing on the cake! :)




He also got me Big Hero 6!


Thank you hubby! I love it all!!

Chef Eva

I've been craving greek pasta salad for the longest and instead of buying some, I decided to make it myself.

The ingredients are easy..

Pack of colored Fusilli pasta
10 cherry tomatoes (quartered)

Small red onion (chopped)

Red & green bell pepper (chopped)

Cucumber (spaghetti noodled)

Cheese (cubed)

And for the dressing..
Red wine vinegar

Olive Oil

Lemon juice

Garlic

Oregano

Salt & Pepper

All you need to do is cook the pasta and then cool it down. Chop up all the veggies and cheese and then combine with pasta. In a separate bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients, then pour over the pasta mixture.

Refrigerate and save! Yummm!


I also made a dish that reminds me of my grandma. There's no actual name for it.. but it's a rendition of PouqiPouqi. It's just sauted garlic and sliced tomatoes, where you juice the tomatoes as they cook down and then add in scrambled eggs!

I had it for dinner and it was oh. so. good!

I Love Freebies!

I really love freebies and the one's for my birthday are always the best!

I got Nars matte lip pencils from Sephora..

A chocolate mini bundt cake and a slice of cinammon cake from Corner Bakery!

Hanging With the Homie

Me and Gen used to have these super long lunch breaks every other week. Sadly, those days have come and gone. Now, we have to plan our outtings on the weekends when both of us are free. We even went on a super long hiatus, which really sucked. But thankfully, we were able to see each other last month and once again today! I'm hoping we get to see each other at least once a month.

Anyhow, today we planned on lunch and just going with the flow afterwards.

We decided on having ramen! There were two spots for us to choose from, either Shin-Sen-Gumi out in Fountain Valley or Santouka out in Costa Mesa. We ended up choosing Santouka. Boy, was it the wrong time to head out to Mitsuwa. LOL. Parking was way crazy! We seriously were fighting for parking spots and when we found a spot and signalled, some other lady came out of nowhere and was seriously about to steal my spot! We were like.. ooo it's going down if you take my spot. LOL. Like lady.. you'll come back to flat tires! Rofl. But, I was more aggressive and got my spot, as it should be.

Inside the lunch area was even worse! After deciding on what to order, Gen waited in line while I went around looking for a free table. It was madness! Other folks were already on the prowl for people who were about to be finished. I was still looking for a table when Gen was done ordering, so we both started searching. We were even about to see if someone wouldn't mind sharing their table with us! That's how freaking crowded it was. Luckily we found one of the high-chair tables with two spots open. There was actually three spots open and we got there at the same time this guy got there and we were like.. do you mind if we sit here? He said sure, but we had no idea that he was also waiting for his girl who was ordering food. But it all worked out as they found another spot nearby.

The ramen? Oh sooo delicious! I don't remember how Shin-Sen-Gumi tasted, but Santouka definitely hit the spot. Their pork fat was ah-MAZING!

We definitely wanted a fruity drink afterwards, but something light. We looked around the area, but their shops didn't have great reviews on yelp so we decided we'd hit up Ten Ren. But, not before we walk around the marketplace and shop for snacks!

At Ten Ren, we both ordered a lychee peach slush with light boba. They actually mixed the two flavors for us and it turned out great!

After Ten Ren, we headed back to the apartment and just hung out and chit chatted. We also caught the Chicago Bulls' playoff game.

Fun times! Can't wait til we hang out again!

Lunch Outdoors Is the Best

With such beautiful days this past week, I've been taking my lunch in our newly updated courtyard.

I absolutely love eating out here. And sometimes, I get to watch some of the folks come down for a 15 minute break to volley around a beach ball. Haha.

Breakfast for Dindin

I totally love eating breakfast for dinner and it's been such a long time since I've actually had breakfast for dinner. So, when Jeric asked me what I wanted to eat when I said I was hungry.. I was like.. an all-american breakfast!! Pancakes, eggs and bacon please! Sadly.. our bacon was expired and I can't have sausages.. so the next best thing were meatballs!

And here it is.. my delicious dinner.. made by Chef Jeric!!

YUMMMM!!!

The Little Nephews' Baptism

Today's my little nephews' baptism!

Lots of family from both sides came down to celebrate such a beautiful ceremony.

It started with their baptism at St. Kilian Church at 2:00 pm.

Me and Chris were supposed to be there at 1:30 pm so that we can hand out all the boutonnieres to all the godparents, but I was a bit laggy while getting ready and we were about 15 minutes late. Which had us on a bit of a frenzy as we tried to find the godparents for Liam and Lucas and hand them their corresponding boutonnieres (blue for Liam and grey for Lucas).

It was so bad, that we were scrambling and handing them out while sitting in the pews as the Priest began his sermon. Whoopse!

Luckily, it all worked out and all the godparents had their boutonnieres!

The actual sermon was shorter than I remember, but then again, this was not a baptism that took place during a mass.

Anyhow, during the actual baptizing, I thought it was really beautiful that they had a huge marble bath for the babies to be baptized in.

Brian and Ivon each took their turn with each of the boys and had them sit on the ledge with their feet hanging into the bath as the priest scooped a bit of the water and splashed it over their heads.

Surprisingly, Liam didn't cry. We seriously thought he was going to be hysterical, but he was calm. Well, he was calm while being baptized, at least. He was pretty cranky before and after. Poor thing!

After the ceremony, we stuck around for some family pictures.

Now it was time for food! Which was perfect, because I was absolutely famished!

They catered with Mediterranean food, which smelled oh so good! And some others brought some home made goodies..

Like my Auntie Adette's famous cheesecake!


After the reception, a lot of people were headed over to Brian & Ivon's house, but I was way too pooped, so I went straight home.

Which was much needed. As soon as I got home, I knocked out!

Glad to be a part of such a wonderful ceremony Laim & Lucas!!

Kariya With the Fam Bam

Marky asked if we wanted to go out for dinner tonight with Liz, Patrick and Ivan. We ended up going to Kariya, which we all haven't been to in so long! Ivan bailed last minute though, so it was just us 5.

Still, good food, good company, good fun!