A Cup of Coffee

        We got home really late last night.

        We had a lot of fun in LA last weekend and with these frequent trips we’ve been doing, I must say that long car rides, though they still take a lot from me, no longer drive me as nuts as they used to. It’s not because I’m not used to it. It’s just that I would rather be on my two feet (or on the bed) than sitting still on a moving vehicle for what seems like forever. But yes, Saturday was really fun. We spent the morning beach-combing at Huntington beach with my hubby’s cousin, Ian. Had a few easy cocktails (some Absolut Ruby Red mixed with Cranberry, and a slice of lemon --- yumm!) and just walked around lazily passing surfers, joggers and sunbathers. I missed Boracay all of a sudden. Our afternoon was spent at Station 13 at the State Beach. We chaperoned my stepdaughter at her band's picnic. It was really awesome. We were around kids and other parents just eating, talking and sitting out on the sun on our picnic mats. Alyssa made me my first real smores from the bonfire (not that I haven’t tried it before, but would pre-made grocery-sold smores really count?) I really liked it, most especially because Aldred pulled me out of the crowd to watch the sunset.

       

        Then we had a quiet evening celebrating Al’s cousin-in-law’s birthday at their place, just bonding over bottles of Snapple (yes, Snapple!), while listening to IZ in the background singing my favorite songs. The original plan was to spend Sunday at Universal Studios (since they said they will be tearing down Back to the Future soon…as if it matters, but might as well, right?)…then it shifted to a short trip to Disneyland…then last minute over sunday brunch at Denny’s, Al decided to bring us to Sunset Blvd. instead, and do a mini-tour of Downtown LA, perhaps eat some Pink’s hotdogs. We would postpone Uni and Disney to some other time when we can spend more time there. That sounded really good since I don’t think they will be closing down anytime soon anyways, hahaha. As we were heading to Sunset though, we got word that Peewee (another cousin of Al) is in town on his first international flight as a licensed PAL pilot. We took a grand detour to reunite with family instead. I was really happy to see him again.  It was all worth it even if we just ended up in a mall before heading back upnorth.

        The drive back last night was tiring. As if the repetitive lines on the freeway weren't hypnotizing enough, Al was listening to this audio CD of Stephen Pressfield's book, "Gates of Fire" (have you seen “300” – The Battle of Thermopylae?)-- while I, a self-proclaimed bookworm, was busy head-banging my way in and out of consciousness.

        What can you expect? This morning, must I say, it’s another one of those terrible Monday mornings for my head. I was sleepy and didn’t want to wake up for work. When my friend Monica saw me, she knew right away (from how I looked, I guess!) that I had another one of those busy blurry weekends that I tend to complain about. She surprised me with a cup of coffee at my desk, five minutes before I went on my coffee break. Sure this was another busy, blurry weekend, leaving me lagging behind chores and other things (FOR PETE'S SAKE, THERE ARE STILL NO VALID EXCUSES FOR UNWASHED DISHES OR A DIRTY FLOOR!) I painfully discovered here in America , crazy social obligations, errands and schedules packed like sardines will toss you around like a tennis ball if you don't rule over them. Tita Ces is right. Here, life will dictate you if you don’t try your best to dictate it.   I’m not sure which one works for me at this point though since, looking back, I see that we also managed to pull out a great degree of fun somehow. Either way is okay I guess, although Al and I have decided to slow down pretty soon. Maybe after September.  But that is the same thing that we said about August.  Or July. *SIGH* For Labor Day weekend, he and I might play hookie, not from work, but from everyone else. And I ain't telling...

        Life will dictate you if you don’t try your best to dictate it.  Hmmm. Sounds logical.  Well, I have learned to see that either way makes me happy, for now. Sometimes it's futile to go against the flow. It's really a case to case thing and I just choose to dance the dance for now instead of fret and be miserable.  It could be really tiring, but this day to day life here can still be a piece of cake. Eating it can be my cup of tea. Or coffee for me.