Getting out of my shell

When you've been sheltered for so long and your family and work have become the center of your universe, getting out and mingling with other people become so much of a challenge.

For many years I've stuck to a daily routine that includes waking up early, preparing for work, dropping off my children to school, going to work and returning home at the end of the day. Once every two weeks, I drop by the supermarket to buy groceries and go to Scents and Oils for a relaxing massage. Once I month I go to either Mediskin or Skin Doctors for a refreshing deep facial. For the non-routine stuff, I go out for coffee with my best friend or just spend time talking with her on the phone.

At home during weekend, I start early and do a few minutes of stretching or dancing, or walking. I clean my bathroom (yep, I’m a sucker for clean BRs), I do some DIY self-pampering (a good body  scrub using my home-made concoction of ground coffee, honey and kalamansi, avocado or jojoba oil hair treatment and manicure/pedicure by Chona, my long-time manicurista.), I read, I watch TV with my kiddos, I watch movies on my laptop, I tend to my garden,  I sleep, I surf the net, I check out new stuff on ebay or do a little of social media (FB, most of the time).

And now that I am practically single (opps, very few people know about it), I want to explore the city, go out and meet new people… but I don't know where to go! What's the world out there like? Is it friendly to a forty-something like me? I don't want to be spotted socializing with young men, they're not my crowd and I am pretty sure I am not the type they'd like to hang out with. And besides, I am not a cougar. I am not into bars and night clubs and I am not into sports (I do play bowling sometimes). So, where and how should I start? Where can I meet mature, sensible, sincere and smart professionals or business men? Are these men hard to come by? I told myself I will not seek men, this is not a priority. I should just wait for the time when one of the best men out there finds me…But, I also believe that I should not wait for things to happen, that I should make things happen… Hmmm, now I am confused!

Hah, getting out of my shell is not easy. It's actually a little scary…

The pleasure of driving

I only started driving in November 2010 which means I have already been driving for more than a year now! I can't believe it. So, it's really true, no one is too old to learn something new. I'm 41 now, by the way.

Would you believe that I enrolled in driving and got my first student permit in 1997? Yep, it's that long. And I got 2-3 more student permits after that, hahaha. And for my last student permit, the clerk at the LTO joked if I was going to make it my life's mission to forever get a student permit and never graduate to a driver's license. Funny sir! 

But in January 2010, I decided to finally take the exam. I passed it and got my driver's license. However, it took me another 10 months to get the courage to drive a car. I was forced by the situation and I was challenged, and I told myself, there should be no more turning back. And so, in the evening of November 2010 (can't recall the exact date, darn!), I finally sat in the car, turned the key, and drove the vehicle. The car was automatic so there was less pressure and less fear. I was driving 20-30 kilometers per hour to the consternation of the other drivers behind me, lol!

Hmmm... that was a little over a year ago. Today, I drove like a pro, wohoo! Hehehe, am just kidding. I am just as careful now as I was when I started driving. The moment I turn the ignition on, I also say my prayer for safety and protection. I always say "Lord, protect me and car from all forms of harm, pave the way for me so I won't encounter any trouble on the road, make my eyes, my hands and my feet yours so they remain active and my reflexes remain sharp. Keep my temper at bay and help me to be patient always. Lord, may you also protect the other motorists who may pass my way. In Jesus' name I pray, amen." On top of my prayer for my children, this is the same prayer I pray every time I go out of the house. And I am never complacent, there's no harm in being careful all the time. I drive fast just like any driver I know but I only do this when the road is clear.

I enjoy driving but there are stuff that annoy me on the road. I get annoyed at reckless drivers. I get annoyed at motorcycles snaking their way through my car. I get annoyed at unthinking and careless pedestrians.  I get annoyed following big, slow-moving trucks. But I don't let my annoyance get in the way of the pleasure of driving. I strive always, always to savor the fun of driving.

It's not only city-driving for me. I also drive out of town now and safety is always my concern and priority. I start early to avoid the rush and to avoid being late in my appointments. I feel it's the only way to reach my destination safely.

Driving is fun. You just have to be extra careful. And most importantly, never, ever forget to pray for God's protection. Always.

Happy driving everyone!

Eating, this is the way to start the year, lol

Welcome 2012!

It's a new year, a new beginning, a new life for me.

Our new year celebration was pretty quiet, I did not even prepare much and we ate earlier than usual so that by 12 midnight, we were all ready to honk our horns and say goodbye to 2011.

January 1, I woke up by 9am, horrified that my twin sons had not eaten breakfast yet. I scrambled out of bed, quickly cooked breakfast and served my little ones who are not so little anymore as they are turning 10 years old this month.So breakfast was prepared in a hurry and my kiddos also ate in a hurry so they could return to whatever it was they were doing before mommy woke up.

Now here comes lunch! I took pains in preparing lunch for my kiddos. I only cook once in a blue moon and I am forced to cook every new year since our helpers go home to their families. I have no one to rely on but myself. My teens are a useless bunch in the kitchen. Nothing new this year, it was me, myself and I doing the cooking. But to my pleasant surprise, the kiddos took it upon themselves to help with household chores so it was not really that hard to be without helpers on new year's day. Anyway, I prepared prawn for lunch, the easiest to cook in the world! I also served what was left of our ham from media noche. We also had cucumber and tomato salad in vinaigrette and fruits for dessert. Yummy!

For dinner, we decided to go out. Hahhh, thank goodness for open restaurants on January 1! Thanks Jack's Ridge! you saved me from a lot of stress thinking what to cook and whether I cooked the food right. My kiddos are very critical but their honesty is so refreshing. They lavish you with praises when they like what they put in their mouths but they are very straightforward when they don't like the food. It's black and white with them, no gray areas. Oh by the way, I just want to say that Jack's Ridge is a bit pricey (because of small serving sizes). When you eat there, prepare yourself to pay for the view and not the food. During dinner, we ordered grilled tuna belly, pinakbet and sinigang na hipon. Average. Nothing to rave about, nothing out of the ordinary. It was just like, I cooked the food myself. Jack's Ridge's come-on is the view, the ambiance, period. I guarantee however, that the view is fantastic. The restaurant overlooks the city of Davao, and at night, on clear sky, it's magical. There's playground for kids, too, and any kid would love it there. Parking is also not a problem. The staff? Hmmmm... good, no special service, just good.

Woah! I just noticed, I have been talking about food since I started writing. Life has become about food for me. I guess this is telling me that my 2012 will be about eating, eating and eating. Great! Time to fill my skinny body with fats and gain some pounds!

January 2, back to work. My harsh reality, lol.