I enjoy shopping at IKEA because of their cheap and stylish furnishings. So much so, that my bedroom looks like a page from their seasonal catalog. However, I won’t be taking any of my existing furniture to my new apartment. With the exception of a hamper, lamps, and chairs.

Shopping at IKEA is an experience in itself. The building is split into three segments: showroom, cafeteria, and store. My girlfriend and I strolled through the entire showroom, which consists of room displays designed with IKEA furnishings. We spent a majority of our time comparing and contrasting their selection of couches. However, our main mission was to furnish a work area for the new apartment’s bedroom. It’s important that I have a suitable work area at home.

We continued our tour of the showroom in their section of desks and shelving units. The showroom only has displays and the actual furniture for purchase is found in the downstairs warehouse. The displays in the showroom have numbered tags that correspond to the furniture’s location in the warehouse. You simply jot down the numbers on the tag and pick up the furniture upon checking out. I picked out an affordable desk and book shelf, then we went downstairs.

The first floor of IKEA is the actual store. The organization of the store is similar to the showroom. It’s a labyrinth of kitchen items, window treatments, linens, bathroom furnishings, organizational tools, lighting, art prints, plants, and even pet supplies. It’s all there. My girlfriend and I strolled through each section envisioning what items we’d need for the new apartment. I initially picked up a set of plates and glasses, but put it down before checkout. We’ll make do with paper plates and Dixie cups. My girlfriend picked up a Teflon frying pan set because her existing one isn’t Teflon sprayed. No more burnt pancakes.

You can easily spend the day shopping at IKEA, which we almost did. Especially, since many of their items are intriguing in designs and features. It’s eye candy. In the warehouse, we went to the designated area storing the book shelf I had picked out. However, when we got to the shelf’s location, I saw a similar and cheaper one beside it. It was a few inches smaller than my original choice, but half the price. My girlfriend and I began to wonder why we didn’t see the cheaper shelf upstairs, in the showroom. So, we went back up to find its display before checking out. I didn’t want to buy an item I hadn’t actually seen. We found the cheap shelf hidden behind the help desk. There wasn’t much difference between both shelves and so, I decided to buy the cheaper one. I also picked up a desk and a side table. Mission accomplished. Now, it’s time to furnish the living room.

We ended our day with lunch at Jollibee and grocery shopping at Seafood City. Manang Girlie needed vegetables to make “pinakbet.”

I’ll be back at work, tomorrow.

UPDATE: Auntie just called the house and offered me the dining table w/ four chairs, a floor lamp, and ironing board. I’ll give them a good home, Auntie.

I didn’t go into the office today. Instead, I spent the afternoon with my cousin, sister, and nephew. As we had done the day before, we shopped at the mall. We decided to drive out to the Galleria for a change of venue. The Galleria has gone through major changes in the past year. The most dramatic of these changes is the new wing, which houses designer stores and boutiques. I’ve always thought that the new wing’s structure, design, and décor resembles Valley Fair Mall. Well, they’re both Westfield shopping centers.

My sister brought her new puppy to the mall. She would cradle the pup on her forearm, while it slept. Having a puppy on your person is an attention-grabber. In some instances, random strangers would come up to my sister regarding the sleeping Chihuahua. One woman even took a picture of Tiara to show her boyfriend, who was too, a proud Chihuahua owner. Having a puppy on your person is also, a great conversation piece. My sister was able to make small talk with sales associates, clerks, and other shoppers. Upon sight of Tiara, a clerk began to tell my sister personal stories of her experiences with Chihuahuas.

I continued my search for the new colorway of the Griffey’s. No luck. For a mall with a well-rounded selection of shops and boutiques, the Galleria has only one major shoe retailer. Enough sneaker hunting. I will be ordering the new colorway of the Griffey’s.

I called my internet provider regarding our poor/slow internet connection and was advised to replace my modem. In the past few weeks, my internet connection hasn’t been consistently working. Hopefully, the technician’s recommendation will work.

Furniture shopping tomorrow.

I’ve learned so much, in my few months working as an intern. The experience has been amazing and with each work day, I gain more knowledge about the private sector. However, the best part of my internship is working alongside my teammates. Because in essence, we’re a team. Not bosses, co-workers, or even associates. We work together…eat together…stress together…laugh together…achieve together…and celebrate together.

I went to the office this morning, but nobody was there. I had forgotten that our attorney and secretary were both out for the morning. So, I went home with the intentions of returning in the afternoon. When I got home, my cousin, sister, and nephew were on their way out to the mall. With an entire morning off, I decided to tag along. I brought my iPod and a tiny speaker so we could listen to Michael Jackson songs in the car (my sister’s car stereo doesn‘t have an AUDIO input). I bought the tiny speaker at Urban Outfitters with the hopes that it would produce a powerful sound within its small frame. But I was too hopeful. Listening to music from the speaker requires minimal external noises. Which means, no windows open, no A/C on high, and no singing along with the music. Any of these elements would drown out the speakers output. It’s the only speaker, in which you have to TRY to listen.

Before going to the mall, we stopped at IHOP for lunch. There are only a handful of places my cousin, sister, and nephew eat. One of them is IHOP. They go for the crepes, but stay for the “breakfast anytime” aspect. I usually order the same dish when we go to IHOP, T-bone steak and eggs with hash browns and three pancakes. Today wasn’t an exception.

After our delicious meal, we went to the mall. The temperatures in the area have consistently stayed above the hundreds. Stepping outside feels like cracking a peak into a hot oven- scorching. It’s definitely summer. Walking through the mall is a great way to beat the heat and poor air quality. My cousin and sister were in MACY*S, dress shopping for an upcoming wedding. My nephew and I explored the other shops, while keeping an eye out for the new colorway of the Griffey’s. We found them at Footaction, but they were all out of my size. They had the shoe in a half-size smaller, but I rarely buy shoes outside of my own size. The sales associate gave me the option of ordering them for a $2.00 shipping fee, but I wanted to keep looking. We looked in every shoe store, but couldn’t find them. I guess I’ll have to order them.

After an hour of shopping, we went home and I went back to work for a few hours. As short as it was, I enjoyed spending time with my cousin, sister, and nephew. It was just like old times. Lately, I haven’t spent much time with them. I realized just how much I miss their company and being part of their adventures. It’s what I need.

I went to the grocery store after work to buy my girlfriend some ice cream and popsicles. She just had a wisdom tooth pulled and her dentist advised her to eat cold foods. I brought over the frozen treat and was invited to stay for dinner. My girlfriend’s mom had just made a family-sized portion of mashed potatoes, which we had with steak and white corn. It was delicious and a great finish to the evening.

Tonight, my father brought home a 2 month old Chihuahua for my sister. My sister named it Tiara. Tiara is as big as my size 10.5 Nike Air Max 95. Welcome home Tiara.

I didn’t go to work on Friday, but instead, spent the day with my little cousin and nephew. We spent the day looking for R/C boats at an affordable price, but we had no luck. Our first stop was a local shop that specializes in R/C cars, planes, and boats. The shop had a couple of aisles dedicated to R/C boats, but none within my spending range. The selections easily exceeded double digits and some, triple digits. Our time in the shop, was mostly spent at the R/C rock crawling section. R/C rock crawlers are four-by-four trucks and buggies with the ability to climb steep inclines and rocky terrains. The shop had created a track for rock crawling, complete with rugged hills, a suspension bridge, and mountainous rock formations. My little cousin and I watched two R/C rock crawlers climb through the elements of the track. Their movements were as smooth and careful as a weaving snake. I purchased an Axial Scorpion AX10 RTR last year with my very good friend Sal (he bought a buggy). The only upgrade it’s had is a Cadillac Escalade ESV shell. My little cousin and I are doubtful that our AX10 with its massive shell can make it through the shop’s obstacle course.

Our search for an R/C boat brought us to Fry’s Electronics. No luck. But we did find deals on “knick-knacks.” We bought reasonably priced LED flashlights, pepper spray w/ holster (for my sister), a USB LED light w/ flexible neck, and an HP 2GB flash drive. And of all the things you can buy at Fry’s Electronics, my nephew bought a chocolate chip cookie.

We extended our R/C boat search to Target, Toysrus, and BIG 5. No luck. Eventually, we gave up our search and ran errands instead. None of those stores carried R/C boats. I went to get my haircut before the shop closed. My little cousin and nephew were at the Dollar Tree store next door. I joined them after my haircut. The Dollar Tree store is my kind of store. Although you may have to do some digging, they have great buys. I purchased a “GRIMY” laundry bag and a pocket first-aid kit. I also bought a camera tripod with a better design than the I one previously bought. And my little cousin bought all three of us foam daggers, while I was getting my fade.

On Saturday morning, my cousins and I went to watch Transformers 2 for an early bird showing. I had gone to the midnight showing just a few days before with my very good friends. There were a few midnight showings and all of them were sold out. A man was standing outside the door with a sign reading, “will pay $20 for 12:01am showing.” Sal bought our tickets a few weeks in advance to ensure that we wouldn’t be the ones outside holding that sign. Lines were already formed and had started to much earlier that evening. I never attended a midnight showing before and so, I enjoyed every minute. Century Theatres offers discounted tickets for the day’s first showing of each movie- $5.50. “The original four, plus one more” were back together again. I was very excited to spend time with my family because we rarely have the opportunity. With each of our busy schedules, it becomes more and more difficult to make time for each other. However, we got that opportunity…for some time spent.

After the film, we went to the nearby mall for shopping and lunch. I attempted to purchase the newest colorway of the Griffey’s, but like trying to buy the R/C boats, I had no luck. I guess I slept on ’em too long. After some window shopping, we went to Urban Outfitters on the other side of the shopping complex. They were having a huge sale, appropriately named the yard sale. Urban Outfitters has a great assortment of clothing, shoes, accessories, home furnishings, and novelty items/”knick-knacks.” My cousin and I each bought a Kidrobot Munny to decorate with modeling clay and acrylic paints. I’ve always wanted to decorate a Kidrobot Munny. I already have a theme/design planned out for mine. A design session has already been scheduled. After scavenging through the offerings of Urban Outfitters, I went home. My family stayed back for lunch, but I had to meet with a very good friend and then prepare for a graduation party later in the afternoon.

My very good friend, Sal, was already at my house when I pulled up to the drive-way. We had planned to take out the R/C rock crawler and buggy. Unfortunately, the outside temperatures were inhibiting those plans. It was over 100 degrees outside and so, we decided to go Blu-Ray shopping at Best Buy instead. Although I’ve yet to outgrow DVDs, I’m ready to begin purchasing select titles on Blu-Ray. The prices of Blu-Ray players and movies have reduced greatly, making it feasible for the transition.

Later that afternoon, my girlfriend, her sister (also, my very good friend), and I went to a mutual friend’s graduation party. Many of my very good friends have graduated this past spring, with another bunch graduating next year. The graduation party was like a typical Filipino party. Even my pal, LECHON, was in attendance. Some of my friend’s family members have similar personalities and characteristics as my own family members. So much so, even my girlfriend noticed. We ate well, engaged in good conversation, and even hooked up the Magic Mic for karaoke later into the evening. Taking a turn on the Magic Mic can be intimidating, especially amongst choir members. Some of the other party guests had amazing voices, which translated well into the Magic Mic. My girlfirend, her sister (also, my very good friend), and I sang a couple of songs as a group. Our first song was Eternal Flame by the Bangles, which I had chosen, but did not sing because of the song’s high key. But I redeemed myself by actually singing a larger part in our second selection, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler. Good times.

During the party, my very good friend asked me why I haven’t posted any blogs in recent weeks. No worries, I’ll post blogs on a regular basis.

I need to get these Burger King Star Trek glasses for the crib. That’s tomorrow’s mission. Dope boy fresh!

Photo courtesy of TrekMovie.com

Friday…Aboard the Enterprise
At this time of the year, there seems to be a blockbuster out each week. I got an opportunity to watch Star Trek this past Friday. I’ve never watched a single episode of Star Trek. As a child, I remember skimming through channels and catching glimpses of episodes before continuing to skim. But glimpses aren’t enough to provide sufficient background knowledge of the cult classic. For the past few months, the public has been treated with various Star Trek trailers and other promotional campaign tactics. Including Star Trek glasses for $1.99 at Burger King! I’ve never had an interest in Star Trek, but the film’s trailers were highly persuasive (just as trailers should be).

After work, I met my very good friends at the theatre. I was running late. Luckily, my girlfriend had already purchased our tickets and our other crew members were inside saving our seats. When I arrived, my girlfriend was sitting at a bench waiting for me and another very good friend (who was running late, as well). We decided to wait for the last party’s arrival from our seats to ensure we’d have the row saved. When she arrived, Sal just went out to give her, her ticket.

Star Trek is amazing. Sal and his sister (also, my very good friend) are major Star Trek fans. They’ve been watching since childhood. At certain points in the film, I could hear them whispering about certain characters and plots. The rest of us were oblivious to any Star Trek references. But that wasn’t a problem with this movie. Star Trek stood on its own. Its story line was based on the origins of the Enterprise’s crew members and so, the film did not require any background knowledge for its understanding.

Notable observations:
-In the film, there’s a scene capturing the Star Fleet Academy (simply, Star Trek school) in a futuristic San Francisco city setting. The Golden Gate Bridge can be seen in the background of the shots.
-The color of the captain’s shirt is a rancid brownish-yellowish color.
-Actor Eric Bana is hardly recognizable as the antagonist, Nero
-Actress Winona Ryder is easily recognizable as Spock’s mother.
-Actor Tyler Perry serves as a counsel member of the Star Fleet Academy.
-The actor that plays Harold in Harold and Kumar go to White Castle is an Enterprise crew member (but he’s not looking for a White Castle fast-food restaurant).
-There are numerous human sub-species in Star Trek‘s fictional universe. They all look like humans, but with dramatic differences in facial features. Ex. Vulcans have eyebrows that have a 45 degree angle, which gives them the appearance that they are angry.
-Romuleins dislike Vulcans.
-I don’t know if I spelled Romuleins correctly.
-Vulcans are an endangered species.
-Vulcans think logically and are emotionless.
-Spock is half Vulcan and half human (he feels emotion).
-R2D2 and C3PO are characters from Star WARS not Star TREK.
-My girlfriend can’t split her fingers like Spock…STAR TRAKKKKK!

Saturday…Family BBQ

On Saturday morning, I picked up Erv for the BBQ at my cousin’s house. I was excited because many of my family members were planning to attend the event. And when we’re all together, it’s so much fun. Erv had the equipment packed and ready for transport when I pulled up to the curb. We were able to fit a reduced drum set, amplifier, and acoustic guitar in the little cargo space a Scion TC allows. My cousin had asked us to play for the BBQ at the top of the week and we agreed, minus one member. Our band leader had to work in the afternoon and so, it was just Erv and me.

Being in my cousin’s house brings back many memories. When my sister and I were younger, my mother would leave us at our cousin’s house when she’d go to work. My cousins always made us feel like their siblings, as we did them. We loved being with them so much, that we’d go over to their house on the weekends to just hang out. Some of my favorite memories were made within those walls and under that roof. We’d build forts underneath the dining room table…brainstorm ideas for comic books…make homemade movies…do chores for a $5 allowance…play cards…eat well…swim in their pool until we reeked of chlorine… and we’d even pull pranks on each other. Good times.

When we arrived at my cousin’s house, we unloaded our cargo. But before setting up our equipment, we lounged around and snacked on anything my cousins put out. The menu, included: burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken musubi, homemade potato salad, chips, apple strudel, chicken, oysters, spinach dip…and that’s all I can recall.

Upstairs, my cousin gave Erv and I our choice of “action figures” from his prized collection. He brought out a collection of two boxes, filled to capacity. This wasn’t the first time he showed and let us pick from his collection. Erv and I examined the precious toys with caution. The items were still in their respective boxes eager to be opened and played with. But these weren’t toys to be played with. I picked out a Batman action figure, dressed in his trademark black costume. A lightweight design with an all black finish. Batman looks sharp.

My cousin’s backyard is beautiful. A swimming pool with an attached Jacuzzi extends out from the center of the area. The pool looks like an oasis against the vegetation and waterfall of the landscaped backdrop. Erv and I set up our equipment inside the gazebo to the left of the watering hole. The children were already in the pool making a splash (no pun intended). A few years ago, that was the Fantastic Four plus one more, diving into that pool.

While the children played and the adults relaxed, Erv and I began playing some songs. We never stuck to our set list and instead, played when we felt we had to. It was more like a jam session than a performance. An Apple iPod Nano tucked into a Logitech speaker dock became the source of music during our breaks.

More of the guests began to arrive, including out of town guests from San Francisco and San Jose. Before I knew it, the house was filled with cousins. I have many relatives from my father’s side of the family. Especially, within our generation. As a result, all my cousins span in age and respective backgrounds. Our youngest cousin is only three or four years old. And our oldest cousin has a child my age.

At one point during the BBQ, my San Jose cousins and I were in the gazebo jamming. We can all play some sort of musical instrument and so, we rotated with the equipment. Except, we didn’t bring the keyboard for our pianist (he didn’t let us forget, either). We also had a laptop to look up specific song titles. It was like karaoke as we took turns singing on the microphone. We were out there for about an hour and a half just jamming and enjoying the good company.

My cousins from San Jose all share the same passion for the prophet Lebron James as I do…well, except for one. I think he’s still upset that the Pistons lost to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals a few years back. We watched the last game of that series together. He was cheering for the Pistons, while the rest of us cheered for the Cavs. When the Cavs advanced, he was heartborken and we were ecstatic. Unfortunately, Orlando had all the Magic Saturday evening. The Cavs got blown out. My cousin kept coming up to me during the game to show me the score on his phone. I smiled. Lebron will be back.

That night, all of us Abuluyans jumped into the swimming pool. My San Jose cousins were planning to head back home, but they decided to stay for a late night dip. And I’m glad they did. We rarely have opportunities to hang out with each other, which made that night even more special. There was about 15-20 people in that pool. Can you imagine it? All those people…in complete darkness…splashing around…making loads of noise. Good times.

The evening ended with me helping my cousin look for his mini-van keys. He had placed his personal posessions inside a drawer of the china cabinet in the dining room. However, when he went to retrieve his belongings, they were no longer there. We were too exhausted to extend our search beyond the area around the china cabinet. So, for 45 minutes we sat around waiting for them to just- appear. They were eventually found, but they didn’t just appear. Apparently, the items were in the drawer next to the one my cousin had initially checked.

Sunday…A Day of Rest

I slept…I was exhausted.

This is what $75 worth of Super Soakers looks like…check out the retro at the top.

I left work a tad early today to take Manang Girlie to work. I went straight to the kitchen to see what was cooking. To my relief, I found an empty box of chicken lasagna on the counter and the oven turned on, cooking the empty box‘s contents. Manang Girlie came into the kitchen and pulled out the tray from the oven. My eyes stayed focused on the tray as it was being moved from the oven to the counter. I can imagine it was a stare similar to the one my dog gives his bowl as I fill it. I grabbed a spatula from its drawer and pulled up a slice of lasagna as soon as the bottom of the tray landed on the counter. Manang Girlie scooped herself a slice and placed it in a Tupperware container for tonight’s work break. I bit into a large spoonful of my own slice of lasagna. But instead of biting into a fresh out of the oven, scorching hot, melts in your mouth piece of lasagna…I was biting into a lasagna popsicle. The lasagna was still frozen!

My sister is a public relations agent for a local club and they had an event tonight. One of my cousins has a birthday coming up and so, they’re all going to the event to celebrate. I don’t know too much about my sister’s job, but I’ve seen cases full of party flyers on her desk. She’s always brainstorming themes for club events. I gave her a suggestion once, but I’m doubtful she pitched it. I was given the task of bringing Manang Girlie to work, since my sister was going out. It’s been a long time since I drove Manang Girlie to work. I even told her that on the car ride over, “this is like old times.” She nodded in agreement. Manang Girlie doesn’t say much on our car rides. She just sits in the passenger seat, mouthing the words to songs as they play from the iPod. She mouths the words ever so slightly, trying to be inconspicuous. But I notice…oh yeah, I notice. Occasionally, a car will veer too close to ours, or appear to be, and she’ll shout at the other driver. Even when her windows are all rolled up and there’s no way the other driver could hear her scolds. You gotta love Manang Girlie!

When I cook food for myself, I usually stick with simple dishes. I like to think that I could cook anything with the right utensils, correct ingredients, and recipes with step-by-step directions. When I cook, it’s usually spam and eggs. Mainly because it’s quick, easy, and filling. But if there are some steaks or pork chops in the fridge, then you know I’m grilling them up. I was in the kitchen tonight boiling myself a pot of water for egg drop soup. I was very hungry and disheartened by the lasagna popsicle I regrettably bit into. But while I was getting ready to drop in my egg drop soup mix (no pun intended), my mother took my steaming pot of boiling water and dumped it into the sink. I didn’t know what to say. She told me she would make me a more filling dinner- chicken adobo. I would love a bowl of egg drop soup, but not over a plate of chicken adobo. So, I let her go on with the chicken adobo preparations.

I need to wake up an extra hour early tomorrow. I want to go buy a new CD tomorrow before work.

This is going to be an eventful week. I’m very excited.

-Errol

Yesterday, I went to the plaza to purchase a shirt for my cousin’s upcoming wedding. I wanted to go to the plaza because I remembered there was a comic book shop on the second floor. I wanted to pick up some Michael Turner memorabilia, after picking out a dress shirt. The plaza is an open shopping center, which basically means: IT’S OUTDOORS. An outdoor setting wouldn’t be as worrisome if the weather was a cool 75-80 degrees. But the temperature this weekend has been in the high 90s, maybe even 100s. It’s been scorching. I felt the heat picking at my skin once I stepped out of my car in the parking garage. What was I thinking? I hurried across the plaza to the Macy*s Men and Furniture Store. I needed to feel the cool breeze of the Macy*s air conditioning system. And the sun’s constant beam on the back of my neck was enough motivation to pick up my step.

The lower room temperature inside Macy*s was refreshing. I looked around the dress shirt tables for the best bargain before settling on a particular brand. I won’t tell you what color dress shirt I purchased. You’ll just have to wait until the wedding. But I can tell you this…this Abuluyan will be dressed sharp.

To my disappointment, the comic book shop on the second floor was out of business. The shop windows were covered with butcher paper and the sign over the door was gone, replaced by a weathered outline of the sign’s previous position. No Michael Turner memorabilia today, I thought to myself.

On my way home, I stopped by L & L for a loco moco lunch plate. A loco moco is an island favorite consisting of two hamburger steaks on rice, drenched in brown gravy, and topped with two fried eggs. It’s one of my favorite dishes and it’s always a treat to have.

That’s all I remember doing yesterday…

Today, I went to church with Manang Girlie and my sister. I love my sister, but she takes a very long time to get ready. And she began her morning routine a good 20-25 minutes before I did. Manang Girlie and I were already downstairs, waiting at the door when she finally finished. And even then, she was still picking at her hair and makeup. That’s my sister. We barely got inside the church before the priest came down the aisle. It wasn’t too packed for today’s mass and so, we got good seating.

After church, the three of us went to eat at Chili’s. Every time we go to church, we go out to eat afterwards. I had a steak and a half-rack of ribs combo. I ended up taking the half-rack of ribs home with me. My parents ended up eating it. My sister and Manang Girlie took me home after lunch, then went straight to the galleria to do their shopping for the wedding.

I decided to go to the local aquarium instead of staying home the rest of the afternoon. Earlier this week I was there browsing their selection of fish. I recently moved my turtle to a larger habitat downstairs and had an empty 20 gallon long tank ready for a new resident. As I was strolling through their aisles, I found a tank full of crawfish. Crawfish look like tiny lobsters and don’t require specific care instructions. They’re also cheap. I bought one at the top of the week and decided I should buy a companion crawfish today. So, I have two crawfish crawling around the bottom of my tank. I named the big one King Arthur and the smaller one Sir Lancelot on account of their armored bodies.

It was a chill weekend.

-Errol