I don't know if Amie wants me to do this, but she wrote this to Margaret. I miss you too Margaret...

"It has been four years today. Four years since I have seen your face. Four
years since I have heard your voice. I can't believe my life has gone on
without you. Words can not express how much I miss you. I catch glimpses of
you. I look at my hands and I see your hands. People tell me I look like
you and it makes me feel good. I sometimes smell your perfume and I think
you must be close by. I remember lying on your bed talking of the future
and you would twirl my hair. God how I hated it then but I would give
anything for it now. I find myself twirling my hair and wonder if you are
with me at that moment. I see you in your grandchildren. Madeline twirls her
hair. Is that something she got from you? Do you whisper to them? Do you
tell them to take care of us and to be good? I believe you are with them
always, loving them as if you were here.

Butterfly kisses, making bread, big hugs in the kitchen, feeling your
madness, White Shoulders, Lilacs, Christmas, Birthday parades, these are
just some of the memories of you that I hold close to my heart. I will
share these fond memories with Madeline and Georgia and my own children.
They will know all about you. Your love lives on through your family and we
will always keep your memory alive. You touched so many people Mom. You
were such a strong caring woman. I am so proud of you.

Thank you for visiting me in my dreams. I love you Mom. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A smaller milestone....The big, big, big boss sent me e-mail, congratulating me on 3 years with the company. I don't know if I'm that proud of it, but at least I still have a job. :-)

posted by gian 4/28/2000 03:41:32 PM

. . .

Did you know that you can clean your toilet with a can of coke? Cool site of the day finally has a useful site!

Here's another use for Coka-cola: Coka-Cola Chicken
1 can of coke, 1 cup of soy(sauce), cut chicken (I use thighs and drumsticks)

Bring Coke and soy to a boil in a skillet. When it starts frothing a little, add the chicken. Lower heat, cover and simmer until the sauce thickens into a nice glaze. Make sure to turn the chicken over while cooking, so you can get the sauce on both sides.

This has got to be the easiest recipe and it tastes great! I got it from KCTS Cooks Chicken. Serve it with some steamed rice and don't forget to eat your vegetables. Don't tell me you can't cook, because as long as you watch the stove and try not to burn things, you can be a good cook. And if you get caught up playing Crash Bandicoot 2, and your chicken burns, someone may still enjoy the taste. Justin loved my barbeque Adobo. It has a nice smoke flavor!
-g

posted by gian 4/28/2000 09:21:09 AM

. . .

My roommate told me last night that I never drink coffee. She really insisted, too.

The truth is that I drink one cup every morning just to stay awake. If I drink more than that, I get wired and I don't feel right all day long. The coffee at work, I drink for the caffine with creamer and some sugar. If there is none of either, I try to stand it black.

But, I prefer to drink 25% coffee 75% milk with 2 teaspoons of sugar. That way it's luke warm and you can drink it right away. I learned this from my Lolo and Lola, when I stayed with them in the summer's. For breakfast we'd always have coffee, pan de sal, and a fried egg. You can dip 1/2 of your pan de sal in your coffee and eat the other half with the egg yolk. This is one of my favorite breakfasts. The other is rice, fried egg, and some fried spam, but that gets really heavy early in the morning.

Lola takes her coffee with no sugar, just milk. Because she's diabetic. Lolo took his coffee with lots of sugar and no milk. And I learned to dunk bread in things from him. My dad likes black coffee and he likes to dunk bread with peanut butter in it. I haven't seen him do this lately. I think her prefers to sleep in now. My mom doesn't really like coffee, but has just as bad a habit by drinking coke in the morning.

I haven't seen anything worth blogging yet today, but it's still early...

-g

posted by gian 4/27/2000 09:00:15 AM

. . .

Had to add one more thing! Cool girls...

posted by gian 4/24/2000 03:06:56 PM

. . .

Philip and Jayme had some good movie picks last Friday. We were up pretty late since we attended Good Friday services. Seems like that is always our plan for the weekend...video night. Now that we can control the remote, we have enough time to watch what we want to. Even the really funky kinds of movies I like.

I made a batch of shanghai lumpia for Easter completely by myself. Pretty good, I must say. I even did a little twist and mix beef and pork. I'm pretty stuffed from yesterday's festivities. I'm going back today to get some leftovers to eat tonight.

My daily dose, which leads to plenty of other stuff to look at is Christine. I think she's just great.

posted by gian 4/24/2000 01:04:36 PM

. . .

I'm getting ready for Easter. I'm going to dye eggs after Good Friday services tonight. Amie and I watched a little something to get us in the mood. I think I want to name my daughter Magdalena and call her Lena.

posted by gian 4/21/2000 10:26:44 AM

. . .

So...got some terrific birthday presents from the family. A spa facial from Jayme and Dad, a honey-dew melon candle from Mom. Justin redid the painting he did for me last year and his technique is much improved and the painting now has meaning. I love you to Jusy! Amie gave me a peach Iluminations candle and when we light the honey dew and the peach together...such a wonderful smell! Thanks, I love you all too. Mom and Philip say there's more to come...Today I'm getting myself a little present. Actually, Lola gave me a Ben Franklin, so this is partly from her and some from my little bonus from the contract settlement.
more later...
-g

posted by gian 4/21/2000 10:19:52 AM

. . .

Happy Birthday to me! I'm now closer to the 30 than I am to 20. Kinda sad!
I've gotten 4 Happy birthday's and 2 I love you's so far. It makes me happy! I really don't think that April 19th is a day of doom.
I'm gonna go online window shopping now. Maybe I'll post my wish list up so you know what I want!
-g

posted by gian 4/19/2000 09:46:57 AM

. . .

Its your birthday today, the day before mine. You would have turned 84 today. I'm feeling a bit depressed even though its been 8 years, but that's also a good reason to miss you. Eight years since I've seen your face. I remember the last words you said to me. "Give me some of that, what you're eating." It was only mamon tostado, only stale sweet bread, but it was probably the last taste you experienced. I remember soaking it in milk so that it would just dissolve on your tounge. You seemed to enjoy its taste.

You were always a quiet man. You never had much to say. If you never shared much conversation with your own children, how is it that you were to communicate with you grandchildren? I was just content to be in your presence and I think that also goes for you with me. Trips to the bank, where I became bored waiting in line with you. I knew where we would go after though. McDonalds, where I watched you slip the emptied ketchup packet into your mouth so you could get all the contents out. You'd also make those straw wrapper worms that grew when you wet it with some pop. Or we would go to Thrifty to get a cylinder shaped ice cream cone. I would always get mint chocolate chip and you would always get rocky road. We'd walk back to the car holding hands, or rather, me holding only two of your fingers since that is all that would fit in my hand.

Later it was the same. You'd be napping in the piano room and see me coming by. You'd just motion for me to go to the piano. You'd never complain that my music was full of mistakes or about what I was playing. Dusty, the cat, reminded my of you. She would just come in and sit underneath the piano and listen, just like you, sit and listen. I'd think that you'd fallen asleep so I would get up to leave, but you'd tell me to keep playing. I think you were the only one in existence that enjoyed the music I made from the piano.

As you grew older, you got quieter, but enjoyed the same things. Working in the garden, working on cars, doing stuff with your hands. While your were working, you were always whistleing. Your whistle had no song. It was more like breathing. Two tones...inhale and then exhale, in and out, toot and hoot. Was there a song in your head or was it just a reminder that you were breathing?

Examining your habits and traits, I can see what I've inherited. You are still here with all of us and even though we can't visit your grave today, we remember you and feel you close. In fact, I thought I heard you calling me the other day, in between dreaming and awaking. Thanks for waking me that day...

This is in remembrance of you. Happy Birthday Lolo!

posted by gian 4/18/2000 02:03:03 PM

. . .