Halloween at the workplace . . .

Every year for the past 6 years since I’ve been with these “crazy” folks, I too have been dressing up for Halloween.  This year I was “The Devil Wears Prada“…..thanks to RS for letting me borrow her genuine “Prada“….actually it was her idea because at first I was only going to be a “devil”.  I kept her Prada bag inside the dust cover most of the time. :-)Well, I gotta get ready for work.  It’s Friday too!  Yahoo!

 

 

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28 years ago on 10.31.06

On October 31, 1979 is when my dad passed away in the Philippines.  I still remember to this day where I was when we got the call.  My bro was out that evening because it was Halloween.  It’s funny I can’t remember why I came home early that evening but I’m sure it was a good omen for me to be there for Nanay when she got the call.  When I picked up the phone, it was my Ate Dory from Southern Cali . . . she had asked me if I had heard of anything.  I knew by the tone in her voice that it was something serious.  She asked me to pass the phone to Nanay.  Within a few seconds/minutes, I heard Nanay say in Tagalog “ka ilan” (meaning “when”) and that’s when I saw her put her hand over her mouth.  She ended the phone call and told me not to cry.  I knew Nanay really didn’t mean to say that but it was her way of comforting me for the bad news she was about to tell me.  I immediately knew that something had happened to my dad.  Apparently, after 24 hours of his stay in the Philippines, he had a massive heart attack.  Although we were somewhat against him going back home because he wasn’t in the best of health due to his high blood pressure and previous heart attack years back, he was determined to go back home to see his then 90 year old mother (known to us as “Lelang,” another word for “grandmother”).  His doctor did gaive him the green light to go so we felt a little bit at ease.  When we were at the airport to see my dad off,  he said  when he gets back he would buy me this jewelry box that I’ve always wanted.  Also, he told Nanay that his visit will only be a month because he was concerned that when it rains, he wanted to make sure that he was there to give me a ride to school if my friends weren’t available. (I was in high school at that time but my “daddy” still treated me like a “baby.”  I remember once during middle school and once in high-school, my dad actually went to the office to bring me the lunch money that I forgot that morning.  Way back then, we didn’t find it “embarrassing” or at least I didn’t. . . even the office people thought it was so nice of my dad to do that.)  Every year that has passed since dad’s death, I always think of the number of years that I only got to be with him.  Dad has been gone longer than the years I’ve spent with him.  He went  abroad and left Nanay, my bro and I back in the Philippines . .  . we were reunited with my dad 4 years later as that is when we left the
Philippines to go to the states.  When I think back, I only knew my dad for 13 years . . . my dad left to go abroad when I was only 4.  Sometimes I would wonder how life would have been if my dad were still alive.  I know he would have loved and cherished his grandkids JP and AC and my nephews DJ and Mat.  He would have been the “dotting” grandfather!  Since it was several years later that my bro and I started our own family, our cousins’ children, JJ, RP, KitKat and JA were like his grandkids.  Daddy . . . I know you’re no longer with us, but just like with Nanay, the memory of you and your love are with me forever.

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Yesterday’s treat . . .

Finally I was  able to bake the pumpkin apple streusel muffin I had mentioned in my earlier blog …. I woke up at the usual time around 5’ish and baked these muffins for some of the folks at work.  I was supposed to have brought in cupcakes (last night I did bake 36 cupcakes for AC’s school halloween party) but I was “itching” to try this recipe out.  It is definitely a keeper.  I over did it with the butter for the streusel topping that’s why it came out kinda of lumpy, but I have to admit, the muffins were darn delicious!  The “streusel” gave it a special touch with a crunchy texture and cinnamon taste!

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