Red Squiggly Lines

I overthink. 

It's bad, I shouldn't. I can tell it's bad because, as I type this out, the word "overthink" has that red squiggly line that reminds you to check your spelling. It's not even a real word. That's how I know I shouldn't do it.

But I do. And I won't stop. 

But I must. I should stop.

For the sake of something beautiful and new, I should stop. I should learn to enjoy the moment and not rely on the pleasure and satisfaction of hoping. Hope is my drug. You know how some people fear the unknown? I do, too. I just love it, too. My imagination paints this perfect picture, and that perfect picture sustains me. Of course, when the other shoe drops (the fearful shoe), I'm terrified. 

I'm addicted to the unknown. To the ecstasy of maybe and the torture of what if. 

It's not fucked up, but it's kinda weird. 

Idle hands are the overthinker's worst companions or something similar. 

I wish there were red squiggly lines that would tell me when I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

Lemon Curd is the Word

I started my day with a 10 AM dentist's appointment. NBD, so my trip to the dentist was over like that. After, I walked to the mall to go get my comic books. Comics are expensive but they are also very good, case in point, Marvel Zombies #1 by Si Spurrier, Kev Walker and friends, which I picked up today and featured my favorite Disney-owned Elsa (Bloodstone, not Frozen (let it go, Frozen fans)) killing un-dead versions of Marvel characters. But I digress. 

Since work would begin at 2 PM, I had time to kill. And because I didn't want to go home I decided to read and eat, two of my most-favoritest verbs. 

But where...? 

And lo, there came an idea.

lemon curd waffles

Lemon curd waffles.

LEMON CURD WAFFLES.

So I went to Yardstick.

Yardstick's Lemon Curd waffle is exquisite. I have no pictures, because when the plate is brought to me, I just gobble gobble gobble. Those waffles are great, man. They are warm and crunchy to the bite, and, when your teeth get into the thing, soft and moist. It tastes likes clouds and stardust warmed by the sun. At Yardstick, they plate them not as one big waffle, but cut into quarters and stacked one on top of the other and that is the ideal way to do it because I can pick one up like a slice of pizza and eat it with my hands. Waffles that you can eat by your hands, friends. Eating with your hands is low-key the best because who wants to use a knife and fork when you can just pick up your food and shove it into your mouth? Less Huffle, more puff, ya feel me?

The actual Lemon Curd part of the waffle is on the side, served like a dipping sauce. You can spread it on the pastry like a regular person, or you can be better and just dip the waffle pieces in, scooping up generous portions of the curd, making sure each bite you take is more curd than waffle, because I cannot get enough of that tangy, sweet, triumphant-achievement-of-human-endeavor-y thing. 

Warm, soft, sweet, tangy, angelic, heroic, perfect. Lemon. Curd. Waffles.

I walked a long way to get my waffles and it was worth it. I was drenched in sweat because Manila weather but nothing was going to stop me from getting my fix. I love Yardstick's Lemon Curd waffle. The one I had today was no exception. If you are a fan, then you are my choir and I, the preacher. If you have yet tasted this magnificent dish, let me know, I will take you there and we can experience it together.

And So My Watch Begins

Fans of the show, Game of Thrones, do not misinterpret the title of this post. I am not joining the Night's Watch. First of all, I am neither nobility serving to give honor to my house nor a criminal conscripted into service. Secondly, total sausage-fest if I join, bummer. And lastly, it's a fictional group from a fictional universe. (I definitely got the order right.)

But I am talking about doing something I'd rather not but is still ultimately for the greater good. No frigid cold to endure (if you don't count the air-conditioning) nor do I have to worry about the undead. No swords nor heavy fur coats. Tonight, and tomorrow night, I work the graveyard shift at work.

(Clearly similar to serving on The Wall, right? Hehe.)

It's a whole thing and I don't feel like I need to explain, it's just something I gots to do, ya know? Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be thrilled to do this, but now, especially after my break-up with my longtime partner (ouch), it's...still not something I'm thrilled to do, but hey at least it keeps my mind off of other less savory things.

Curse me for being an optimist. (Optimisto Patronum? Optimistulus? Optimus Prime?)

(Curse me for also being too corny.)

So here I am doing something unfamiliar but is oddly enough part of the lifeblood of the Filipino workforce, of which I belong. With BPOs and call centers necessitating this kind of work on the regular, I do not worry about experiencing this simply because a lot of people do it already.

I just like making a fuss. And I'm bored so I'd rather be doing something while waiting for my work to begin.

Interesting coping mechanisms I have for doing undesirable things. Talk, talk, talk it up. It's my overthinking self made manifest. I have to purge my brain of all these thoughts lest I go insane keeping it all inside.

So, I've less than 10 minutes before I begin. Here goes nothing. Wish me luck.

Smile That All May Smile With You

A smile is proof of truth, beauty and love in the world.

It is an infinity of feeling, manifested in one, small action. Incalculable. Immeasurable. Unquantifiable.

Miraculous. Wondrous. Amazing.

It is burdens lifted, shackles cast aside and walls torn asunder.

It is giving back to the universe for all it has done.

The chance to make another smile is soul-nourishing.

In that moment, we are heaven-sent.

Freely given. Truly meant. Heart uplifting. Life saving.

10 McDo Breakfast Facts

1. McDo Breakfast is only available for a limited amount of time every day. This is a safety measure to protect customers from buying all their stocks until they run out of money, and to curb a shortage of supplies which creates mass rioting by crazed, hashbrown-seeking customers.

Too Many Words Devoted to an Analogy Regarding Flushing

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where our family from Springfield are in Australia and they discover that the toilet flushes counterclockwise there as opposed to clockwise in the U.S.?

Wala lang, just wanted to get you thinking about your toilet and how it flushes. Why? Glad you asked.

Because it's how I see myself worrying. Like, that's how I'd describe how I "worry" to someone who decided to ask that incredibly random question. I worry like a toilet flushing.

My worries = Pee and Poo

Act of flushing = How I Worry

I worry about stuff and in my head it's all swirly and violent and WHOOSH! Just imagine how it feels like when you're anxious and stressed - isn't it a whirlpool of nasty things, crashing around in your head? Then, it stops and everything is calm again up until the next time I flush/worry about stuff. Somehow, this makes sense to me.

(An over-analysis of the analogy would be clunky and would probably filled with too many pronouns and wouldn't be clever just confusing and embarrassing.)

In both cases, you choose. Choose to flush, choose to worry. In both cases, it's chaotic. A violent whirlpool of waste, and a deluge of anxiety and fear. In both cases, there is relief, no matter how brief.

And with that, I've flushed that out of my system. Until next time.

Looking Forward to 2014 (in Film)

The year is almost over, and I am way behind on updating this thing, but there's still time and I'm in the mood to talk about movies.

It seems every upcoming year's slate of movies is worthy of "I can't wait for" status. Next year's crop is no different, which is no small feat after 2013's great list of films (Iron Man 3, This Is The End, Pacific Rim). Without further ado, here are the movies "I can't wait for" in 2014:

Choo Friends

The friends you make along the way will be plenty.

None of us are friendless or for that matter, "friend-full"

The scythe of trust is what thins their numbers.

A secret kept is a friendship saved. It matters when we share secrets because we share a part of ourselves. It is trusting someone even if you can't see them.

Likewise, to spend time with someone is to mark them special. The friends you are with are who you want to be with. Foolishly wasting time being with individuals whom you can't be yourself around will kill you, little by little.

Your friends are those whom you trust with your secrets and time, your life and soul. And they, in turn, trust you with theirs.

Choose wisely. Make sure they are "Choo Friends."

My New Favorite Show: Sleepy Hollow

SLEEPY HOLLOW!

My new favorite show on the strength of its premise, cast/characters and willingness to out-WTF the competition. EDIT: And after only TWO episodes.

(There be spoilers!)

A Cronut Worth Your Time

Bronuts' doughnut/croissant miracles of life are good. Actually, they're great. I've tried my fair share of cronuts these past few months, but so far these are my favorite. Before my family and I finished the half dozen of them I bought (P110 per piece, P600 for six), I managed to snap a few pictures. I now give you permission to get hungry.

Super Floss, Cream Cheese and Bacon, Belgian Chocolate and Salted Caramel and Strawberry Yogurt. If nothing caught your attention there, heaven help you.

You can't tell from looking at it, but eating one of these bad boys takes some effort. These aren't tiny at all.

These brave six served our mouths and tummies well. We are grateful.

 

Fantasy Diary 001 - Mock Draft 'Til You Make It

NBA Fantasy time! Oh yes, I love this time of the year and I can't wait to play for real. For now, practice practice practice! When it comes down to the actual live drafts, draft position determines a lot of things so I am going to practice drafting from every position at least twice. For this mock draft, I am drafting Eighth Overall. My players and thoughts after the jump.

Mundane Overanalysis: A List of Favorite Lists

I don't know about you, but I love making lists. It's so much fun to organize things like that, number them and rank them pretending to have ownership or claim or influence on these items. It's a fascination with bringing order to chaos and imagining yourself in control of something you really do not have any power over. It's almost like playing God, really.

Or not. Maybe it's just a thing people do. A habit or hobby like gardening or comic collecting or whatever. All I know is, it's pretty fun for me. And I'm pretty sure most people get a kick out of it too.

Some of my favorite topics to make lists for include Avengers line-ups (because one day, when I'm writing Avengers, Richard Rider-Ben Reilly-Scott Summers will all make the cut serving with Luke Cage and Black Panther), what I want to do on my Birthday (one day, I will plan my own surprise party), basketball line-ups (I obsessed with this in high school haha) and the order with which I will watch my shows/read my comics (because there is a way to maximize your enjoyment of these things!).

List-making can be therapeutic, calming and a tiny source of entertainment. I guess this is how I balance how messy and disorganized I am. With all the clutter in real life, making a list of things for fun is maybe a way of "tipping the scales," for people like me.

Weekend Food

I eat a lot. I eat a lot (it bears repeating). This weekend was no exception. Here are some of the things I had over the past two days (after the jump):

The Ten Commandments of Fast Food Customers

Beholdeth, yon temple of the quickened feast, thy palace of immediate sustenance! Glory be to thy refuge, where a man or woman might partake of a meal without having to slaughter the fattened calf nor baketh the bread as others have already done so for thee! It is the miracle of fast food, and I tell you it is good.

Thusly, thine patrons of the golden grill and fountain of soda, I pass on to you a list of rulings you and I must obey. The Fast Food requires are respect and consideration. We mustn't foolishly and irreverently act within its confines, nay, we stand above such shenanigans. Listen now, for I speak truest for you! Follow these commandments that we might forever be blessed. *Blech* Sorry, something got stuck in the wrong pipe for a moment there. What was I saying? Oh yeah, Ten Commandments for eating fast food. Sounds simple enough, yeah? Let's get to it.

Pride

To be honest, there were times in my life when I thought I wasn't worth much. It wasn't so much because of one specific calamity that sent my thoughts down that dark path, but a series of unfortunate events that made me question my place in the world.

So to get affirmation, validation and vindication all in the span of a few days? It's reassuring. And it's something I can be proud of. Thank heavens.

Jollibee Amazing Aloha: A Sandwich's Plea

It's in my name, I'm amazing!

Dear Unsatisfied Customer,

I'm going to get straight to the point. We have a problem: why won't you eat me? :( Many others have already, so why won't you? I can assure you, there is nothing wrong with me. What about me do you not find appealing? I hope you and I can come to understanding. I'm just a hardworking burger trying to get you to sample me. I know if you do, you'll be singing a different tune.

Sensational Spider-Man Annual #1: The Amazing Spider-Marriage

During the post-Civil War, pre-Secret Invasion era, Spider-Man comics went under the Back in Black banner to capitalize on the hype of Spider-Man 3. As the Peter Parker of the movies donned a black costume for the first time, the Peter Parker of the comics would swing in those fan-favorite dark tights once again. Story-wise, this was brought upon by Peter Parker's elderly Aunt May being shot as fallout from the Civil War event. With such tragedy befalling Spider-Man's world, not to mention the fact that he was on the wrong side of the law and on the run, he would enter a "darker" phase of his life and would reflect that change in his outfit, so that everyone would know that Spidey's had enough and isn't going to take anymore crap.

Me, A Man

The man with the grey, grid line-printed shirt had his back to me. He, along with a woman with two-piece gold earrings and an elegantly designed shawl were four in front of me. Next to them was another man, head down in concentration and behind him was a woman, the top of her head glowed a reddish hue. In the row in front of me to my right was yet another man, eyes closed and praying deeply. A league of extraordinary people if there ever was one.

Slowly, the room began to fill with more.

And beside me, a man, cross and beads in his hands. On his knees he prayed, effortlessly shielding himself from all other thoughts and distractions as he murmured inaudible words, fears, hopes and acknowledgements of his being. A plain of white, silver and black covered his scalp. He is my father.

I am not a religious man, but he is. For all his faults, for all his accomplishments, he belongs to something deeper and more meaningful. He loves his family with all his heart, and is fearful of God. Were I to become half of the man he is, that would be enough.

It's A Mouthful: Starbucks' New Drink is More of the Same

Confession time. I (and my family) am one of those who used to (keywords, used to!) consider Starbucks' Frappuccinos as desserts. You know, What's for dessert? Starbucks tayo! Like that. We perpetuated the idea that this coffee mega-chain's frozen, blended drinks were the ideal dessert: quick and easy to drink, cold and sweet. Aaaand there may have been that small notion that it indicated a certain life status, but that's neither here or there and I digress.

I've gone away from that line of thinking. I know, I've finally joined the rest of the sane human race. Ha ha. There are a number of reasons why. For one, those drinks are damn expensive. Two, those drinks are damn expensive. Three, I'm not really a fan of coffee. Four, I know how unhealthy they are. Five, they're really sickeningly sweet sometimes. 

Now, I'm not here to bash Starbucks. Many others have done that/are doing that/will do that. Starbucks and I are cool. I like their napkins. I like their green tea Frappuccinos (healthier, ang peg (well, okay, slightly healthier)) because they aren't as sweet. I like their waffles and sausage rolls and the cool cakes they have sometimes. And I absolutely LOVE their falafels! So this isn't me acting out against a mega-corp. I just, matured, I suppose is the right word for it. I am unwilling to part with my money for their drinks, but their food, that I still like. Peace, everybody.

What I am here to talk about is Starbucks' new drink, their Dark Mocha White Chocolate Pudding frappuccino blended beverage. The signs had been up for a couple weeks now and it grabbed my attention enough that I wanted to try it (there's also a Green Tea White Chocolate Pudding frappuccino blended beverage, maybe I'll get that some other time).

The DMWCP frap (no, never typing its whole name again) is "a treat for chocolate lovers." It's basically a dark chocolate/coffee frappuccino with chocolate chips, white chocolate pudding at the base and dark mocha powder on top of whipped cream. It is the combination of a great many things sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, but did it mine?

Honestly, at first I found it too sweet and too bitter. I am not the biggest fan of dark chocolate so I should have expected that. Those first few sips were too strong for me, and I thought the rest of the drink would be a chore to get through. However, after the initial unpleasantness, each succeeding sip started bringing in more of the white chocolate pudding and the chocolate chips, which made for a much more palatable experience. Full disclosure though, I did not know how white chocolate pudding was supposed to taste like. And I still don't, because it really did not taste like white chocolate to me. That was fine though since it countered the bitterness of the dark chocolate and refreshed my palette each time. It got much better by the time the whipped cream had melted in with the rest of the drink. Then it tasted just like a regular old frappuccino. Once I reached the bottom of the cup, I found a mass of pudding still untouched. Again, it didn't really taste like white chocolate but it was innocuous enough for me to finish it.

My final verdict? Well, I won't be buying it again, that's for sure. Did I mention that the drink cost P200.00 (grande size)? Ha ha. So yeah, I don't regret it so much because I wanted to satisfy my curiosity, but I'm definitely not making a repeat buy. My forays into Starbucks branches will be to browse their sandwiches and pastries, looking for my falafel and for something interesting to munch on.

All For a Glimpse of Royalty

LeBron James is my favorite basketball player.

An opportunity presents itself to go see him in person, after I miss out on being able to watch him play? I'm not passing that up. That's what led me to get in the car and make my way to Fort Bonifacio High Street. 

But I missed his Nike event so I wasn't part of the crowd that he tossed giveaway basketballs to. I was still able to see him in person though. He was maybe 20 feet in front of me and I got to see him for a total of what, 15, 20 seconds? My trip yielded just a brief glimpse of the 2013 NBA Finals MVP. Was it worth it?

I'm a big fan of LeBron and LeBron's game. I think he's the greatest basketball player alive. I defended him through all of his low-points and cheered him on during his moments of greatness. His game is part do-it-all destructiveness and win-together efficiency and it is something else to behold. The highlights are numerous, the statistics are incredible and the total package is once-in-a-lifetime. There's not much more we can say about him at this point that we don't already know, except that, that "more" we're expecting/hoping for is going to push him to all-time superlative heights, and then we're going to run out of things to say.

Was it worth it? Of course it was.