So I turned 40...
Why, hello old blog!
Wow, it's been two years since my last entry. Life has been hectic and I haven't really had the time nor patience to just write about random stuff (though I had been vlogging about travels, mostly for Sloan's memory bank; and Instagramming every now and then). However, I just had to document my 40th birthday celebration because Michael pulled off a fantastic surprise!
Let me start from the beginning. Way back January, I had been considering so many plans for my 40th birthday. It is a milestone event, after all. I thought about throwing a big party (with my favorite DJ Marlon spinning 90s tunes), mounting a Zumba class for friends with the Zamora brothers as instructors (for the perfect tita-ness and throwback combo haha), visiting the Home for the Golden Gays (#yestosogie), or going on a trip with the family (except I've already gone on two international trips and had to save lol).
In the end, none of it materialized. Michael and I decided we'd just have a steak dinner as a birthday salubong; then, on the day itself, we'll just chill and have dinner with Sloan after his tutor time. I would've wanted to have my older sister, Ate Lycel, to be with us as well, but she wouldn't be able to come home from Jakarta until October.
A few days before my birthday though, a relative in Cavite posted on Facebook that Ate had just been by for a visit. I laughed and told Michael that it looks like my sister was going to surprise me on my birthday, but was busted because of that post. Ate ended up coming clean, calling me to say that she and Rocel were indeed in town. I said they should join us on my birthday dinner.
So the salubong pushed through. Michael and I had a lovely meal at Wolfgang, where the steak was fantastic, as was the key lime pie which had us singing praises. It was nice spending some quiet time together, just enjoying a nice meal and talking about life stuff.
I have to admit that I had been getting hints that something was up, mostly because of Michael's wingman - Sloaney himself! For instance, when he got back from the tutor, he mentioned going to Tomato Kick to meet with Michael - which made me wonder since he was already in school when Michael told me the location of his meeting.
But while I knew something was up, I couldn't quite figure out what. A party would have been my last guess, owing to Michael being basically allergic to planning an event outside of work lol. I mean, I couldn't even get him to plan anything for a regular weekend!
Just as Sloan and I were about to leave, Michael pushed back the time, saying his meeting wasn't done yet. Then he pushed it back again. And again. My sister had arrived by then, together with Rocel, Bryan, and my brother Junjer. We met up at the nearby Starbucks and chatted while waiting for Michael. All this time, Sloan kept texting his dad and sneaking out to call him lololol.
I was already starting to get sleepy (hahaha ang lola, but my friends will not be surprised for sure) when Michael finally advised that we could already come by and pick him up at Tomato Kick. He asked that I go up the venue and bail him out so he'd have an excuse to leave. Fine, I said.
When we got to the area, Sloan and I went up together while the others looked for a place to park. Sloan started acting shifty again, seemingly avoiding the door, that I got confused and thought the entrance wasn't where I remembered it to be lololol. I finally got his hand and pulled him to the entrance, where a staff opened the door and we were welcomed by A ROOMFUL OF MY FRIENDS DANCING TO "DYING INSIDE" BY TIMMY THOMAS.
I MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shrieked. I laughed. I teared up a little. I was confused and happy and emotional all at the same time hahaha! I was so thrilled to see everyone, including DJ Marlon who was spinning! I have long wanted to throw a party kahit walang occasion just so I could have him spin - so big deal na present siya hahaha.
They sang "Happy Birthday" then led me to a 90s-themed cake baked by actress Nikki Valdez (na nakaka-throwback din haha). It was courtesy of my good friend Khaps, who at that moment was on her way to Iceland with hubby Dan for their belated honeymoon. I was sad to have missed them at the party, but happy to have had my family...
My best friend Annej and her hubby Vin...
My college friends...
My radio batchmate from 101.9 For Life! Jack Melo...
And my ABS-CBN Corp Comm family!
We spent the night eating, drinking, catching up, and enjoying the best 90s music from DJ Marlon. It was so chill but it WAS SO MUCH FUN! Having many of my friends in one venue also made me realize that most of them were actually introverts - which makes their presence even more special!
Side story about the venue: Tomato Kick has been a constant figure in our lives. When it was just the two of us, Michael and I would hang out in the original Maginhawa branch where we'd talk til the wee hours then go home drunk. Their Malingap branch was where we'd sometimes stop by for a quick dinner after work and before going home to Sloan. And now, their Morato branch would also be embedded in our memories hahaha.
After a while, the guests started to say goodbye. It was a Wednesday night after all, and there was work the following day. Even Michael and Sloan went home ahead of us so the kid could go to bed already. I rode home with Annej and Vin, but not before she and I danced and sang along to Marlon's closing song: Borderline by Madonna! SO. FREAKING. AWESOME.
I couldn't have had a better party. Fantastic location, great music, and the best company! I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE MICHAEL PLANNED IT, AND PULLED IT OFF!
The thing is, Michael is not the type to do things like this. Sure he surprises me every now and then, like giving me a nice gift or doing an errand without being asked (lol), but all those are just between us. Organizing a party just isn't something up his alley. Yet he managed to do it!
Well, he did have some help from his 8-year old wingman Sloaney. Look at some of their exchanges lololol:
He also got some help from Annej, who invited friends. And, as it turned out, Ate's and Rocel's surprise appearance getting busted worked for the better, because they were able to throw off my suspicions and help get me to the venue.
Michael later told me, "Since I used to do this for work (organizing events for politicians), I was pretty sure I could easily pull it off. It was so stressful though! Hindi ko 'to gagawin para sa iba ha, kaya alam mo nang special ka talaga." YUN NAMAN lolololol.
But yes, it all did make me feel special. I'm actually still on a high and keep looking at pictures and watching videos! Heck, I actually blogged again because of it haha.
I always get the blues whenever my birthday comes around - I worry about getting older, I wonder if all the things I devoted my energy to had been worth it, and I panic about how I am running out of time to do all the things I still want to do. However, that night, I loosened up and just had fun. I actually celebrated my birthday. So much so that I am actually looking forward to this new chapter.
Well, I guess the cliche has a point. Maybe life really does begin at...
...you know how it goes. Cheers!
Wow, it's been two years since my last entry. Life has been hectic and I haven't really had the time nor patience to just write about random stuff (though I had been vlogging about travels, mostly for Sloan's memory bank; and Instagramming every now and then). However, I just had to document my 40th birthday celebration because Michael pulled off a fantastic surprise!
Let me start from the beginning. Way back January, I had been considering so many plans for my 40th birthday. It is a milestone event, after all. I thought about throwing a big party (with my favorite DJ Marlon spinning 90s tunes), mounting a Zumba class for friends with the Zamora brothers as instructors (for the perfect tita-ness and throwback combo haha), visiting the Home for the Golden Gays (#yestosogie), or going on a trip with the family (except I've already gone on two international trips and had to save lol).
In the end, none of it materialized. Michael and I decided we'd just have a steak dinner as a birthday salubong; then, on the day itself, we'll just chill and have dinner with Sloan after his tutor time. I would've wanted to have my older sister, Ate Lycel, to be with us as well, but she wouldn't be able to come home from Jakarta until October.
A few days before my birthday though, a relative in Cavite posted on Facebook that Ate had just been by for a visit. I laughed and told Michael that it looks like my sister was going to surprise me on my birthday, but was busted because of that post. Ate ended up coming clean, calling me to say that she and Rocel were indeed in town. I said they should join us on my birthday dinner.
So the salubong pushed through. Michael and I had a lovely meal at Wolfgang, where the steak was fantastic, as was the key lime pie which had us singing praises. It was nice spending some quiet time together, just enjoying a nice meal and talking about life stuff.
On my actual birthday, Michael was suddenly called in for a quick meeting somewhere in Morato. I didn't mind as I felt I could use some alone time anyway. I went to the mall for a bit, came home and worked a little, then waited for Sloan to get back from the tutor so we could all meet up for dinner.
I have to admit that I had been getting hints that something was up, mostly because of Michael's wingman - Sloaney himself! For instance, when he got back from the tutor, he mentioned going to Tomato Kick to meet with Michael - which made me wonder since he was already in school when Michael told me the location of his meeting.
But while I knew something was up, I couldn't quite figure out what. A party would have been my last guess, owing to Michael being basically allergic to planning an event outside of work lol. I mean, I couldn't even get him to plan anything for a regular weekend!
Just as Sloan and I were about to leave, Michael pushed back the time, saying his meeting wasn't done yet. Then he pushed it back again. And again. My sister had arrived by then, together with Rocel, Bryan, and my brother Junjer. We met up at the nearby Starbucks and chatted while waiting for Michael. All this time, Sloan kept texting his dad and sneaking out to call him lololol.
I was already starting to get sleepy (hahaha ang lola, but my friends will not be surprised for sure) when Michael finally advised that we could already come by and pick him up at Tomato Kick. He asked that I go up the venue and bail him out so he'd have an excuse to leave. Fine, I said.
When we got to the area, Sloan and I went up together while the others looked for a place to park. Sloan started acting shifty again, seemingly avoiding the door, that I got confused and thought the entrance wasn't where I remembered it to be lololol. I finally got his hand and pulled him to the entrance, where a staff opened the door and we were welcomed by A ROOMFUL OF MY FRIENDS DANCING TO "DYING INSIDE" BY TIMMY THOMAS.
I MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shrieked. I laughed. I teared up a little. I was confused and happy and emotional all at the same time hahaha! I was so thrilled to see everyone, including DJ Marlon who was spinning! I have long wanted to throw a party kahit walang occasion just so I could have him spin - so big deal na present siya hahaha.
They sang "Happy Birthday" then led me to a 90s-themed cake baked by actress Nikki Valdez (na nakaka-throwback din haha). It was courtesy of my good friend Khaps, who at that moment was on her way to Iceland with hubby Dan for their belated honeymoon. I was sad to have missed them at the party, but happy to have had my family...
My best friend Annej and her hubby Vin...
My college friends...
My radio batchmate from 101.9 For Life! Jack Melo...
And my ABS-CBN Corp Comm family!
Michael said he had wanted to invite more people, like my Sun Life family, but sadly, the venue wasn't big enough to accommodate everyone. No worries, we'll party together next time :P
We spent the night eating, drinking, catching up, and enjoying the best 90s music from DJ Marlon. It was so chill but it WAS SO MUCH FUN! Having many of my friends in one venue also made me realize that most of them were actually introverts - which makes their presence even more special!
Side story about the venue: Tomato Kick has been a constant figure in our lives. When it was just the two of us, Michael and I would hang out in the original Maginhawa branch where we'd talk til the wee hours then go home drunk. Their Malingap branch was where we'd sometimes stop by for a quick dinner after work and before going home to Sloan. And now, their Morato branch would also be embedded in our memories hahaha.
I couldn't have had a better party. Fantastic location, great music, and the best company! I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE MICHAEL PLANNED IT, AND PULLED IT OFF!
The thing is, Michael is not the type to do things like this. Sure he surprises me every now and then, like giving me a nice gift or doing an errand without being asked (lol), but all those are just between us. Organizing a party just isn't something up his alley. Yet he managed to do it!
Well, he did have some help from his 8-year old wingman Sloaney. Look at some of their exchanges lololol:
Michael later told me, "Since I used to do this for work (organizing events for politicians), I was pretty sure I could easily pull it off. It was so stressful though! Hindi ko 'to gagawin para sa iba ha, kaya alam mo nang special ka talaga." YUN NAMAN lolololol.
But yes, it all did make me feel special. I'm actually still on a high and keep looking at pictures and watching videos! Heck, I actually blogged again because of it haha.
I always get the blues whenever my birthday comes around - I worry about getting older, I wonder if all the things I devoted my energy to had been worth it, and I panic about how I am running out of time to do all the things I still want to do. However, that night, I loosened up and just had fun. I actually celebrated my birthday. So much so that I am actually looking forward to this new chapter.
Well, I guess the cliche has a point. Maybe life really does begin at...
...you know how it goes. Cheers!
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