Shocking

Whenever I'm on the road, I like looking at other cars. The photos below were taken a couple of weekends ago, and I was shocked of what I saw.

How can the driver of this car drive or reverse safely if he can't see through the back window?

When we stopped near the car at a stop light, it was shocking to find out that even the front seat of the car is filled with trash as well.

I'm just hoping this person is on its way to the dump to lighten his load of trash.

Dreaming Of A Perfect Breakfast

Today, I had a rushed breakfast as work couldn't wait. In addition, I was really pissed because my coworker forgot to tell me we have a report due at 9 AM. I was caught off guard, and it was a good thing I got in at 8:40 AM. Now imagine how stressed I felt rushing to finish this document in twenty minutes. My fingers were typing hurriedly as I frantically chewed my bagel and gulped my coffee. (I couldn't postpone breakfast because my tummy was sorely hungry at that time.) Now I realize I ate so fast I couldn't even remember how my bagel tasted; it's a braided honey-pecan bagel - my new favorite. What a mess!

My whole morning was pretty much frantic and stressful, and as I stare at this breakfast I had in San Juan, PR a few months ago, it makes me wonder when will I ever have a good, sit down breakfast and just savor the crisp bacon, great-tasting eggs, and chew my toast properly while I sip and enjoy my coffee.

My report left my inbox at 9:01 AM.  Phew!

I am dreaming of a perfect breakfast...

Happy humid Thursday to all!

Farmer Cat Redeems Self; Or Does She?

Last weekend, I woke up finding my furry farmer already busy at work.  I was impressed at the sight of Angel watching over my vegetable corner, so I grabbed my camera and took a couple of photos.  I think she's trying to redeem herself from that controversial tabloid posting, Farmer Cat Sleeping On The Job, a week ago. I have a feeling she was called for a disciplinary hearing at the Feline Regulatory Commission (FRC), and was told to get her act together for the sake of hardworking cats all over the world.  The news is, Puss-In-Boots is Chairman of the Commission

From a hardworking furry friend and a blogger who has an over active imagination, we are happy to report that all vegetables are growing beautifully.  Absolutely grateful for the rain that we've been getting, and I smile every time I see flowers sprouting from my tomatoes and peppers.  Flowers mean one thing - fruits are expected soon.

Looks like furry farmer is hard at work.

Wait...

Is she really on-watch or busy napping?

Headline:  "Farmer Cat Redeems Self; Or Does She?

A great Wednesday to all!

Lights Of Old Las Vegas

Why I keep going back to Downtown Las Vegas or Old Las Vegas is because of the homey "feeling" I get whenever I visit there.  Maybe it's also because I know a lot of people from Hawaii stay in the hotels Downtown, or maybe it's because all my previous trips I managed to stay in one of those iconic Downtown hotels.  Nevertheless, I love how Downtown Las Vegas lits up every night and never fails to mesmerize me. Below are photos of known Downtown casinos and hotels.  Some of them you might recognize in movies you've seen in the past.

Enjoy the lights of Old Las Vegas!

I have stayed here once - Fitzgeralds.

Crowd builds up especially at night.

The famous cowboy of Downtown Las Vegas.

Glitter Gulch

Fremont Casino

Where World Series Poker was born.

The Fremont sign.

Mom and I stayed here about ten years ago.

California Hotel/Casino's Buddha - Rub my tummy for luck!

My Books Are Home

My house is still a work in progress and will always be.  With so many projects on the line, I don't know which one to tackle first. I think overwhelmed is the best word to describe how I feel these days; it's not easy owning a house when you're single.  My house is lacking with a lot of things - furniture, some light fixtures and more.  I think it will take time before I get to that level of complacency with regards to how I feel about my house.  For me, the most important thing right now, is that I feel absolutely at home.

Recently, I bought this bookcase.  I was getting tired of seeing my books scattered everywhere and thought it's about time my futon could use some new company in the living room.  Special thanks to Bear for helping me build this bookcase. I found something for my house with Target promo codes and thought it had that special touch.

I like the black color.

Finally, my books are home.

Therapy - Prescribed By Dr. Kayni

Whenever I'm sick (and even homesick), I'd find myself craving for Filipino food (always).  Most of the time, I'd end up making any form of sinigang (usually pork or shrimp).  After carefully preparing the dish, I'd prepare a bowl and eat with a big spoon (for better soup scooping), and with the utmost anticipation, blow cold on every spoonful of that sour soup, and savor every sip that takes me back to memories of my childhood days - such is the power of food.  My other form of get-well therapy is raiding the nearest Filipino or International store and shop for familiar Filipino/Asian snacks that reminds me of home; that's exactly what happened to me this week.

The damage? (drum roll please...)

A box of Choco Pie, bag of Salt & Vinegar Cracklings, three Tamarind mixes, two Pinapaitan mixes (I don't know how this will taste as it's my first time buying them.), a bottle of Banana Catsup, two bags of Canton noodles, two Lucky Me Lomi/Batchoy noodles, and a Korean snack similar to Tohato.

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Of course, after shopping, I had to stop by Krispy Kreme and got my two current favorites:

Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles

Fresh and warm Original Glazed

A fine and donuty (is that even a word?) weekend to all!

Cats Of Puerto Rico

I took these photos during my trip to Puerto Rico earlier this year.  I was enchanted how these readily curious alley cats came out-of-nowhere to play.  We were exhausted from walking, so we took a breather, obliged  and gave them our attention.  I grew up with dogs and there was even a time that we had seven dogs all at once.  Whenever I came home from school, all seven would be running to meet me, jumping, leaving paw prints all over my white blouse, and playfully knocking me down to the ground.  My sister would be so mad because she needed to soak my paw print covered white blouses with Clorox overnight.  I didn't mind the paw prints at all and being the youngest, laundry wasn't part of my duties back then. (I did the dishes (sometimes) and helped my sister wax the floor.)

My dogs were my best buddies.  Whenever I didn't feel well and needed that time to be by myself, my dogs would never let me be (in a good way).  They were there licking my hand, do a paw wave coaxing me to play, nudging my side, or sometimes - just sit quietly beside me assuring that they're there for me. Since I grew up more with dogs, I still consider cats to be mysterious animals.

This one came out first.

Then a second one appeared that looks exactly like the first one.

Playfully posing when I started snapping photos.  These cats kept tourists entertained.

This cat was aloof and a bit mysterious with that toothbrush mustache-looking spot below her nose.

A world on her/his own.

A happy Wednesday to all!

Strawberry Sweetness

This recent weekend, PW and I went to a nearby farm to pick some strawberries.  The weekend came with perfect weather, lots of fun, and abundance of strawberries.

The strawberry rows with other strawberry pickers.

Showing off my favorite picks.

The experience was priceless.

I enjoyed peeking through rows and rows of strawberries.

It was a delight to see a bunch of ripe strawberries just waiting to be picked.

Green or red?

We made sure we picked only the ripe ones.

The lone red.

Some of them went straight to my mouth.

They glow underneath the sun.

These ones ended in my basket.

Nothing really beats the sweetness of fresh strawberries.  This experience surely reminded me of my strawberry picking days in Benguet.

A strawberry Monday to everyone!

Farmer Cat Sleeping On The Job

Last weekend, this was the early morning sight that greeted me from my bedroom window (photo below). It was unnerving to see a black animal lying lifeless (that's how it looked like from afar) on my corner vegetable patch. I immediately ran to the living room to get a clearer/closer view. I recognized that, that's actually my neighbor's cat, Angel, but I wasn't sure if she's breathing or not. I thought she fell from the fence and injured herself. I zoomed the camera lens to see if she's breathing, and yes, she was. Phew!

I'm amazed how she carefully positioned herself that she didn't sleep on any of my plants. I guess she's a farmer at heart.

The plant on her rear is a butternut squash, on her front is a cucumber. Later that day, I checked on my plants and found out that one of the strawberries was eaten. Mystery? I suspect a rabbit or a squirrel sneaked in and munched on the strawberry while Angel was fast asleep. Or, did she, Angel, ate the Strawberry? I really should have checked if her whiskers were tinged with red.

Anyway, if I were to put a headline on this photo, it would be - "Farmer Cat Sleeping On The Job."

Any other headline suggestions?

Happy Thursday!

Las Vegas: Fremont Experience

"The most obvious and largest part of the Fremont Street Experience is the Viva Vision canopy and light show. The canopy towers 90 feet above the ground and spans the length of five football fields. Featuring more than 12 million LED modules and 555,000-watt sound system, the light show attracts tourists and locals alike. The first light show was broadcast in 1995. Nearly a decade later in 2004, $17 million was invested in upgrading the Viva Vision canopy. Significant improvements were made and now it has 10 times higher resolution, resulting in clearer, sharper pictures. It can also display 16.7 million color combinations.  The display is so sharp, live video can be broadcast on what is the world's largest screen." (Source: http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off_the_strip/fremontstreet.html)

A delight for the ears and the eyes - Fremont Street Experience is a must!

Don't look down, or else you'll miss the show.

This is my favorite shot. The rocket travels the entirety of the ceiling.

Don McLean singing - American Pie

It's a dazzling show.

This was during The Star Spangled Banner.

Hours of operation: Show times are every hour on the hour from 8:30 p.m. - midnight, and it's free. There are also free concerts going on while you're waiting for the next light show. Plus, you can busy yourself checking out the nearby shops for trinkets.

A delightful Wednesday to all!

Las Vegas Postcard

At night, Paris Hotel (Las Vegas) reminded me of the real Paris.  It was as if I was transported from the desert to Paris.  On our last night in Vegas, we made it all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower replica (460 feet), and the view was absolutely beautiful.  Watching the dancing fountains of the Bellagio from up there was quite an experience. There's also a restaurant on the Eiffel Tower's 11th floor if you'd like to dine with a view. Entrance to the Tower will cost you $10/adult and $7/children (daytime) and $15/adult (evening) and also available is a $22 express pass.  I suggest going up at night because the lights of Las Vegas await.

Paris Las Vegas Hotel/Casino

Las Vegas: For The Chocoholic

I confess! I am a sweet tooth, a chocoholic. Apart from frequenting Chocolate World at Hersheys, I also made sure I visited all the sweet places in Las Vegas.

M&M WORLD

You can't miss this yellow and red at the Strip

So much more than candy

The Phantom of the M&M World is here

Pick your facial expression

Cute mugs

What a colorful world

Pick your favorite and fill that bag with M&Ms

SUGAR FACTORY

In my past visit to Vegas, I wasn't aware of Sugar Factory, and I'm not really sure when they opened a shop there. I was excited to visit their store and had my fill of marshmallow bears covered with milk chocolate (There goes my waistline).

Here's a quote from their site: The Couture Lollipop combines a striking design and contemporary fashion in a deliciously sweet confection that is wonderfully portable and ever-changing. Sugar Factory has created bejeweled and custom handles you can pair with a rainbow of lollipop flavors to create your own custom sweet sensation. Match your mood, outfit, or special occasion with Couture Lollis. Birthdays, weddings, bachelorette parties, and holidays are perfect occasions for the Couture Lollipop. The flavors and color combinations are limitless. (Source: http://www.sugarfactory.com/index.php/page/about_us)

Couture lollipops galore

Rubber duckies

I thought the lollipops were cute with the added bling, but what are you going to do with the stick after you eat the candy.

GELATO SHOPS

The place abounds with gelato shops, so feel free to try them. Dropping by a shop can be a treat for the eyes and for samples.

Gelato shop in the Miracle Mile Shops (Planet Hollywood)

Pick your flavor - I went for my fave "fragola" (strawberry)

GHIRARDELLI

Another cool spot to visit is the Ghirardelli shop

I ordered a scoop of ice cream here. They have lot of chocolates and sweet merchandise to choose from.

Nothing beats freshly made hot fudge

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If you like to read about Pink's Hotdogs in Las Vegas. Go to Edible Hunts.

A chocoholic Thursday to all!