Mochi at PAWS

I was getting alarmed at the number of tomcats loitering outside the house. Some of them are brave enough to go further inside the house and eat the entire contents of Sunday's & Mochi's food bowls which I find really annoying. 

Meet tomcat #1: Pepper.

Pepper is not his real name. We just called him that because he's all black and gray. He was the first male cat we've seen with Mochi. I thought they were just being chums. After we lost Froot Loops, we thought Mochi needed a new friend and that's why she's hanging out with Pepper. We also thought of adopting Pepper but he and Sunday fought a lot. Not a good idea.

. . . mochi & pepper

Tomcat #2: Ginger

Because he's ginger colored. Hehehe!

Tomcat #3: Sunday look-alike.

They're prolly separated at birth.

Tomcat #4. Sneaky bastard.

That's just some of the cats captured on camera. There's more of them. I think the cats from the entire neighborhood know about Mochi being in heat. They can smell her!

When Froot Loops was gone, we thought it's going to be a chance for Mochi and Sunday to be friends. Well, Mochi actually likes Sunday. She likes sleeping beside him. She follows him wherever he goes to sleep.

on top of the shelves . . .

. . . the kitty bed

the rug . . .

Please don't be fooled by the photos above. Truth is Sunday hates her. He finds her irritating. Seriously.

I didn't want any more cats around the house especially when Tapioca has allergies and asthma attacks. Our house is supposed to be cat-free. But then, he just wouldn't let these guys go. He claims he's getting used to them. I'm not so sure though. Anyway, I needed all those pesky tomcats to go away. It really frustrates me when they all go to war in the middle of the night. Thank God the neighbors don't complain and I'm not gonna wait for that to happen. I told Tapioca it's time to get Mochi spayed.

I did a little research online and found out that PAWS offers the most reasonable price for sterilization. We called them up and set an appointment. They prolly get a lot of clients for spaying/neutered procedures because we had to wait two weeks for Mochi's appointment. I just hope by that time Mochi is not yet pregnant or there's going to be additional charges.

. . . cradling mochi like a baby

This was the morning of my birthday, the same day Mochi will undergo the procedure.

She is such a sweet kitty. She likes to sleep right next to Mommy :-)

Before going to Eastwood for lunch, we dropped her off at PAWS.

office of PAWS . . .

. . . mochi in her cage

It's Mochi's first time to be put inside a cage. She hated it. She was meowing crazily and wanted to get out. Good thing we were able to console her and she calmed down a bit.

We were told we can pick her up by 6pm. They were very strict on this as they do not allow sterilized cats to stay overnight at their place.

Poor Tapioca who barely had any sleep since we spent the afternoon at Eastwood. He still had a shift that night. We woke up at exactly 6pm and hurriedly went out of the house wearing our pambahay. No time to change LOL! Since it was the busiest day of the year, hiring a cab was difficult but we managed. Thank God! We made it there before 7pm.

PAWS at night . . .

That's Tapioca's back. He lost a lot of weight na. His diet + exercise is finally paying off!

 . . . the sheltered cats at PAWS

I love these cats. They're so behaved and so . . . fatty! I wish Mochi would become a fatty too like them  :-)

sleepy Mochi . . .

We saw Mochi still asleep inside her cage. The vet gave us instructions for the post-operative care. When she heard our voices, she gained consciousness. But because of the drugs, she couldn't move or make a sound.

We took her home and took her out of the cage. She was still groggy from the drugs but she was fighting it. She couldn't even walk straight  but tried to jump onto the chair, the bed and the window. We got worried because her stitches might open up on what she's trying to do. So I closed up all the windows and kept an eye on her.

But then, I was also tired. I fell asleep and when I woke up at around two in the morning, Mochi was gone. The drugs faded and she was able to climb up to their secret passage in the kitchen. I opened up the door and the windows and called her. I think she heard me and she immediately showed up. I gave her food and water and she started eating.

Mochi was also given some antibiotics. We're also told to clean her wounds for a week and to watch out when she tries to lick it. We didn't notice any abnormalities which was a good sign. She was able to recover well enough.

And the tomcats? Surprisingly, they're all gone now. I was so glad they can no longer be seen hanging out near the house. No more cat fights at night. And the best part, we will never have to worry about unwanted litters. To learn more about cat sterilization you may check out PAWS website.

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The Big 3-0

Yesterday, I turned 30. I was completely okay with it unlike what I felt last year on my 29th birthday. I realized, 30 is still young and cool and not old. I mean, it's still far from getting a senior citizen discount, right?

You only turn 30 once in your life and some people would have a huge party or do something epic. I did consider doing the same thing but after all we've gone through this year, I figured I just wanted a simple celebration. Just me and the love of my life. We had Chinese for lunch at Komrad. Tapioca was dying to try this place out.

I love the modern interiors and the Mao Zedong mural. Tapioca didn't know who Mao Zedong was and he's Chinese! He prolly slept during his history classes. LOL!

. . . root  beer & red iced tea

Root beer for him and red iced tea for moi. The iced tea was too sweet for my taste.

birthday noodles . . .

Of course, hindi mawawala ang birthday noodles for long life. I find the colored quail eggs really cute and girly!

. . . mapo tofu

They had mapo tofu on the menu so we had to try it. We had high expectations knowing they serve Hunan and Szechuan cuisines (read: spicy). However, it turned out to be a total disappointment. Not so Hunan after all (read: not spicy). Or maybe we should have told them we wanted our mapo tofu really hot and spicy. We had better mapo tofu elsewhere.

. . . porky dish

Originally, I wanted lobster but the only seafood available was crab. We didn't feel like eating crabs so I opted for pork which we haven't had in a while. Tapioca is on a diet and he mostly ate fish and a little bit of chicken. But on my day, I asked with fluttering eyes if we can have pork. Not quite sure what to order, we asked for a recommendation and that's how this dish ended up on our table. It's like your ordinary sweet and sour minus the oomph.  Sorry, I forgot what it's called. The dish is as forgettable as its name.

mango sago . . .

For dessert, I had mango sago. I miss this dessert so much and it's such a shame Komrad let me down. The mango they used was sour and this was served lukewarm. I had a spoonful or two and told Tapioca to move to another place for dessert.

. . . Tapioca and the birthday girl

We finished everything except for the dessert. Tapioca doesn't eat mango so it went to waste. Komrad didn't quite live up to our expectations. It was unfortunate this happened on my special day. Still, we're willing to give them another try. Hopefully they have lobster available next time and that Tapioca is no longer on a diet so we can try more dishes hehehe!

A birthday will never be complete without a cake. For dessert, I was torn between UCC or Italianni's. Since the latter was much closer, we ended up at . . .

Italianni's . . .

This is how I look at 30. Not bad eh?

We decided to dine al fresco.

We also had a pot of English breakfast tea. Fifteen minutes has passed and still we're waiting for the cake. I thought they forgot we ordered a slice.

. . . my birthday cake

Finally, it arrived and my oh my, it was so tall and huge and pretty!!!!

view of the cake from another angle . . .

For the record, this was the most expensive slice of cheesecake I've ever had. But I tell ya, it's worth every cent. It was frozen (just like the cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory). They have to thaw it for a few minutes and that's why it took quite a while. Well, it's worth the wait :-) Super creamy, smooth and cheesy! And that red sauce matched the cheesecake perfectly. The cake slice was so big Tapioca and I had a hard time finishing it.

La la la means I heart you ! ! !

Since we're eating outside, people who walked by were staring at my cake. I swear I can see them even from the back of my head LOL! Theses photos makes me drool right now*wiping out drool on the keyboard*

The cake was the saving grace of the day. We completely forgot about the disaster meal at Komrad. Now, if only we had Italianni's instead of Komrad. They have really good steaks at reasonable prices. Next time!

After dessert, I went shopping naman. Marks & Spencer was on sale!

. . .  my loot

Did I tell you I like to hoard shower gels & lotions? Yes, I do! And M&S is one of my favorite brands. Now that I'm 30 and my skin is prone to drying, I really need a great skin care regimen. And these products are a good way to start. I think I need to invest in anti-aging creams, too. Oh well, I want to look fab when I turn 40!

On my birthday weekend, Tapioca brought me flowers!

 my just-woke-up face . . .

. . . mochi thought it was a toy :-)

This is the second time Tapioca gave me flowers. First time he gave me one, I ruined it. I told him not to give me any more flowers because I thought it was a waste of money knowing that it would wilt eventually. When my father passed away, my views about flowers changed. More than love, to me, flowers symbolize life. Very much like our lives here on earth. Flowers are meant to die and that we should cherish them while they last.

Wala pala kami flower vase sa bahay so I used a recycled bottle. It turned out just fine.

I have been blessed with so much love that I can't ask for anything more but for good health and live a longer life so I can continue to be a blessing to others, too.

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Bar One's Big Buns Burger

Here's another deal from my favorite group buying site, Deal Grocer. A whopping 2-pound burger from Holiday Inn's Bar One. Since Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza Galleria share the same bar, I thought I might get the same burger experience from our last staycation.

. . . bar one's entrance

the promise of the big buns burger  . . .

 

. . . diluted nestea iced tea 

The voucher is good for 1 big buns burger and 8 drinks (choice of soda, iced tea or local beer).

 (allegedly) the biggest burger in town  . . .

I've grown so skeptical of some promos claiming that it's good for a number of people when in reality it's just good for 1 or 2 persons (remember this?) I'm happy to report that the promo was not deceitful at all. True to its promise, the burger was huge! Good for 8 people. It was cut like a pizza. Of course, Tapioca and I couldn't finish all of it so we invited a few friends to help conquer the massive burger.

I love the ambiance at Bar One. It's a perfect place to chill-ax. However, the service totally sucks. A far cry from the top-notched service we received from Crowne Plaza. Not sure if this was because we're voucher holders. Anyway, there was this one young lady server who changed all the negativity with her warm, friendly and courteous assistance. Also, we've seen one of the chefs who looked like a big-boned version of Donita Rose. I know Donita has decided to take a break from her showbiz career to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Can anyone confirm that she is indeed working at Holiday Inn?

. . . the burger innards

Back to the burger, one slice is equivalent to a quarter pounder. Yes, it's that big. The verdict? It was really good. Pure beef-y goodness (no extenders) cooked just right. And that fluffy and yummy bread (it was thick but di cya nakakaumay), the veggies, eggs and bacon added flavors and texture that made the burger even more delish. Still, I have to admit, my heart belongs to the room service burger from Crowne Plaza LOL!!!

Christmas at Holiday Inn . . .

Holiday Inn was all glammed up for the coming holidays. I took advantage and had my picture taken with the made-up fireplace :-)

. . . sidebar

Afterwards, we went to Sidebar for some cocktails.

Had my current fave cocktail - grapefruit daiquiri.

joshua tree . . .

And a joshua tree to cap off the night.

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Super Bowl Of China

After our Stronghand experience, Tapioca and I headed to Gateway for a late lunch. The Cubao area is our hang out place because it's close to where we live. Since we are always in Gateway, I seriously think we're running out of new places to try. We've never been to Super Bowl, so naturally Tapioca who loves Chinese food insisted we eat  there. I, on the other hand, was craving for some grape shake and Cibo has the best tasting grape shake, in my opinion. However, Tapioca didn't want to eat there (he despises that place).

. . . super bowl of china

Now you know who won.

Tapioca and the munchies on the house . . . 

As soon as we were seated, the waitstaff handed us the menu and a bowl of crackers to munch on.

. . .  watermelon shake and more crackers

They didn't have grape shake so the  next best thing was the watermelon shake. It was a little sweet but tolerable. Tapioca is on a diet (yes, no joke!) so I let him order the food. My only request - hot soup.

the view . . .

We were given a booth with this view. Araneta Center is all geared up for Christmas. Nicey!

hot tea . . .

Most Chinese places we've been to have house tea already prepared. When we requested for some tea, they gave us a teapot with a tea bag. We were surprised and found it weird.

. . . seafood soup

With only 2 tiny pieces of shrimps and some other unidentified seafood, this was bland and boring.

Here is Tapioca's take on dieting:

crispy noodles with assorted seafood . . .

Again, where's the seafood?

 . . . chopsuey

Actually, this is more of sauteed vegetables than chopsuey.

vegetarian spring roll . . .

Tapioca had it with the word "vegetarian". In fairness, this was the saving grace of our lunch.

 . . . Tapioca & Jellybean

Though the food wasn't that good. We wiped them all out in no time.

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