Home Alone

My 2 Kids are back to college, spring break is over. Nadire though has another week to burn and she's spending her last free week in L.A.

I just did a prank on one of my tech co-worker by sending an email/text that some of our servers are experiencing BSD after he did a patch. After a few emails/text back and forth i finally told him I was just messing up with him. Poor guy had a huge panic attack. Did i mention he just join our team 3 months ago?

After the excitement and being home alone  I feel like taking off the old record off the shelf (Nadire warned me not to do this). or maybe just trash the place like this.

Happy 1st!

Jessica who?

Last week as I was driving Nadire to school, she suddenly asked me if I know Jessica. I was a bit startled (I was half awake as it was early in the morning). "Jessica who?", I asked.

"Jessica Sanchez, the Filipino finalist from American Idol, she said". I turned to her and asked sleepily, "did you ever see me watched American Idol?". "No!", she answered back. "Then I don't know her", I answered.

"well am just asking because she's from here (Chula Vista) and she's the cousin of my classmate", she said smiling. I looked at her in disbelief.

That night I decided to look her up as I was curious. There was a couple of videos of her but I picked the video with her singing "I will always love you" (check out the ending!). This girl really hit every notes.

Well what do you know, a star in our own "back yard". Too bad she listed her hometown as San Diego CA. Jessica should be proud of her hometown. After all it's a great place to live...

My NBA starters and De Niro

Though it was raining at times, it's a great weekend after all.  Met with Maya (after 30 years) and her friend, caught up with my laundry, clean the house (just some parts of it). But my weekend was mostly spent watching the NBA All Stars (wearing my Dwight Howard jerseys) with the kids. We love basketball (it's ironic we are in a city without an NBA team). Of course I provided the food and Deirdre provided interesting NBA trivia.

One question Deirdre asked me, "If you get a chance to pick for starting line up, who would it be?". I said, Dwight Howard definitely would be patrolling the center. Charles Barkley will be a strong presence at the block, Larry Bird will be raining those threes,  Michael Jordan taking the one on one situation and finally Steve Nash dishing pin point passes and playing the pick-and-roll with either Barkley or Howard for the Jam!

Of course it's just a fantasy... now back to reality, the game is over, the West won over the East. Though I voted for Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant got his 4th All Star MVP award.  It's back to work tomorrow, but before i turned off the TV, I chanced upon this classic scene from Robert De Niro pretending to shoot the TV (with Jackson Browne's Late for the sky song) in the movie Taxi Driver.

Song for Adam

I could not understand why today, I was just listening to Song For Adam over and over as I was driving to work.

The song spoke of death (suicide) of a Jackson Browne's friend.  Quite an irony on valentine's day. I finally realize that the song is a metaphor or even an allegory of love that was lost.

These days...

I just heard it's valentines day. How could I missed it? It's easy...it's the last thing I'm concerned with at this point. Although it may be worth thinking back the time I may have forgotten to do. But then again as Jackson Browne said " I had a lover, it's so hard to risk another these days".

237: Unplugged

There was a frantic call from my family back home today as I was about to leave for the office. They saw my posting on Facebook that I will be arriving over the weekend. As I was talking to my brother, I can hear chatters and music in the background. Sounds like everybody's having fun, I told my brother. "Well everyone is going crazy! Are you really coming home?", he asked. I laugh and told him no but don't tell anyone. Of course they know that it was all a joke. But it was a good laugh.

My brother then passed the phone to my mom. She sounds very happy but obviously didn't hide a little sadness due to the fact that she expected me to be there. I told her I was quite disappointed myself but my long awaited trip back home will have to wait. We finally bade our goodbyes as I can hear in the background my brother shouting about phone bills.

It was a great way to start the day. I drove by the California freeway as the morning rush was waning. I turned on the radio and caught Dan Henley (Hotel California Unplugged Live) saying "...and I was thinking to myself this could be heaven or this could be hell....you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave!" Really?

220: Where did this came from?

I usually set my android to play random songs in my play list when I'm at the gym. Today I discovered this song "Best I Ever Had (grey sky morning)" from Vertical Horizon. I don't even know how this song end up in my music collection. Listen to it here and view a live video version here. Part of the lyrics made me pause and nod in agreement:

"So you sailed away,  Into a grey sky morning. Now I'm here to stay, Love can be so boring "

#197: You make me feel like A Natural (wo)Man

The rain is pouring tonight. It's cold and windy. Tomorrow will not be better according to the weather prediction. As I was driving home from a late late night business meeting, I found myself singing along with  "the queen of soul", Aretha Franklin, singing A Natural Woman.

Weird? Yes, only if you have not heard Rod Stewart's cover of this song changing from Woman to Man. Whew!

#193: I think I'll go to Boston

I think I'll start a new life. I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name.

I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather, I think I'll get a lover and fly em out to Spain...

I think I'll go to Boston

I think that I'm just tired. I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...

I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset, I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice...

#187: Josh

My son Josh has been practicing everyday for his audition this month. He'll get a chance to get into Berklee College of Music in Boston this fall.

Here's two of his recording.





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#181: Way back into love

While lazily slouching on the sofa and channel surfing, I bumped into this romantic comedy movie "Music and Lyrics".


The movie kinda intrigued me (at first) because it starred Hugh Grant as Alex, a washed-up 80's singer trying to write a song for a teen pop sensation. What Hugh Grant a singer? That's not all, he met Sophie (Drew Barrymore) and convince her to write the lyrics. Another what? Drew Barrymore a lyricist?

Surprisingly as the movie goes on, I found myself enjoying it (and yes Hugh Grant can actually sing) And not to mention the song they finally composed made me cry...ok am exaggerating. But listen and watch the song and tell me you won't love it.

I've been living with a shadow overhead, I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long, Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on

 All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine, I've been searching but I just don't see the signs. I know that it's out there, There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

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#176: My top 5 Christmas Song

5.Band Aid Do they know it's Christmas

4. Mean Girls Jingle Rock (aren't they hot?)

3. Jackson 5 Give Love on Christmas Day.

2. James Taylor The Chirstmas Song

And my number one Christmas song is this version of Santa Claus is coming to town by Bruce Springsteen.

#170: Speak softly love

Today is my late father's birthday.He would have been 75 years old. I've talked a lot about him in this post and this too. My mom was never the same when he died. I know she missed him a lot. We do too.

Anyway, I heard my mom cooked  Arroz Caldo and Lechon (easy on the skins mom!) to celebrate his birthday. For me, I wasn't feeling well today. I have some feeling of sadness as I recall how he has been great with our family and how he worked hard (to the point of exhaustion at times) to provide the best I father could give to his children.

Aside from his sense of humor, my dad loves to sing. So on this day I am remembering him with one of his favorite song from his favorite movie. I remember how he would hum this song while sitting in front of the house after dinner. Here's to you Pa!



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#168: Love of my life

Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen, has been voted many times as one the the greatest rock vocalist of all times. Here's why!




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#167: Against the wind

Aside from Running on Empty, this is another song featured in the movie Forrest Gump. I play this song a lot of times. Nadire knows the lyrics so well that we would sing along while we drive.

"And I remember what she said to me, How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight, Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then."

"The years rolled slowly past, And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends, I found myself further and further from my home. And I guess I lost my way, There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live."

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#164: everybody loves Stevie

This song by the rock group Fleetwood Mac featuring the amazing voice of Stevie Nicks. Another all time favorite and even this baby loves Stevie.

"well...Lightning strikes...maybe once...maybe twice...Oh....and it lights up the night...."

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#160: The Lady wants to know

This song of Michael Franks used to be my lullaby. The week is winding down and tonight I am tired and I'm feeling some body (maybe even heart) aches. This song will definitely makes you at peace for a moment and then realize it's going to be another day tomorrow. 

"The Lady's just like heaven when she smiles"

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#154: Maybe just a smile...

I mostly listen to rock music but in my college days  I had some favorite Filipino Music too. I remember those days we commonly called them OPM (Original Pilipino Music).

One comes to mind this song by Jam Morales. Okay not that Jam Morales but this Jam Morales. Why can't they make songs like this anymore?



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#149: Songbird

One of my favorite instrument is the saxophone. I don't know how to play the sax (I wish i could) but there's something about the music it produce that makes my ear sings. One of my favorite sax player is Kenny G.

Kenny G played romantic jazz music such the Silhouette, Going home or this duet (What a Wonderful World with Louis Armstrong. But definitely my favorite is Songbird. What makes his music great is you can listen to it if you're madly in love or just got dumped big time. Either way you'll still enjoy it.



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#140: Why don't you stay?

At some point in ones life, we experience people close to us leaving. Friends, families or love-ones leave for reasons we can't explain or control. All we can wish sometimes is for them to stay just a little bit longer.



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