Random Chika # 5

1.  Falling Prices of Oil. This pretty much illustrates Alberta's economy.

Picture taken from the net (credits to the owner)

It's so ironic. When I was in the Philippines, I kept on praying for the price of oil to drop. Our family operates a transportation business so the price of fuel impacts our operation the most. Now that I am living in Alberta, syempre gusto ko mataas ang presyo ng langis para "mayaman" ang lugar namin.

Oh well, again we are having a scary economy here. When will this end?

2.  New Buddy -- Handheld Vacuum.  At long last, may sariling vacuum na ako! Pod has a lot of "big" vacuums (addict siya dun) at ang tagal ko ng sinasabing bilhan niya ako nito. It took a while kasi wala siyang bilib sa akin. Dati kasi nagpabili ako ng walis tambo sa isang Pinoy store dito, hindi ko ginamit. Nakakatamad kasi. Ayun winarningan ako na kapag hindi ko raw ginamit ito eh never na raw niya akong papakinggan sa mga pinabibili ko.

But I've proven him wrong. Sulit na sulit ito sa akin. Nathan loves eating biscuits kaya yung mga kalat niya ang palagi kong vina-vacuum haha! I love it talaga! This is very cheap though. Less than $30 lang yata. When it breaks down, saka na daw ako bibilhan ni Pod ng mamahalin.

3.  Plastic Cover for Dining Table. Haha, this looks so cheap I know! Pero bakit ba kasi hindi uso ang glass na pang-protect sa table? People here use table cloths all the time. Kaso nadudumihan at namamantsahan naman. Even if you use placemats, di pa rin maiwasan na hindi matuluan o malaglagan ng ulam.

The only solution is to put a plastic cover. I bought one at Dollarama, saktong sakto ang size sa dining table namin.

Ford and I have not been using our dining table for a while. Sa counter lang kami kumakain para madaling linisin. But we have house guests now, at may parating pa next week, kaya mapapasabak ang table namin sa napakaraming kainan.

4.  Nando's to Open Soon. We were driving in the south area last Sunday when Ford made a wrong turn. And I couldn't believe what I saw, Nando's! I asked my driver to stop a bit so that I can see for sure. Pucha, Nando's nga! The restaurant is still under construction but by the looks of it, I knew that it is opening soon.

I love Nando's. I would always eat there whenever I visit my BFF Raxie in Kuala Lumpur. Mahilig ako sa grilled chicken eh.

Pero hindi lang dahil sa peri-peri chicken kaya ako happy. Again, whenever a new familiar franchise restaurant opens here in Edmonton, nadadagdagan ang hope ko na mas dadami pa ang makakainan namin in the future. Mas maraming options, mas masaya. Sana someday hindi ko na tawaging "Deadmonton" ang Edmonton hahaha!


5.  Dairy Queen's $7 Meal.  It was my first time to eat  DQ's "fan food." Puro vanilla ice cream cone lang kasi palagi ang binibili ko. But since McDonald's WEM Foodcourt is closed for renovation and I was craving for fries, sa DQ ako bumagsak.

Hmm, for $7, sulit na rin. The sundae in the picture is medium-sized. Dapat small lang talaga pero dahil kilala ko yung server, inupgrade nya haha.


Kaso gusto ko pa rin ng french fries ng McDo.

The Laundry-Iron Dad

I am such a futile mother-to-be. I feel like all I ever did was to carry this baby -- nothing more. If I am to summarize all our efforts for Baby Chicklet, no doubt that my husband will win.

"We" finally were able to wash all the baby clothes and linen last Sunday. Oh well, Ford did. I actually have a confession to make. In my almost one year of living here in Edmonton, I've never done the laundry. Heck, I don't even know how to operate our washing machine and dryer!

I have a perfect excuse though. I AM PREGNANT! Our laundry area is located in the basement and it is hard for me to go down (and up) with the heavy hamper. Ooops, but who am I kidding? Just like what my mother says: "Tamad ka lang." Sige na nga, talagang hindi lang ako naglalaba siguro. Lalo na sa Pinas, NEVER akong naglaba ng mga damit ko. I blame Mamoosh - she spoiled me.

But I swear, when Baby Chicklet is here, I WILL. I don't think I have a choice. Sana lang turuan na ako ni Pod gumamit ng hi-tech washing machine niya.

Anyway, after laundry, the martyr husband transformed into IRON MAN naman. I actually "volunteered" to iron but he obviously knows me already. Siguro nandito na si Chicklet eh hindi ko pa natatapos plantsahin ang mga dapat plantsahin. Eh kasi naman, palaging masakit ang tiyan ko (excuses excuses!).

We actually never iron our clothes. Hindi naman uso dito. Ford goes to the office in casual wear so hindi talaga kailangan mamlantsa. But a lot of people advised us (utos din ni Mamoosh) that we iron the baby's clothes and blankets. Para hindi daw lukot at patay ang mikrobyo. Ganun pala yun. I thought sanitizing them in the dryer is enough.

Ford bought a little ironing board at Walmart that afternoon and used his old flat iron.

BIM -- Ba't ang liit ng binili mong ironing board?
POD -- Pwede na yan. Ten dollars lang. Maliit lang naman ang mga damit ni Chicklet.
BIM -- Sus, hirap kayang gamitin niyan.
POD -- Hindi noh. Ipapatong ko na lang. 

After ironing one blanket, he gave up. He returned the tiny ironing board at Walmart and replaced it with a big one that costs thirty dollars. Haha, nagpaka-Ilokano pa kasi. I was surprised though that Walmart still allowed the board to be returned. Sira na kasi ang packaging at nabasa pa.

POD -- Haler, nasa Canada ka noh. Consumer protection ang tawag dyan. Saka ang yaman-yaman ng Walmart!

Fine.

Ford also bought a new flat iron kasi nga tumutulo na yung luma niya. Tsk, ang gastos ni Chicklet!

Ford, the Iron Dad

I was very impressed with my husband's ironing skills. Unlike me, alam niya talaga kung paano. When he was working in California kasi, medyo pormal ang pamasok niya (i.e. slacks and polo) so he had to iron his clothes talaga. Eh ako, what do I know? NADA.

--

I have no idea on until when "we" would/should be ironing baby's clothes. May nagsabi na hanggang six months daw si Baby. For my mother, forever daw (she's an OC!). Oh well, let's see.