Good to Know

Yesterday, while dining in a Vietnamese restaurant at mid-afternoon, I noticed the songs they always play. It is always instrumental piano. 

I learned from the mister that public places such as restaurants cannot play copyrighted music or else they'll be fined. It would be considered a public performance if they played such licensed works. 

What?

I've never heard of this type of license until the mister pointed it out. 

He added that restaurants must acquire public performance licenses for them to play copyrighted music during business hours. 

Good to know.

7/19/2026 at 11:47

 I read on the internet today that...  

"Love is a verb 

demonstrated time and time again."

7/7/2026 at 10:07 a.m.

 Good morning. 

It's Friday already. Yehey! 

It's hazy outside, and the air quality is poor. That is due to the wildfire in Canada. 

When our son came down from his bedroom to the family room, he immediately forbade me to go gardening today. But, if insisted, make sure to wear a mask. 

I'll be working indoors today, plus I have a mammogram appointment at 2 p.m. Gardening will resume tomorrow, and I'll make sure to wear a mask.

Garlic Lover

I was checking messages on Facebook, and while at it, I saw this video of a lady cooking an Italian dish that she said she got the recipe from her Italian mother-in-law.

But I got extremely distracted when she put on the lid to the stainless steel pot she was using. Its handle  was an intricately designed shape of two garlic bulbs nestled on top of grape leaves.

It was just beautiful.

I want NEED a whole set of this cookware.

The room that I spent most time at home in is the kitchen, which comes second to the bedroom.

With a little digging on the internet, I found that it is by the Italian brand called Ruffoni.

... and omg! They're so mahal. (Read: so expensive.)

This 2-piece set (pot and lid) costs $650. 

Whoah!

And a whole 14-piece set, but not the garlic lovers' style costs $3,945.

This cookware can really break the bank, but it would be worth it if you can afford it.

July 9, 2026 at 8:33 p.m.

 In the living room...

"Ma, what's the Bisaya word for cloud?" Asked my son.

"Panganod!" I answered in a heartbeat.

"Why is that word so long?"

Going Dark?

I have been considering going dark for a few days now.

I have been staying away from social media for the past couple of days. I am keeping myself busy with work, crafting, reading a book, and garden work. I am currently finishing the book, The Best of Dear Abby. 

I've also been listening to music while working. Frank Sinatra's songs have been playing since 9:45 a.m.

I have not been posting on Facebook and Instagram since last weekend, and I think I will keep it this way for weeks.

We'll see.

I will post here from time to time. This space is my quiet refuge.

Americano

We didn't realize that our milk expired, and that's why Jay wasn't able to make our morning cafe latte. 

He made a cafe Americano instead. 

I have seen this in Korean dramas—it's a constant coffee choice of Koreans.

And guess what, I just realized that it's my first time having it.

I like it. Definitely adding this to my choices of Java. 

1980s Hairclips

I was so surprised when I sold a newly listed unopened 1980s barrette. 

When I listed it in my online shops, I immediately got inquiries about it.

Today, it sold for $25 with 4 people having it on their shopping cart already.  A customer from Louisiana beat them all to it.

Some online sellers price this item as high as $80. 

Surmayosep!

6/4/2026 at 4:08 p.m.

 I was cleaning my drawers I was cleaning my drawers in my dresser and found an old sterling silver bracelet. I think I bought the bracelet on sale at the nearby Boscov's (a department store) when it newly opened in our town in 2002.

Me: 'doy, look! I'm wearing my old ankle bracelet. 

Jason: ((( WHAT?! )))

He sounded so confused! 

Jason: Like for probation?

LOL!

I almost peed from laughing so hard. I didn't think of that. 

He thought it was the ankle bracelet, like an electronic monitoring device strapped around the ankle to track an offender's location and movement in compliance with court-mandated restrictions as an alternative to jail time or house arrest. 

Should I just use the term "anklet" instead? 🤔

6/4/2026 at 12:49 p.m.

I heard my son talking on his phone with my daughter. They're talking about the basketball tournament last night. The Knicks won, I heard.

Both of them are rooting for the same New York team. 

By the way, they constantly have lunch dates via video call. 

It's an exclusive sibling-only kind of thing.

"Breakfast"

I baked a cake with lots of blueberries in it, and I offered a slice to Jay.

"Unsa man ni?" (What is this?)

"Emancipation Breakfast Cake," I answered.

"Di ba brek-fast na pagka sulti?" (Isn't it pronounced as brek-fast?)

"Giunsa man diay pagsulti ang akoa?" (How did I say it?)

"Breyk-fast!"

So I checked and...

OMG! He's so right! 

I've been pronouncing it wrong all this time.

Breakfast is /ˈbrek.fəst/!

5/19/2026 at 8:22 a.m.

Our stay at the Hilton in Chicago didn't come with a free breakfast. However, it was served for the attendees of the seminar. I didn't really know the specific topic of the seminar, but it was related to AI. It was conducted by the partner of the company that Jay works for.

I thought of going down to look for a nearby café for my daily morning dose of java, but Jay came back up to our room and handed me a cup of piping hot regular coffee and a banana.

I'm perfectly fine with that.

Honestly, I hated eating alone in a café or at a restaurant. When the mister took me with him for a work trip in Holland last year, I always bought myself a meal but had it in my room. I usually work while eating or sometimes catch up on my K-dramas.

My online shops were all closed when we traveled, but I still worked remotely—doing draft listings for all of the marketplaces I sell for.

Room on the 22nd

We checked in at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Chicago and will be staying for 2 days and 3 nights.

Our reservation was for a room with a king bed, but we got in so late that what was available was a room with a 2-queen-size bed on the 22nd floor.

And guess what? It has 2 bathrooms on opposite sides with bathtubs each.

Well, I guess we won't be sharing a bathroom for the entire duration of our stay at this hotel.

This building was built in 1927. I had to find that out the moment we entered the lobby and when we got in their elevator. It squeaked, and it smelled so old.

There's also an old USPS mailbox at the lobby. Its use is for aesthetic purposes only.

I don't know if most of these details are original, but most definitely they maintain the look of its interior details from the Roaring 20s era.

We also got a room with a view of the city. The opposite of that is the view of Lake Michigan, and getting a room facing it costs $27 more.

We're not planning to look at the lake from our window, though.

Kitty O'Sheas at 12:03 a.m.

Our kids were a bit worried that we would go to bed hungry on our very first night in Chicago.

We asked the front desk for a recommendation for any restaurants that were still open past midnight. He suggested Kitty O'Sheas. It's a bar at the hotel. It opens late until 2 a.m.

We ordered to share a bowl of potato leek soup (applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, green onions; $10) and their fish and chips (Smithwick's beer-battered cod, crispy potatoes, Old Bay tartar sauce, charred lemon; $27).

I think we were the last customers who ordered food at the bar. 

By the way, the lady waitress was very friendly. Her energy remained high despite the fact that it was already past midnight.

I loved their soup, and I didn't even mind that the popover didn't have its signature crisp. The fish and the potato were okay.

Our daughter asked what we ate the following morning, and I told her about the soup we had the previous night. I also added that I'll add it to my menu, and I am also thinking of serving it with popovers.

UA2331

Jay is attending a seminar in Chicago for 2 days with another colleague, and again, he tagged me along with him. 

Yesterday, Monday, was our flight to Chicago. He didn't get the business class ticket and sat in economy with me. According to him, the flight is just a little over an hour, and it wouldn't make a difference if he took the cheapest seat. 

9:10 a.m. United Air App Update: "We'll see you soon! Flight UA2331 departs at 1:10 p.m. at Gate C19 in Concourse C.

9:45 a.m. Our Uber ride arrived. 

10:50 a.m. We arrived at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Thankfully, we weren't stuck in traffic. It was smooth, and we got to enjoy African music all through it. 

11:40 a.m. We arrived at our gate at C19 and decided to have BRB burgers for lunch. I had their crispy chicken sandwich. Jay ordered their cheeseburger, and both shared an order of french fries. 

12:03 p.m. UA App Update: Our flight has a new departure time because air traffic control is limiting the number of planes allowed to land each hour at our destination. Our flight departs at a new time, 2:40 p.m.

12:07 pm. UA App Update: Our flight is now less delayed. From 2:40 p.m., the new departure time is at 2:15 p.m.

12:55 p.m. UA App Update: It's boarding time. 

1:10 p.m. Our plane should depart at this time, but it was moved.

1:09 p.m. We checked in our bags at the gate for free. It's a full flight.

1:35 p.m. After the flight attendant distributed earphones, I decided to watch a movie. 

It wasn't easy to decide what movie since my heart and mind were set on watching the downloaded Korean drama on my phone on Netflix. I have a few of them to catch up on. But I decided to enjoy instead what United Air has to offer. 

I chose a 2025 British short movie, A Friend of Dorothy. I have no idea about this film, but Miriam Margolyes (as Dorothy) is in it. She's funny, as I always see her as a guest at The Graham Norton Show. The movie is also with Alistair Nwachukwu, a new actor, as her friend, JJ.

2:08 p.m. The movie was over. It was beautiful. I wanted more. It's that kind of movie. 

3:23 p.m. I decided to watch The Intern starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. 

3:31 p.m. 9 minutes to go till we'll be up in the air. 

3:37 p.m. The captain said we're ready for departure but took that back right away. We'll be waiting for another hour. The estimated new departure time is at 4:45 p.m.

3:48 pm. UA App Update: Flight UA2331 has a new departure time because of an air traffic control ground stop. Our flight now departs at 6:00 p.m.

4:36 p.m. We're going back to a gate.

4:39 p.m. We're back at the gate.

4:44 p.m. We've deplaned. The plane needs to cool down. 

5:00 p.m. Our new departure time is now at 7:00 p.m. 

5:43 p.m. While waiting at gate D1, we were told that we have to wait for another hour. 

5:48 p.m. Our new departure time is now at 8:00 pm. 

6:00 p.m. The United Air app updated the time to 7:00 p.m. departure.

6:50 p.m. UA App Update: 8:00 p.m. new departure time.

7:17 p.m. It's boarding once again.

7:19 p.m. Depart in 41 minutes.

7:28 p.m. I'm going to continue watching the movie where I left off. 

It was the part where Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) and 3 of his male colleagues broke into their boss Jules Ostin's (played by Anne Hathaway) mother's house. The intention of the break in was to hack her computer and delete a message she accidentally sent to her mother's email account. 

7:41 p.m. The captain welcomed us all aboard.

8:16 p.m. The captain updated us that it'll be in 9 more minutes till our departure.

8:20 p.m. "Flight attendants, please be seated for departure!" said the captain.

8:24 p.m. We're in the air, finally.

8:26 p.m. The movie ended. I also realized that I think I've watched this movie, but I wasn't really paying attention to it. You see, I tune in to shows and "watch" (but not really) movies while at work.

8:28 p.m. I wanted to watch the movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, but I wouldn't be able to finish the whole film while on this flight. 

9:16 p.m. The captain updated us on the weather in Chicago. 

9:17 pm. The flight attendant apologized that they weren't able to serve drinks and snacks due to the turbulence during this flight.

9:50 pm. Touchdown!

It's 8:50 Chicago time.

9:05 p.m. The plane is still taxiing. A little girl a few seats away is singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

9:10 p.m. Our assigned gate is still occupied, according to the pilot.

9:43 p.m. More apologies from the pilot. We have to wait a few minutes more. 

9:53 p.m. The plane is taxiing again.

9:56 p.m. Another apology from the pilot, and we're back to where we were waiting. 

10:04 p.m. He said, "We're now ready to go." 

10:09 p.m. We're still here. 

10:10 p.m. Taxiing again. 

10:20 p.m. Same

10:28 p.m. UA App Update: Welcome to Chicago! Our checked bags are in Terminal 1 Carousel 3."

10:35 p.m. We got off the plane.

10:39 p.m. To the baggage claim

11:13 p.m. We're on an Uber ride with Jay's colleague, Ronald. 

The driver wondered about the influx of late-night arrivals. "Was it because of the storm earlier?" He also answered his question. 

11:33 p.m. We've arrived at our hotel. 

We would have arrived in Chicago at 8:00 p.m. if we had driven, but the delay and the long wait were nobody's fault.

Now, where do we find a restaurant that is still open at close to midnight?

Lilian Asked...

One of our lady friends just got married. We haven't met her husband yet.

Yesterday, the mister went early-morning biking and coffee outside with her and a few biking enthusiasts in town.

I only know and have met a few of them through the mister. From yesterday's crowd, I think I know three of them.

Anyhoooo, Jay and the friend got a chance to chat. Knowing Jay, he name-dropped me.

"I know Lilian would ask me this: How did you meet your husband?"

Hahahaha.

Such a wise thing to do—to name-drop me. 

He really knows me. I ask many questions, and after a question comes another follow-up question.

I'm Nice

Jay and I are having our coffee this morning and paired it with store-bought blueberry muffins from Giant Eagle.

While eating my last bite-size of the pastry, he said, 

"Ay! Gihurot na nako akong kape nga naa pa man diay koy muffins." (Oh! I just finished all of my coffee when I still have muffins.)

"Ganahan ka mohigop sa akoa?" (Would you like to sip from my cup?)

I still have about 4 big sips of my café latte. 

"Nice man ko, Jay." (I'm nice, Jay.)

He looked up and fixed his gaze on me. You know, that playful look that suggests I didn't mean what I said.

It's not popular knowledge, but I am nice.

He merely grinned in response.

Art Exhibit

We got invited to an art exhibit in West Virginia today, and I don't know exactly what to wear appropriately to this event. 

What I am very sure about, though, is not wearing my all-time warm-weather favorite, a pair of faded jorts. 

Happy Hour

I was supposed to finish planting seeds, but it can wait.

It was a beautiful Thursday. Jay said he'd take me for happy hour after his work instead of our usual Fridays. Our friends who are now based in Vermont are in town, and he got invited to an overnight biking-camping trip this Friday. 

So after work yesterday, we went to Attaboy. 

Honestly, ordering pizza wasn't in the plan. Jay suggested that we should get pizza too. 

We ordered our favorite from the menu of The Blues BBQ Company—Prosciutto Pear pizza ($17, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Pears, Arugula, Balsamic Glaze).

The orange soda hard seltzer was my favorite from Attaboy, perfectly paired with another all-time favorite pizza in our town; it was such a beautiful marriage to cap the work week. 

Attaboy Beer

400 Sagner Ave.

Ste 400

Frederick, MD

The Blues BBQ and Co

4/17/2026 at 8:40 p.m.

I was asked why I haven't been posting videos on Facebook.

"For now, that does not give me pleasure and thrill anymore, and I have returned to writing on my blog," I responded.

She seemed surprised. "No one reads blogs."

Exactly.

I adore the silence here.