Preparing for the week ahead

I think this weekend was very productive.  I still have a pile of stuff to take care of in the bedroom, but I was able to take care of a lot of things in the kitchen and accomplished much in terms of taking care of supplies.  (I still need Alan to get some milk and bread, though.)  We usually do our groceries during the weekend but today was just so windy I didn’t have the energy to do it.

So instead I dealt with getting some chores done. 

Garlic for my instant sinangag.  One thing my mother-in-law taught me soon after I arrived here was how to make sinangag pronto, even if I were just making a cup for Alan.  Using freshly cooked or freshly heated rice from the rice cooker, I use 2 tablespoons of garlic in oil and then season with salt and pepper.  It actually works.  I usually have a cupful of this mixture, chopped garlic sauteed in cooking oil, steeping until I need it. I had run out and just had enough time to do a batch late Saturday night.

Ginisang Manok with Sotanghon.  Angel loves this if not nilagang baka.  Since we had enough beef last week, I thought I’d give him chicken this coming week.  I needed the sotanghon last night because my stomach was grumbling from the seafood I had in the antipasto, but I usually keep 2-3 days worth of ulam in the fridge.  We’re having chicken teriyaki tonight so I deboned the chicken leg quarters then boiled the bones with the leftover chicken meat and cut that up for later.  I set aside the sotanghon in the broth because my Mom taught me it literally absorbs the liquid it is in if you leave it with the soup.

We had pizza for lunch and the chicken teriyaki and leftover dumplings for dinner.  Angel was a littel difficult to coax to wind down but he’s now snoring beside me.  What I’d give to just enjoy a weekend without having to worry about doing the house chores myself.

It’s almost 9:30 and I have to start getting ready for tomorrow.  (Have to prepare the coffeemaker, get Angel’s stuff for daycare ready, get MY stuff for work ready, try to determine what to wear on a warm and windy day tomorrow, try to wash one shawl at least, and try to do the finishing stitches on my long delayed craft project — all in the next 2 hours… PHEW!)

Haring Habagat

They call the mighty wind “Haring Habagat” back home in the Philippines.  It has been blowing so hard all day I thought it was best Angel and I stayed home.  The sun was out momentarily and it was a relatively better day compared to the wet week we just had.  It gave me a chance to recharge and prepare for the week ahead.. somewhat.

I can’t wait until I start a new job with a new boss — whenever that may be.  It seems going to work has become a heavier and heavier burden with each day.  At least the boss is starting her interviews this week.  With luck, someone will accept the offer in a week’s time and start the week after.  I’m optimistic I will find something to move on to by next week.  I am doing at least 2 interviews this week and I am waiting for word from 2 others I did the previous week.  Due to the incident with the filing takeover last week, though, I’m treating this as my last week and tidying everything up pronto.

I’m putting my own things in boxes getting ready for the eventual move.  In fact I’m going to be looking for temporary space to stash my things into until things get finalized.  I don’t feel my things are safe in my space anymore.  So much for working with dignity.  There is no such thing as privacy in a corporate setting after all.

So like the wind blowing everything away, I’m trying to sweep this all behind me.  There’s always tomorrow to look forward to.