RED MARBLES

Someone sent this to me last week and with the global food crisis that is upon us PLEASE spare a moment to think of those who are less fortunate and do your part to help them ease their burden.

I was at the corner grocery store buying someearly potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean,hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'
'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin'them peas. They sure look good.'
'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'
'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'
'Good. Anything I can help you with?'
'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'
'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr.Miller.
'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'
'Well, what have you to trade me for some of thosepeas?'
'All I got's my prize marble here.'
'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.
'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'
'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one isblue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.
'Not zackley but almost..'
'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.
'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in thatIdaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho '

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath..

Finally...

PHEW!!! It's sure been a while since I last posted something, hasn't it? Bet most of you think I've given up blogging for good so something. NOT! It's just that I'm getting back into the groove of school life!!

Yes. Turning your mind off for over 20 years does take it's toll! LOL I'm only glad that I managed to finish a couple of my assignments in time. It was no easy task because they were back to back and required a lot of research and reading. On Sunday, we actually we spent the entire day from 7 am to 5 .30 pm in a study group. I am not kidding.

On top of that my other best buddy Sean, had a little crisis last week too. His wife's water bag ruptured on Wednesday and she was admitted to the hospital. It caused a few anxious moments and they couldn't wait for the baby to come out through a normal delivery so they had to have a C-section. The "little nipper" as Sean likes to call him was born to this world on Thursday at 3.44 pm. After the baby was born he called me and didn't say a word but cried and I was so touched I wish I could have been with him at that moment because there is so much emotion running through your veins and when the long wait is finally over you just need to let it all out. Wifey and me rushed there after work though and were the only ones there because their families had not arrived. We got a sneak peek at the handsome little guy...

Wifey and I was going back and forth to the hospital to see the little guy, who looks nothing like his old man, LOL. Seriously Sean and his wifey were pretty worried throughout the ordeal and we just wanted to give them a little support. After all the visits to the hospital we'd go back and study till late too. Our batteries were on overdrive but we knew they needed a hand besides it's not everyday a person becomes a First Time Dad!!! We did want to be there on Sunday too when they were discharged but just couldn't make it because of the study group, would you believe.

It's also our little one's third birthday this Saturday!! Woo Hoo!! We haven't even had a chance to get her a present yet and I haven't got a clue what to get either. Anybody got any ideas?

We're just throwing her a little dinner and inviting some family and friends. I'm cooking LOL I actually wanted to do a real party for her but with classes and all I just couldn't plan it properly. Oh oh I haven't ordered the cake yet!!

Okay I better hit the sack!! Got work tomorrow and study group meets too again for next weeks assignment!! DOH!!

A little story...

This is a little story I got today in an email and I thought that this would be a nice item to share with everyone. Unfortunately the author is unknown or else I'd give him proper acknowledgement for his writing because this is certainly no attempt at plagiarism. It goes like this...

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, she had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore..I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I did'nt have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a months time and she did'nt want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes
and said softly, don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realised she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me, .. she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realise that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote:

I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property , the money in the bank, blah..blah..blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you, but if you do, you just might save a marriage.

- Author unknown -

I actually received this story from a friend who is now divorced and that's what moved me to post it. We all know that not always do things go back to the way they began. Each person has their own reasons for doing something like this and each time the outcome can be different.

What do you think?

Wordless Wednessday

Daddy...

look at me...

All gone!!


Meanwhile at home I have to pore over all these books!!
THis is only for one of the subjects mind you!!

Happy Chinese New Year!

GONG XI FA CHAI!!

Wishing all my Chinese friends a Happy and Prosperous Year of the Rat!!

GongXi GongXi!!

Back to School

No! I’m not talking about the new school year where thousands of children moan and groan their way back to school. I’m talking about me. YES!! You read right! ME!! I am moaning and groaning my way back to school! (and buddy if you laugh I’m gonna smack you so hard your eyes are gonna be crossed for life LOL)

Talk about life changes when you have a child. First it was my signing up for the gym last year. I mean I never thought for a moment that I’d join a gym because I always thought it was a waste of time and money. Besides I hate to exercise…I’d rather play games like football and basketball. However, after years of trying unsuccessfully to lose weight by every possible way I took the one option I had never tried. Exercise under a trained professional. The results were good and I lost a lot of weight. This year I haven’t really picked up momentum yet! Still getting back into the routine for the new year and hope to get back on track. The reason I was so determined was just plain simple… I became a First Time Dad.

Now, I’m doing the thing I hated the most…Study!! Believe me I never liked studying when I was in school all those years ago and I still don’t. I don’t really mind those short-term training sessions that last for a week or two or less but a full blown course is something different. But here I am now taking my Masters in Business Administration. That’s right! Me and MBA student (LJ quit laughing…I will have to learn how to spell now LOL).

Trust me I’ve tried to find ways to wrangle out of this and to avoid taking the course but unfortunately I could not find an excuse good enough. I want to improve myself and to learn. (Is that me talking?) I’m partly doing this for myself and partly for my daughter so that I can set her a good example too. Believe me I’d never have even though of taking this if it weren’t for her.

Anyway, I managed to convince wifey too that it would be beneficial for her and also that it would be a great help to me to have a partner to push me to study otherwise I’d find all kinds of excuses not to do it! Of course, ultimately she’ll diverge to her field of expertise that is Marketing and I’ll be in my area of expertise which is Human Resources Management. Yesterday was our first day at school. Believe me it’s been almost 20 years since I last did this and boy did it feel strange!! Walking down the corridors and seeing people who were mostly younger than us mingle in the hallways. In a way it felt good.

Unfortunately, taking up this course is also going to eat away at the time we spend with our little one and it really does make us both feel bad. Although, classes will be only twice a week for about three hours only there will be assignments and coursework and other little things that will crop up. It’s going to go on for eighteen long months so you can imagine how much time we’ll be away.

In fact this morning, wifey was telling me that last night the little one was talking in her sleep and asking her ‘Yaya” (Filipino for nanny) where Mummy was...So this will undoubtedly be a challenge. Not to mention that we still have to go to the gym too…what was that old saying a Healthy Body means a Healthy Mind!

I know that I am taking a step in the right direction no matter what happens and just hope that I haven’t bit off more that I can chew!! Only time will tell!!

And the journey continues…

Weekend Review

It was another eventful weekend! On Saturday we had another wedding (I guess it's a good time to get married) to attend. Best part is was that he was also one of those folks that I have been waiting for to get married and both were a week apart. Talk about coincidences.

A long time ago there were also three of us in our group of cousins who were of the same age. Joey, Roland and I. We were always together during family functions and parties. Back in the old days.

Once we grew up we sorta drifted apart and with work sometimes taking priority we didn't meet up as often as we should have. Sadly as fate would have it Joey met with a terrible accident several years ago and although he survived he was never the same. They had to reconstruct part of his skull although he recovered there was always some sort of medication he had to take. A few years ago Joey sadly passed away leaving behind a young wife and two very young children. They moved back to her folks place in Sabah and I have not seen them since.

That left Roland and me. Now Roland was a shy sort of guy too and I'm so happy that he managed to finally tie the knot. I didn't participate as much in his wedding like I did for Sean's but inside I was quietly happy for him.

The funny thing was at the church when the priest showed up, he was in fact Joey's classmate whom I knew too. And that was what got me to thinking about the past and our old friendship and camaraderie! In a way I felt Joey was there too.

The wedding was pretty nice and I finally got to see my daughter dance. Well this time there was no dancing and no dance music but a singer and a backup she was really happy to dance. Go figure! LOL She was fun to watch and at the end of some songs she took a bow. My daughter continues to amaze me because I don't know where she learned that from. Unfortunately I didn't take the camera this time!

On Sunday we also had a surprise in store for the little one. We took her for the the Disney Magic show that is currently in town. Now I remember going for a few shows with my Mum (dad had died early) and those memories are still with me. It was fun then too. So on 11/11 (November 11) at 11 we watched the show. I think she was really excited and happy to see her cartoon characters come to life. Clapping and laughing along. I'm glad that we had taken her. Unfortunately, the organizers did not allow for cameras to be taken inside so again no photos. But the memories will live on I'm sure just like my memories of the first Disney show I went for. Those folks sure do know how to make a kid happy!

The Mug

My popular Genie Buddy who is also known as Emila author of...or should I say illustrator extraordinire of Emila's Illustrated Blog had a competition recently at her blog and the Genie King won!!! The prize... a beautifully hand painted mug with her cartoon character Norah painted on it with her cat and the litttle dragonflies buzzing away in the background!


As soon as I got home on Friday I opened the much awaited package with a little help from my daughter and wife (who took the pictures).


Here is the parcel and the little one who was so anxious to see what was tucked away inside!

Later that night a mean looking pirate was also sighted nearby trying to get her grubby hands on me mug! hehe

Thanks again Emila
!

Not Just a Walk in the Park

We've been meaning to take the little one to the park for quite a while and decided to do so when we woke up early this morning. However, it started to drizzle before we even got to the car...and we thought that our hopes would be dashed.

Anyway, we decided to stick it out. So we first went for a quick little breakfast at our favourite Indian restaurant...we had thosai, apam, roti chanai and vadai with coffee, teh tarik and milo! (alien sounding names for some of you but look it up on Google if you want to know more LOL). Daughter was all upset when we reached there and asked "Where is the playground?" but we said you have to eat first and surprisingly she was okay after that.

By the time we finished our meal the drizzle had subsided and we were all set to go. When we got there we were pleasantly surprised that there was some new features in the park. In addition to the old play set they had a few new additions. It's nice to see our taxes put to good use sometimes.

This is what we did...

As you can see the little one had a ball...in fact in the last picture she looks like she is in a ball!

After that we went home to rest because I had to go to the gym a little later too.

Today I also decided to make curry puffs! Thats a tasty fried treat that is filled with curried meat (usually beef or chicken) and potatoes! It's delicious for tea time or as a snack. Today I've made the filling (beef because its my favourite) and the dough and I can tell from the smell wafting through my room from the kitchen that my helper has started frying the puffs...

Woo Hoo...In a few moments I'll be digging in with a nice hot mug of black coffee by my side (GP and LJ sorry can't share lah). But hold on a second...I didn't forget you guys totally...I'll be leaving my curry puffs for you to enjoy too...I mean some pictures of my curry puffs! hehehe

Talk about live"feed"!!!

Happy Halloween!

Today we had our office Halloween Party. We are encouraged to decorate our offices and even dress ourselves up! Yeah my office is fun...to tell you the truth (not boasting) we usually win the prize for best decorated (both Halloween and Christmas)

I do enjoy decorating the place and coming up with new and exciting ideas. The theme for our office this year was Arabian Nights! One person in our little section could not make it so were were a little short and we didn't decorate much because we were busy too but we still had an Arab Sheikh...which I promptly named Sheikh Yourbooty! hehehe We had Princess Jasmine in a cute pink bellydancing outfit. And we had a visit for the mighty Genie King...err me of course LOL

This is what we looked like! (Turn away now if you have a queasy stomach hehehe)

As you can see it was pretty hard to stand on a real flying carpet...had to keep my balance or I'd have fallen off! Some folks though I was a pirate...and at first I wondered why...hey I don't have a full length mirror in my office okay! (and I didn't want to wander around looking like that either) And don't anyone dare ask me about the earrings, okay?!!!!

I actually assembled my costume myself. Had someone sew it though! I did buy the material (with wifey of course) and bling bling! Would you believe I was actually shopping for earrings and pendants and shiny wrist bands...but the wrist bands are way too small LOL I also got a sword and the only thing I didn't have was a turban...so I tried to make one (as you can see it didn't turn out that great because they are hard to make).

Happy Halloween to all those who enjoy the "spirit" of it! :)

Guess What???

My new trainer is quitting!!! Yes, the trainer I’ve been having trouble with is quitting! He said something about starting his own business and will be leaving in November! The worst part is on the last day I really felt we were making progress and was quite happy until he broke the news.

He asked me who I wanted to replace him and I said that I only want my former trainer, Isaiah, back. In fact he knew that that was what I’d want and he’s already talked to Isaiah. So on Thursday I’m supposed to meet them both to discuss the transition! Woo hoo!

I guess that this solves my problem. Now I don’t have any excuses either! I hope that I get my full momentum back and my weight loss program will be back on track.

In memory of...

A friend of mine has lost a brother today...

and although I did not know Ng Beng Hwee personally, I have followed his struggles as his sister Janice and her family have watched him literally fight to live. In the end, he faught a good fight but God has bigger plans for him in heaven.

"Think not of death as an end but as a new beginning..."

Our prayers and condolences are with Janice and her family.

Alien Invasion

Okay okay...so the aliens are not invading...but I just liked this picture of this new species of jellyfish that was found in the deep trenches off the Phillipine seaboard. I always love it when they find new and exciting species. AND Tell me honestly...it does look like a Flying Saucer, right?

Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with what I was going to post about!

What I really wanted to post was a little something about my "trainer"! Yes, my new trainer! I haven't been updating you on my exploits at he gym after my last trainer, now have I.

Well that's because my new trainer is different. His training methods are different. His style is different, His concern is different. His motivational methods are different...nil to be exact. His attitude is different. So this took a little getting used to! At first I was still reeling from the loss of my old trainer because of the bond we had so I couldn't really evaluate the new guy fairly. Like I said he's different and that too took getting used to. Besides he's not the most punctual guy but thats not bad.

One day he didn't show up for training at all. I checked around and was told that he did not arrive. When I asked him at our next session he said that we had trained that day. Boing! Duh...I wasn't sure what to think...so I told him that he was not there...and that most of the other trainers also did not see him! Wierdly his recollection was that he had trained me. Usually I'd say something nasty at this point! But because it was fasting I thought that maybe he had passed out...to give him the benefit of the doubt. Afterall he could have said he had a flat tyre and been done with it. He still has no recollection of that period. What do you think? Is he crazy? Or am I crazy to believe him. I don't know...but the fact is that I'm really losing my momentum, nah...I think I have lost the momentum built under the old trainer. Don't get me wrong...his training methods seem okay and he gives a great massage/stretching after our sessions but his motivational skills are lacking. I need that extra push otherwise I would have hired a trainer!

So once again I'm at a crossroads!

BUT This story is also not just about this trainer...it's about someone else too! She helps to train me each day and is a real task master. Firstly she makes me run, then she makes me carry weights, then exercise, then run some more, then carry weights and do push-ups and then makes me jump up and down...and even dance. You're probably wondering what kind of trainer this is...well this is someone I've been wanting to write about for a while.

Yes, it's my little daughter! She is a little fitness nut or it just that 2 year old energy pack that she has. Always on the go and dragging wifey and me to do her little routines. You see when we first started to go to the gym we used to tell her where we were going. Strangely she has her own little exercises which sometimes fit our gym routine! I keep saying to myself that I probably don't need a trainer and just have to spend my time with her and that would be enough! LOL By the way when we ask her what daddy's name is she purposely says Jim (gym)! A regular clown she is!

She loves to run around the porch and she'll ask us to run with her, or to do jumping jacks or carry her (she loves that) up and down. She also loves to sit on my back and ask me to do push ups. The other day we were watching High School Musical 2 (that show reminded me of the those Hindi dancing films, don't you agree?) and she asked us to join her and dance. She loves dancing whenever they have a musical number. We even managed to record her little 2 and half year old girl dance routine too. Maybe I'll post it one day once I figure out how, that is!

And so the adventure continues!

New Pics on the Blog!

Biker Chick! And Snoozing after Cruising!

Me having Fun in the Water with Mommy and Daddy!

We having more Fun in the Water (Oh no! Not another foot!) and fun with Water Color!

Me just chillin'! And Mommy and me!

I'm carrying a lantern for the Mooncake festival! Me and Daddy!

Weekend at Tony Roma's

No Tony Roma's is not a friend or a hotel but read on and you'll find out. You see last weekend was actually my little daughters 30th month on earth! Yup she's 2 and a half years old. Time sure flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? LOL

We wanted to take her out and spend the day with her doing fun things. We cancelled everythign else on the calendar...which was nothing much to begin with but it's the thought that counts! So in the morning we took her out for a hearty breakfast of thosai (Indian savory flat pancakes served with curry and chutney) and roti chanai (a kind of brea I think). She enjoyed her meal and even dipped her thosai in the dahl curry...which is something she never used to do! Another little milestone!

After breakfast we had actually planned to take her to a nearby park...but she started coughing (the chesty congested type) again and we (the overprotective parents which we promised ourselves not to be) decided to go home early so we could take her out for lunch later without exerting her too much! However, when we got home she started to feel sleepy (of all the days) and quietly fell asleep! By the time she got up it was too late to go out for lunch so we just had something simple.


That night we decided to go to Tony Roma's for dinner (Yes, it's a restaurant in case you didn't already know...LOL). Tony's recently opened it's door to Malaysia and we've been planning to go for a while. The place was crowded and there was a queue to get in but we left our name and took a walk around and did some window shoping! The restaurant folks called back pretty quick and gave us a nice booth. We ordered the Mushroom Burger and the Blue Cheese Burger (we love burgers and the blue cheese burger was recommended by Marzie) and they were pretty darn good. I wasn't too sure about my Blue Cheese Burger when I ordered it (I'm not a fan of blue cheese) but it was a pleasant surprise. Daughter didn't want to eat because she had milk on the way there...she's like that. When she's hungry she must be fed immediately or there'd be hell to pay LOL. Anyway she nibbled on some fries and cheese and had a little hot chocolate and wouldn't eat anything else.

I must say taht I noticed the ribs that everyone else were ordering and they looked mighty fine and smelled even better. We thought we'd try that the next time we came...which was probably the following week cause it did smell wonderful!

The next day (Sunday) we were just relaxing and lazing about because wifey had to go to go to work in the afternoon to meet some people! What we forgot was the pest control guy was coming for his usual rounds (errr...the appointment was made the night before and we both forgot...talk about getting old and forgetful...LOL). So now we had to go out (the fumes are not good for the little one)...and well I was tired of Chili's (one of my fav joints) and really wanted to try the ribs so off we went LOL. We ordered the full rack without bone because we wanted to finish early and thought the portion on the menu looked large enuf for the both of us to share. WRONG!! It came with a measly three pieces of meat. It tasted good (especially witht the four types of sauces that came with it) and though the three pieces were sizeable they just wasn't enuf. So we ordered the Onion Loaf (a nest of onions deep fried in batter) ...I wanted the big loaf but the waitres said it was very big so we settled for the regular size. When it came it was a little small too...so we polished it off pretty quick wondering why the portions here are so small compared to other American food joints.

Anyway, we were nearly full by then but not satisfied. As we were waiting for the bill the manager came over to ask how was the meal (he had come over yesterday too and did the same...actually yesterday we wanted to complain that the burger...wifeys was a little too rare but she was not that hungry so we left it at that...and the manager suggested we let them know next time...not knowing that I'm a big complainer (hehehe...be careful what you wish for) so we said okay politely) err..where was I...okay the manager asked us about our meal and so I said your picture shows a huge portion and asked how many ribs comes with the meal. I added that last night when we were here we saw the ribs and said we'd try it one day and would share because the portion looked huge but was instead hugely disappointed by the small portion. He explained that the pics were from the US menu, he also said that the regular Bountiful ribs comes with 3 ribs and the full rack comes with 5. However, the regular boneless ribs comes with two ribs and the full rack only three. Boy was I surprised.

However, the manager was very nice and said that the waitress should have told us about that. Guess what? He offered us two more ribs for free. We actually were getting ready to leave bacause daughters nap time was approaching and wifey had to go to work. Then again not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth either, we said "Can we have that to go please?" LOL So a few minutes later after settling the bill we got our hot towels (Yeah they give disposable towels after the meal) and mints...and also a box of ribs. Yahoo!

We drove home and daughter even slept on the way back. When we opened the box there were three meaty ribs there...LOL so we feasted again (hey the drive back was pretty long and made us hungry LOL) and then wife left for work! What an experience huh! Best part is we never complained or anything and still got good service!

Oh! I almost forgot...that night my other best buddy and his wife to be came over. They want my little one to be a flower girl at their wedding! I am so proud that they chose her! They came over to actually bring the flower girls dress for her to try. It was really a sweet little dress and fit like a glove. I won't describe the dress because they want to make some changes to it and it was just for a fitting although it looked great to me!

After that guess what? They wanted to go to Tony Roma's (they are regulars there) too (thats why I said weekend at Tony Roma's). I was game because I wanted another shot at the Blue Cheese Burger LOL but thank goodness we decided against it at the last minute. Had we gone again...it would have been three main meals in a row and they would have probably given me honorary membership LOL

Hmmm...I wonder what I'll have for lunch today? LOL