Why Kan’t Doc Zoe Write?

(this blog fell on aug 16, 2009, two days before my birthday)

There are years when my birthday is stretched for one whole week and I spend it with different people the whole time. Each day (or night) is spent differently depending on which group of friends I was with.

This year, I don’t have a solid plan. I just know I have to spend quality time with family because I won’t be spending my birthday with them. (I would be at the premier).

So yesterday, I met my bro, my sis and mom in this Mediterranean place in Alabang. (My dad was out of town). This is what I miss – the usual family bangayan and the funny stories you tell that seem to get funnier because their laughs are quite contagious and it becomes a vicious cycle. I was amazed at my lemon mint tea, but I later recognized that it tasted like toothpaste and they wouldn’t stop the alaskahan over it.

Later, my bro told us of our teenage cousin’s suggestion to give his name to the Starbucks barista as “Ever.” Ever?!! Big muscled guy like you giving out your name as Ever??? “Yeah, so when the barista calls out to you, he says ‘Cafe Americano for Ever!!” The laughs came in waves and it didn’t stop!

While having dessert in Haagen Dazs, my mom asked me to tell the story of the land crabs. I told my bro and sis that back in Peleliu, Earl and I were staring at the white board which said that it was prohibited to catch any land crab between June 4-7. It didn’t state why. So I made up an excuse that it was “National Land Crab Day.” Earl caught on with the joke and refined my made-up holiday to “National Land Crab Awareness Day.” We were in fits when we wrote it underneath the dates. This apparently caught on, because the following month when it was again prohibited to catch them crabs, the big boss of the group gave an explanation that it was National Land Crab Awareness Day. WHUUT?! HAHAHAHA!

In another story, I told them of that video of the host and I trying to hit a land crab because it seemed to be taunting us; or that crab we called Sebastian who did the most amusing righting-reflex but refused to do it when I started recording him on video. It would be funnier if I told you face-to-face and even funnier if you were my bro, sis or mom.

I only spent 3 hours with them, but it was time well-spent.

That afternoon before we parted ways, we were in Starbucks only because mom wanted some aircon on her. We didn’t order drinks but my bro and mom did order some cinammon swirl and pie. My bro was itching to give out his name as Ever but the barista didn’t need to call him out. He drifted back to our table looking defeated. Aww… you’ll have your chance soon, Ever.

This post is tagged atc, doc zoe, haagen-dazs