Stressful Saturday

Weekends are suppose to be relaxing. It's the time of the week that you look forward to after a long, busy week at work. However, last Saturday wasn't one of them.

The day began with tidying up the house a bit before the cleaner cum masseuse arrived. Well, let's just say that she's a masseuse that dabbles in house cleaning as well. Let's call her M. It was the first time for M to clean the house, so we do not know what to expect. But we know she is an exceptional masseuse. She started off my giving the wife a massage. This gave me time to run to the grocery store and get some needed cleaning supplies she requested.

By the time they were done, I was on my way back. Once M started, I headed out to get my bike from Bicycle Garage. I spent the next hour or so having water bottle cages and saddle bag installed, making final checks on the bike, and getting last minute tips on wheel dismantling and general maintenance. I tried shopping for some cycling jerseys, but I got a text message to drive back home for lunch.

M said she wasn't hungry so she didn't care much about lunch. I guess she was just shy to say so, but we had to get her something. The wife and I decided to go to BK Bistro for lunch. And so did 20 other friends & acquaintances, and more than 100 strangers. BK was unusually packed for a Saturday lunch. That morning, James watched his classmate, Ashley, go for her black belt in Taekwondo, along with the latter's friends & family. And all of them decided to go to BK as well. We didn't want to leave M home alone with no food, so the wife ordered food to go instead, rather than wait to be seated along with everyone else. James stayed behind and ate with them.

As soon as I dropped off the wife at home, I left to get my own lunch. I was thinking of having Filipino food, but opted for ramen instead. Just as I was finishing up, I got a text from the wife asking me to go grab some clothes hanger. And so I did. By the time I got home, it was already past 3pm. Where did the day go? After a while, James came rolling in. A two hour lunch?

But it didn't stop there. I had to help tidy up the house (again), and let robot do her thing. Robot is the irobot cleaning device we have at home. When the dust settled and M had left, it was about 5pm. We decided not to attend Easter Vigil and just rested. Imagine if we did. It would have been a VERY long day. Instead, we went out for dinner at BJ's, and had an ice cold beer to end the day.

Almost Triduum

For the past many years, my family and I have attended the Holy Triduum at St. Joseph. The Holy Triduum is observed during the final three days of Lent, or the last three days before Easter Sunday. It begins with the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, followed by the Veneration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, and continues until the start of the Easter Vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday.

The masses and services during the Holy Triduum are held in the evening, at around 8pm, and they usually run for about 1.5 hours, except for the Easter Vigil, which runs for about 3 hours. There are lots of singing and the readings are fairly long. At the Easter Vigil, new Catholics are baptized and confirmed during this ceremony.

On Thursday, we attended the Mass of the Last Supper. This celebration represented Jesus' last supper with His disciples, wherein He washed their feet, and, later, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before his crucifixion. At this mass, the congregation was encouraged to have their feet washed and, alternately, wash those of others as well. At the end of the mass, the Blessed Sacrament was processed outside of St. Joseph and into the Old Mission church next door, as the choir sang traditional hymns of worship. This symbolized Jesus as He prayed in the Garden.

In the Philippines, the tradition of Holy Thursday includes Visita Iglesia, wherein the faithful visit seven churches and offer a prayer after the Blessed Sacrament has been processed and exposed at another part of the church.

In observance of Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, the second day of the Holy Triduum was celebrated more like a prayer service than a mass. It really wasn't a mass, but the Host was consecrated and Holy Communion was given. The highlight of the service was the veneration of the Holy Cross of Jesus, wherein the community would pay their respect to the representation of Jesus' cross, where he was crucified, in any way they please. Most bowed their heads, said a little prayer, and kissed the cross. Candidates for confirmation and baptism acted as bearers of the cross. At the end of Holy Communion, the community left the church quietly.

The third and final day of the Holy Triduum was the East Vigil in the evening of Saturday. Unfortunately, we did not attend this service. In the past, we did. From my experience, the mass is long. Probably the longest mass you'll ever attend, except those officiated by the Pope. There are 5-6 readings, excluding the Gospel, and lots and lots of singing. The ceremony starts with the lighting of the torch at the steps of the Old Mission church, followed by a procession inside a dark St. Joseph church. As the celebration progresses and the Lord had risen, then the lights are turned on, and "Alleluia" is sung.

One of the highlights of Easter Vigil is the baptism and confirmation of candidates into the Catholic church. The baptismal candidates are dressed in white garb, while they stand in the baptismal fountain as water is poured over their head, like John the Baptist did to Jesus on the Jordan River. For the confirmation candidates, they are blessed with the Holy Oil with the Sign of the Cross on their forehead.

The Easter Vigil is a long, but joyous event, as we celebrate the Risen Lord. This, too, ends Lent and Holy Week.

Time for Service

My car needed servicing. As a matter of fact, the message on my console had been reminding me of it for the last month, and it displayed how many days had passed since then. Although it only pops up when I start the ignition, it was kinda irritating.

After so many days, I finally decided to bring it in for service. It was not that I didn't want to, but, again, I just didn't have the time to do it. And the best way for me to get things like this done is to do it during the weekday. Since it is Holy Week this week, it wasn't busy in the office. I guess some people are off, too, because their kids are out as well. Instead of leaving work early today, I decided to just work from home, and bring the car to the dealership in the morning.

It was one of those regular maintenance check-ups, and my trusty service adviser, Ron, was there to take care of me, and the car. I'm not a demanding customer, but he knows what I want, which he often obliges, whenever he can. He said I could pick up the car at around 3pm, but it might take longer. I told him that I was hoping to pick up my son from school at 4pm, so he promised he would try to get it our sooner. He also knew that I was not planning on getting the complimentary loaner car, so it was important that he gets it out on time.

Kash was the name of the courtesy shuttle driver that took me home. He was very respectful, and drove very carefully. Sometimes too carefully that I almost fell asleep. When he dropped me off, I told him that I may need him for a ride back to the dealership once the car was done, hopefully, by 3pm. During the ride, he offered me water. For a while I thought he had a mini refrigerator in the trunk. But I passed.

About 1.5 hours after dropping off the car, Ron called to tell me about a part that needed to be replaced. Always happens. But what could I do. I confirmed, then hung up. After lunch, he called back and said that the car would be ready by 2:30pm. Wow! Ahead of schedule. I then called Kash for a return pick up. By 2:15pm, he was outside the house. Once at the dealership, I settled my account, and off I went. By the time I got to my son's school, it was 3pm.

Frankly, I don't mind bringing my car to the dealership and having work done there. I know that I will get excellent service from my service adviser, and from the service technicians that actually work on the car. The only thing I hate is the exorbitant cost for such services, most of which goes to labor. It's the price to pay for quality service.

Took The Plunge

Finally, I ordered my bike.

Not that I was having second thoughts. It was more about having the time to actually do it. Weekdays are impossible because I arrive home no earlier than 6pm, and, often, there are things that I need to do right after. Weekends are the best time. However, I had been busy during the past weekends with errands and other stuff with the family. But today was different. I actually was free to do what I needed to do. And for something like this, I want to take my time. Don't want to be rushed. I made sure that I had at least 2 hours of alone time. So, off I meant to my favorite bike shop, Bicycle Garage.

Fred (I think he is a co-owner) was so happy to see me, after more than a month. He was the person that shared with me almost everything I needed to know about road bikes and other related stuff. He was a salesman, and I do understand that he'd like to get as much business as he can from each of his customers, including me. I have done my own research, so I am not coming in blindly. Let's just say I am an informed consumer, but I also want to hear his perspective as a rider and a businessman.

I know what kind of bike I want, and we both talked about it during my prior visit. However, he offered me an upgrade model for a little more money. I had to think about it but I didn't jump on it quickly. In the end, I though we made a sweeter offer for less money. Yes, I did get an upgrade from what I originally wanted, but the additional cash was half of what I should have paid. He gave me a good discount.

He knew I was going to get other stuff from him, so at the back of his head, he knows that I am a guaranteed customer. We talked about shoes and clipless pedals -- two of the next most important things to consider and eventually add on. He discussed how important it is to get the right ones for the best results. Of course, all that equates to higher cost. In the end, I have to make the decisions. It's up to me whether I fall for the sales pitch or be convinced by it. As the saying goes, you get what you paid for. It has happened to me, so I understand where he's coming from.

There are essential items that a cyclist must have during a ride, such as a spare tube, tire levers, tube patches, and an inflation device (CO2 cartridge or a small pump), plus a small bag to carry them in. I got them, too. Then, I also added a floor pump (for the house), helmet, short-finger gloves, and a water bottle cage.

Aside from the must-haves, there are those that you'll need no matter what, such as apparel, like cycling shorts and/or bibs, jerseys, and jackets, which are particularly useful for early morning rides when the temperature is cold. And as it gets even colder, there are arm & leg covers, and wind-resistance gloves to consider. Also on my immediate list is a cycling computer and a pair multi-lens sunglasses. Then, I will need a headlight (or some light) if I plan to ride when it is dark.

Seems like it is becoming an expensive sport-hobby, but what isn't? Stamp-collecting or bird-watching? What's important is that I sustain this activity, especially because I know it will be good for my health and well-being. I just need to set my mind to it.

I'm picking up the bike on Saturday, and hope to take a quick spin this weekend. Fingers-crossed.