The Road to 40 Day 69/365: Daddy’s Night Out

We celebrated two birthdays today because of three celebrants in the family.

My cousin Jarred and my Uncle Jer were both born on the 16th, while my sister was born on the 17th. Usually, there are two parties that happen on this day.

Before everything went down, Vino and I went to Eastwood to check out his birthday venue just so we know that we’re all good to go. I told him we can eat lunch first before going home, and I bought some meat for salpicao I was going to cook for my uncle later on.

We had an ice cream break before we went to the grocery store and walked around for an errand.

I planned on leaving at 12 or 1pm, but my sister got coffee from a concept shop where students in the spectrum are the crew in order to train them for potential employment in the future. It’s a great initiative that launched early this week, but the kids take a really long time to complete the order.

While waiting for my sister, I cooked up the salpicao for my dad. I had it prepped for the party but there was just so much food that it didn’t make sense to cook it then.

The shop didn’t have tenderloin, so I had to figure out how long I should cook eye round to keep it tender. My dad said some were tender, some were not, and I attribute it to the small pan and overcrowded meat.

My sister arrived with the coffee, and shortly after, Vino and I set off to meet Chiro and Tia at Robinson’s Magnolia for a bit of early playtime. I realized there wasn’t anything much to do in the place, but at least it wasn’t so crowded.

We got some snacks as soon as they arrived, and we later found a playground where we could spend a bit of time while waiting for Ten. We needed to be with them inside the playground while they played, so Chiro and I hung around talking about stuff.

After we were done, we learned that Ten couldn’t get a ride, so Chi decided to just pick her up. Vino went with them and I was off to Velada.

I had no set plans, just that Thursday was a night where I could drink without worrying about Vino.

Of course, I thought of a boys’ night for the Team, but apparently, they all had something going on.

I messaged my UST boardmembers, but the weekday made it tricky for them.

Finally, I reached out to Mack, one of my closest seniors in Philo and current online constant. We have a lot of similar interests and peeves, so we have a lot of random interactions even if we rarely see each other.

Luckily, he was available to catch up. Our former fantasy commissioner, Czar, graced us with his presence, and Karlo, their law school classmate and a high school buddy of mine, came by as well.

It’s funny how the topics we talk about evolve over time. On this night, it was kinda serious, but the boys that we are found humor in the chaos. It’s just the right amount of crazy, but we definitely learned from each other’s experiences.

Around 8:30pm, Ten called saying Vino was asking for me. He cried and begged to go home already. I told him to just eat dinner with Tita Ten first then if he feels he wants to be with me, then they can take him to me later or I can just pick him up at around 10pm.

Mack and the guys got up to leave at 10pm, as it was a weekday night and they had responsibilities. Vacation me went to the other table to catch up with the others.

Christian and Dar came by while I was drinking with the guys – an unexpected appearance because I knew Christian had to train next day. Rey brought Caeleb, who slept the night off while the adults talked. Lia also came with Jaka, her best friend, and King, Rey and Lia’s cousin, came by as well.

At this point, Ten was assuring me that Vino is fine, as she sent videos of him being silly with Tia. I told her that I’ll be ready to pick him up anytime if he asks for me, but he decided to stay on as planned.

I spent most of the time catching up with King. It was probably the longest talk we’ve had over the years, and it ranged from mundane to serious and back probably because of ADHD.

We ended later than anyone probably expected, but I decided to take the chance to check out my post-drink hangout place – Mister Kebab.

Eating by myself has never been a problem for me. I could listen to a podcast or watch a show while enjoying my food. The staple here back in college was the Beef Chelo Kebab Special, but when I learned about the Shawarma Plate, it became my favorite.

It was past 3am already, and I’ve been eating and drinking throughout the night. I got two pita breads but ultimately couldn’t finish my meal because of a combination of being full and being tired of chewing.

I drove back to a wet but empty road, and I felt extra safe driving at a reasonable speed because I had new tires.

I feel like I maximized the night off, but I’m looking forward to cuddling with my boy again tomorrow, and Che the day after. 

Related Content