Day 2: Outback Steakhouse and Pechanga Resort Casino | Visiting Southern California

Good morning from California! I woke up at the usual time (thank God there's no timezone difference between BC and California) and heard movements in the kitchen. So I went downstairs and saw my Tita Vickie preparing breakfast. We had spinach and mushroom omelette, longganisa (Filipino sausage), boneless bangus (my favourite!), and sinangag (garlic fried rice).

Thanks, Tita Vickie, for preparing breakfast.

Tita Vickie, Jomar, and I ate first because everyone else was still asleep. Tita Cherry came down first, and we discussed extended family, Philippine politics, and life in general. Then, Tita Vickie's phone rang. It was Tito Edil (eldest sibling of my mom and Titas), who lives in Philadelphia. He said, "Happy birthday!" and Tita Vickie said, "It's not my birthday." On cue, Tita Dioly went downstairs, and we greeted her with a happy birthday. Tito Edil explained that he's been trying to call Tita Dioly, but she didn't pick up.

After breakfast and lots of stories, we prepared for late lunch. On the way to the restaurant, we dropped by a convenience store in a gas station and purchased a lottery ticket for Tita Dioly. I hope she wins big!

We originally wanted to go to Phil's BBQ, but they're uncertain when they can accommodate us. Ate Stacy arrived and helped decide where to celebrate Tita Dioly's birthday.

Busy Saturday at Phil's BBQ - we couldn't get a table!

We settled on Outback Steakhouse since it's the only steak place to accommodate a party of 7.

Tita Dioly's Birthday Celebration at Outback Steakhouse

It was a fun lunch. It's nice to catch up with Ate Stacy too. We rode in her car on the way back and dropped by Nekter, a fruit juice place. We got a Wellness Shot for Jomar and Tita Dioly because they both need it.

Inside Nekter

After resting (until around 8:00 PM), we drove to Pechanga Resort Casino. My Tita Cherry gave us gambling money for luck. Unfortunately, we lost it. I found the casino overwhelming, but after an hour of walking around with Jomar and trying different slot machines, I was hungry. We were in line at the food court when Ate Stacy called Jomar to ask if we were done and if we'll just head to In-N-Out Burger for dinner.

We got the quintessential California In-N-Out Burger and ate it when we got home.

In-N-Out Burger

Oh, and Tita Dioly won in the slot machine. Yay! Happy birthday, Tita!

Side note: When booking our flight in January, I considered Tita Cherry's birthday, but it was too soon and filing for leave at work will be difficult. I also thought of Tita Vickie's birthday, but my mom and dad will be back from the Philippines that week and knowing my mom, she will get upset if we're not here, so Tita Dioly's birthday is just the perfect time to visit.