Happy New Year everyone!

To those who've touched my life (you know who you are people!)...many thanks from the bottom of my heart. 2007 was a real roller coaster ride and you gave me balance. Cheers to a new and better year! :)

Credits: Credits: Cintia Zs Designs (blue paper and flower), Graziela Mendes (yellow paper and red ribbon), Denise Liemert (blended and 2008 cut-out); Kuiza Garay (craft frame); Rita Massela (yellow ricrac).

That's a family reunion?

Our veranda/terrace area was volunteered by my FIL to be the reunion venue among Hubby's cousins and families as couple of weeks back. In the entry two posts below, I said it's happening on the 29th. We were told we only needed to clean the area and provide the disposables. At around 3pm, nobody has come to fix the place and by 5pm, my mother in-law went up saying that the others didn't prepare food! So no kids and wives came! The supposed family-oriented affair became a drinking cum videoke singing session among the men...some of them, even my hubby doesn't know!

For those who've been to our studio-type place, they know that to get to the terrace, everyone will have to pass by from our main door through. I was kinda irritated because I didn't expect these people in my home, thus I felt our privacy was invaded. By the end of their session, I was having mild migraine attacks. Sigh. If there's a next time, I'll make sure everything is fixed before we say yes.

Changes

As the year comes to an end, there are changes I have to see eye to eye.

Today, I closed down my parlor and spa. Remember that this is one of the reasons I left the corporate world almost five years ago. The last few years weren't easy and we were burdened with a lot of challenges. But we have come to this inevitable point that we really have to let go. Face defeat and move on.

It's a sad sad moment to see my staff go but I had to be strong and hold my tears.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Tough days ahead.

I'm back!

From where, you might ask? From bumming, LOL! It's funny Christmas went by pretty uneventful (yeah, yeah, I can see MEG and the rest shaking their heads in disagreement). But really, *that's* just one thing about Christmas and the rest aren't the same as the previous years. One, it's the first time we didn't spend the eve in Bulacan. Two, Ane and I just stayed home the entire Christmas day, hoping to see godchildren but only twelve came (out of about 50!) so I was asleep during the day and realized that the 25th is over LOL. Three, we went MMFFing after having sworn before never to participate anymore (the crowd can get pretty rowdy, ugh) but realized that it is a nicer experience when you do it in Promanade and TheaterMall...I got to watch BahayKubo and KKK. Will write my reviews for that hopefully soon, hehe.

Last night was play day with the E's. I haven't had any serious physical activity for almost two weeks that I almost collapsed. By the start of my third game, my legs were shaking and it progressed throughout the game (my arms started to shake too, plus I was missing the shuttle coz I was already seeing black, and I was breaking into a cold sweat). So yeah, I stopped on the third game. Maybe I was hungry and was pushing my eating habits to the limit. I only had Nai Cha and a mantao before the games. But lemme also say that I have been doing pretty good in my diet that I already lost 8lbs! That's in less than two months! Yeba!

Today we attended the wedding of Hub's college barkada at Fernwoods. And there, I was able to meet personally a fellow Bebot, Rache, who is an officemate of the bride...which is exciting really. It's always fun to finally meet in person someone you only talk to in the cyberworld. Hi sis! I will post pictures soon.

Tomorrow there will be a small get-together with Ane's cousins here at home. Yesterday, we were able to buy some stuff for the party, stuff that are otherwise known as "disposable plates, utensils and glasses". LOL! I hope it doesn't rain coz we didn't rent a canvas tent to keep us dry, just in case. We're only in-charged of the venue so let them bring the entertainment, food and booze! :)

Right now, my night is still young. I plan to work and scrap before going to bed. I'm not sure though if I can still be productive because I don't feel really well (lower back pains since last night!) and my eyes are starting to hurt. Sigh. We'll see.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Mine wasn't exceptional but I'm happy that my husband is here to keep me from falling "in the pit" :) Enjoy the rest of the Holidays! Another long weekend, coming up!

Blog Holiday

I'll be away from blogging for a few days, just because :) I'll probably just read blogs and scrap and spend time with my family and actually do some work. I'll do the tags after the holidays. And you just might wanna look at my layout share, also a Christmas LO in my other blog!

Credits: Be Jolly Word Art by Rachel Bohall; Yellow Ribbon by Lisa Whitney; Vintage Paper by Petit Moineaux; Torn Cardboard by Jessica Alger; All others by Ashalee Wall (Christmas 07 kit); Font: Beautiful

Godchildren, I have 21 of them

I remember I have only 18 but when I looked at my list the other night, I actually have 21! LOL I stopped counting at 18?!?! So I am posting this here-- so I won't forget anymore--with their age (or estimate of their age LOL).

1. Hazel - 17 (yup, may dalaga na ako!)
2. Nicolai - 13
3. Ninoel - 10
4. Nino Pascual - 11
5. NIkko - 7
6. Gio - 6
7. PJ - 8
8. Jimboy - 4
9. Joyce - 3
10. Jasmine - 2
11. Bryan - 2
12. Thea - 1
13. Shawn - 3
14. Joaquin - 4
15. Hannah - 8
16. Nikki - 3
17. Elijah - 3
18. Leisha - 2
19. Riann - 3
20. Tori - <1
21. Erin - <1

Next year, I really gotta save early for Christmas, hehe.

This girl makes me cry

I am a certified Kapuso but this Kapamilya girl is so awesome, she makes me cry everytime she sings. Everytime. She's my hubby's current favorite. Here's a video uploaded at youtube by nythawk23, it's a clip from Ellen DeGeneres show. Yup. That Ellen. Thanks to the uploader who got the clip from the Ellen Show website! Way to go Charice Pempengco!

Your chance to laugh at US!

The elves are in town to greet you (and dance for you!), people a very Merry Christmas! I know it's a few days early to post this but I can't help but show it to the world right away! :) Oh, how I wish I can embed it here! Anyhoo, click HERE now!

And if you know my dear Hubs, ganyan talaga siya sumayaw, I swear! LOL!

ps. this is what happens when i'm bored and the Bebot forum is down, haha! anyone, care to tell me what's going on?!?! :) Oh, and I got the elf website while surfing my Friendster, my Bluewish pwends did it too :)

Hubby's IPod story

This is a long overdue post but I just remembered to blog about it after I received a call from brother in-law. He told me that he found an out-of-state person who can help revive my 30gb Z Vision (about time, eh?!), which I ordered from the States and died on me just after about six months.

Anyway, I should have gotten myself an ipod instead. I could have saved more time looking for the center to service my player. See, I got my hubby an IPod Video for Christmas last year. And then about a couple of months ago, he noticed that the battery dies so easily and that's not normal. So we brought it to the Apple Center along P. Guevarra, and after a week, they replaced not just the battery but the entire unit. Beat that! Of course the big boy was just too happy about that.

Sigh. It's a lesson learned: before purchasing anything gadget-ty, make sure the warranty is available just about anywhere. If my player isn't fixed, it's $500 down the drain. Ugh.

It's almost midnight and I just have to blog about this...

The ladies over at the Bebots Forum decided to have an exchange of gifts and guess what, I got my gift today! Yay!

Double yay! My "Mommy" Mich gave me a new pair of Havs! Earlier today, I got a PM from Glo, the organizer saying that my partner couldn't send the gift since the courier can't locate our address. So imagine my surprise when upon arriving home at past 11pm, a package is already nicely sitting on our sofa! I was giddy with excitement coz I just know that box shape! :) As my friend Tanya put it, like her, I probably have a very low EQ since I couldn't wait til Christmas before I open the gift. LOL!

Anyway, Mich surely made my day. I never expected that she will get me a pair, and a new model at that! Mich and I have known each other less than a year yet she knows what I really really want (LOL, as if I haven't raved about my Havs in this blog!). BTW, this blue pair will be lonely, I *need* to buy that red pair soon :) This gift is actually my second pair from the new collection but that deserves another post :)

Oh! And my baby Wanda received my gift today (after I got so worried that I sent it to the wrong address LOL!). Visit her blog and find out what I got her, which is on top of her wishlist! She is as happy with her gift as I am with mine :) And her reaction made me happy too!

It's really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Giving. Receiving. Natural High. :)

A not so new truck

It's official. My FIL now has two trucks: Espee which we use on weekdays and the new not so new addition, a white pre-owned Fuego pick-up he found on sale last week. It is as of yet nameless and we haven't seen it yet (currently in the province). He is quite excited about this new family addition that he promised he will bring it home only when he's done spankin' it up :) Well, he actually needed a vehicle to bring him around the jobsite when he inspects (but didn't want Espee to be that 'burdened'), especially that the weather here is pretty much unpredictable. He was excited he talked non-stop on our way to hubby's cousin's wedding on Saturday. Maybe I should suggest that he get a truck rack to make it more functional? We'll see. His taste in car accessories blows me away ;)

Thanks to you!

I mean, all of you who come here and take time to visit me (and leave me a comment in my cbox). I know I am such a bad blogging buddy...but I do visit you, but not as much as you visit me. Just wait until I get my life in order, LOL!

Anyway, I got this quiz tag from Pretty and the result is:

Your Love Is Represented By a Pink Rose

You see love as something that should be light, fun, and whimsical. People fall in love with you easily. And you tend to fall out of love easily! You express your love through attention and shared experiences. You love people more than they realize.

What Rose Represents Your Love?

Oh well, I agree that I see love as something that should be light and fun and whimsical. I don't agree though that I tend to fall out of love easily because I've been with the same man for seven years :) And then another about love and compatibility from C.A.:

Look! My husband and HS Bestfriend were both born under the sign Cancer! Neat! Cancer peeps must be the most patient people to earn Pisceans in their lives ;)

And then, there a nice surprise (an award!!) for me at Butchay's who considers me an online buddy:

Thank you ladies, you are all so sweet for remembering me :) Really appreciate it :)

I miss receiving flowers...

The year is almost over and I don't remember Hubby giving me any flowers this year! Awwww. He is actually not a flower person but when he does buy me some, it just melts my heart :) He knows where to get fresh wholesale flowers aside from that area in Manila. And he won't tell me where his supplier is. But who cares? :) I would love to be surprised over and over again. So surprise me dear :)

Schedule

Friday:

am - gym/PT
later - lunch with Ane and Ry; run an errand in Greenhills
pm - Rotary Christmas Party

Saturday:
lunch - event at the Garden
afternoon - attend wedding
later - night out with E's (?)

Sunday:
am - mass
later - go to Ysidro's in Guiguinto

Monday:
am - gym
later - Doctor's Appointment
after lunch - accompany Ry to his appointment
night - dinner with HS friends

Tuesday:
am - go to Quiapo (?)

~~~~~~~~~

Whew! Christmas season rush, indeed!

Oh lookie!

Up there! Up there!

That header is centered, certainly?!?!?

Thanks to Vin (betabloggerfordummies dot blogspot dot com) who was so helpful. I went through his articles to find answers but when I was unsuccessful, I bravely emailed him. And he did reply! At first he sent me a link to another article that I missed. I checked it out and didn't find anything in my html like it so I asked again and this time, he gave me more specific answers! Yooohoooo! I was relieved. I am going to tweak it some more but I'll do that later. I'm uber busy right now, lotsa things to rush. But before I go back to work, I will look at some hotels in Las Vegas online for someone who asked me to help research :)

I finished two 5x7 2008 calendars and I will post it in my other blog soon. Gotta go for now!

Coffee and Sandwich

Buchay would like to know how addicted I am to Coffee while T'que wonders what kind of sandwich I am :) Thank you ladies for thinking about me :)

I am 77% Addicted to Coffee

Addict!

You Are a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You are a traditional person with very simple tastes. In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun. You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it! Your best friend: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Ham Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

Hehe, I will have to disagree bout the Peanut butter as my "best friend" coz am not a big Peanut butter fan!

Double Award and a tag about husbands :)

Long overdue post! Thank you very much, MJ for your thoughtfulness. :) The first one is for her to show appreciation to me for helping her a bit about blogging. The second one? Just because?

Now, while I'm here lemme answer the tag as well. On husbands:

♥♥♥ How old is your Husband? A year older than me :)

♥♥♥ What is your Husband's Fave Color? No favorites :) He's color blind haha

♥♥♥ What is your Husband's Fave Movie? Jackie Chan Movies

♥♥♥ What does your Husband like to do? Play, live and let live. :)

♥♥♥ How much do you LOVE your Husband? Thissssssssssss muuuuuuucccccchhhhhhhh.....

♥♥♥ Is your Husband a Flirt? Yep, when he's in the mood.

♥♥♥ Where did you and your Husband First Meet? in the Mall near where we used to live.

♥♥♥ How long have you and your Husband been together? Seven years!

♥♥♥ Do you and your Husband's parents have a good relationship? I believe so hehe

♥♥♥ Does your Husband like night or day? Night.

♥♥♥ Do your Husband like Rootbeer or Sprite? Rootbeer

♥♥♥ Do you and your Husband get along? But of course. Most of the time nyahahhaa!

♥♥♥ Do you and your husband fight? If so who wins the fight? That's normal. As for who wins, it depends who surrenders first hehe.

♥♥♥ What does your Husband call you? Hunny, Hun, An, Ane, Ni

♥♥♥ Is your Husband older or younger than you? Older

♥♥♥ Does your Husband buy you gifts often? Only when I deserve it hehehe kidding aside, he spoils me when he can.

♥♥♥ Do you hate your Husband AT TIMES? Let's put it this way, I can be a real biatch at times. Did that answer the question?!?! :)

♥♥♥ What is your Husband's fave sport? Badminton

♥♥♥ Do your Husband tell you everything? He is too honest he can't keep secrets from me, I'd like to see it that way :)

Snag this if you like it! :)

Dreaming of Europe

Remember that wedding we attended in October? Well, the bride is my church friend and she and her husband are based in London. I told her that there will come a time when we will be able to visit them. Someday. On a quick note, I always tell my friends abroad (Middle East, Canada, Asia) that I will visit them when we are more able. Travelling is something I really wanna do. And Europe is on top of the list. Of course we would need lot of money since I don't wanna be bugging my friend when it comes to accomodations and all that. It's enough that we get to spend time together on our future trip. With that in mind, we would probably need to check out cheaperthanhotels online. We'd definetely need to look at Paris Hotels before we can go around and see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. We can even do a quick trip to Germany to taste if their beer is really better than our very own SanMig :) Not that I'm a big alcohol fan, hehe. And oh, online buddy MJ is somewhere in France, we could do a quick meet up as well! Planning makes me excited. As for the moolah, we just have to wait. ;)

Shoot...

Turns out my header isn't aligned at all (still left-aligned), as per Diane and Mich who both use firefox. Argh! What to do? What to do?

Voila!

After ranting about my header's alignment here, I think I finally found out what was wrong. Rather, I think I finally found the code I should add in my html and did it.

Is my header finally centered?

Please confirm though, by commenting or posting in my cbox, since I have no access to another monitor (widescreen) or another browser (Firefox) at the moment. Really appreciate it. Thanks!

It doesn't matter

if I've been naughty or nice...I'm simply not getting my heart's desires this Christmas.

Caffeine Overdose and Blogger help.

I missed my PT session again at the gym due to lack of sleep (and the fact that I still have my monthly). I was still fully awake at 1am. When I decided to lie beside Ane, I was tossing and turning even after about two hours or so. I remember closing my eyes but never really reached lalaland, you know that feeling? So I don't know how long I've actually slept. Ane's alarm went off at 6am and I didn't have any choice but drag myself up. What must have happened?

I remember having a cup of americano, a cup of tea, and two cans of Coke Light jut a few hours before bedtime. Go figure. Ugh.

Anyway, while awake, I was dreaming and looking online at some Wilmington NC real estate. Plus I was tweaking this blog's settings because I realized that my header isn't centered. I only found out last night when I used a widescreen monitor. I tried to apply the little knowledge I have in HTML but in vain. I searched for tutorials online but found nothing that can help me. So if you are reading this and know how I can go about this teeny problem of mine, please comment! Otherwise, I will probably change the template altogether but that will entail more work. Sigh. Please be an angel :)

Common mistakes tag

I was tagged weeks ago but only found the time to do this now. This has been going around so I'm not sure who to tag anymore. Thanks MJ for this.

My common mistake when typing entries: I think faster than I type that I literally miss typing some words (ie. in mind: "I was there the other day." when typed "I was there the day." Get the picture?). Typo errors, lotsa those too. And, I'm too lazy to proofread which is a bad habit really.

The other entries are as follows:

Shine with Grace : Mixing the word 'from' with 'form' all the time.

Trinity : I sometimes feel confused to use past tense or present tense when I share my stories.

LadyJava : Typing too fast that sometimes I miss words in between.

Genie King : I type too fast too... always end up with 'tot he'... when it should be 'to the'.

Spiff : I type too fast that I end up with sentences that have no spaceinbetween... LOL!

Nessa : Mostly grammatical mistakes... but it doesn't really bother me as long as my readers understand :)

Choc Mint Girl: Obviously grammatical error due to lack of vocabulary…but getting better and better and better…he he he…

Liza : I type too fast too that's why sometimes my spellings are wrongf... see. Lol ;) And same with Grace, mixing the word from and form at times. (I'll be posting this tag to my otherblog

Cecil: errors on grammar and sometimes I don’t know where to place my comma or when to use colon or semi-colon :( too.)

Nancy: I'm always trying to use every function of my fingers but can't really help but slip which resulted to pressing the wrong key most of the time.

Darlene: I always made a mistake by typing HELATH instead of HEALTH. Sometime the FOR is FOT because the R and the T are very close to each other lol! Anyway i always do mistakes when i type, everybody does i guess no matter how good you are in typing you always make some mistakes.

Bisdak Footprints I usually have wrong typo when I am in a hurry typing entries during PPP time because need to be fast so I can grab as many opps as I can.For that,wrong typo making my english look worse to others.They read it before I can do some editing..they might think my english is so bad..ahhermmm...but i edit it anyways...

Twerlermz : I'm using basic or simple english most of the time so i think my most common mistakes are : redundancy, spelling and grammar (toink!)

Thira: I type too fast too, sometimes my mind is way ahead with my typing so I miss out and misspell words and I have to go back and read again and correct it. Sometimes using the past and present tense in writing, and using the hyphen properly,wehehe:)

Juliana: I always mis-spell "you". More often that not I type it as "oyu" because I'm typing fast and because it's a three letter word, it's prone to get typed incorrectly. It's good there's a spelling checker hehe, I always catch the mistake before it is published.

Teebob : If I write an article about a male person I often use her or she instead of him or he.

Norms: Sometimes I'm confused of the grammar and right spelling. Then I'm typing so fast that usually miss-spell taht instead of that and many more.

Pretty Life Online : Overusing dashes for separation, this interrupt the flow of my words. Typing too fast so sometimes I miss out and my fingers end up misspelling the words.....LOL!

There yah go :)

Weekend passed me by

Weekend is almost over, I can't believe it. I was online but did not take too much time in my cyber world. I even missed reading about an article about adjustable beds and only found the time now.

So where was I?

Friday started early with Ane and I going to St. Luke's in the morning. Then I missed going to my PT session coz my girl thing arrived. We also spent a few hours in Gateway mall (for lunch) where I was also able to earn EIGHT stickers for the Starbucks planner (btw, the promo for the double the stickers during lunch and dinner was extended until Christmas day). Later we were off to another mall to buy gifts for the night's party. So yeah, we attended out first Christmas party for the year, and it was with the E's. Only Karl bought his camera so I have no pictures to share yet. It was at Hai bar in the Fort (nicely tucked away from High Street and the Embassy Area). The boys definitely had a blast, drunk themselves to their hearts' desires. Glad Ane was still able to drive (he can honestly control his alcohol intake) at 2am.

On Saturday, yesterday, Ane and I were commuters again after a long time. There was no car available. Ane was too nice, though, that we hailed cabs when we needed to. Hah! :) We went to see someone at The Medical City, spent the entire morning there and had brunch at Pancake House. I was supposed to buy Ane his Christmas gift from me, a pair of Lacoste shoes he fell in love with while reading FHM, but when he tried it on, he didn't like the fit. We saw the pair in the Galleria store but the saleslady wasn't very nice towards us (must be thinking we can't afford their shoes?!?!) so we transfered to Shangri-La mall where he actually tried the shoes on. Now he can't think of anything he likes anymore, sigh. We strolled in Shang a bit more then we decided to go home and rest before going to mass.

One thing I realized about not having a car, when going to malls during this season, is that it's quite easy to go not having to fight for a parking slot but the hard part comes when it's time to go. The lines for cabs are just crazy. So we waited along EDSA and was glad that the group of five who stood deliberately in front of us was denied by the cab driver. Haha.

Later that day, we were sitting in the Greenhills chapel for the anticipated Sunday mass plus the mass for the Feast of Immaculate Conception. After the mass, Ane went to play badminton then we, R and I brought G to school to see a concert. Our Saturday ended just before midnight when I picked Ane and G in Greenhills.

Today, I was able to sleep longer (as in waking up for lunch) and that gave me the headache. Hehe. Am now in the office and hoping to get some work done :) TTFN!

A new header, finally!

Look up, look up! Finally put-up a new header. The season finally bit me. It's not much but it's something I just whipped for about 20mins. And it's pink. Ugh. Who knows until when it will sit up there, haha. Credits are in my "About" box over there to the left.

Enjoy the rest of the day, peeps!

$10 richer...

Again! Ain't I just lucky?!?!

This time, it's courtesy of Nits and Husband who celebrated their anniversary and they raffled off some moolah among those who greeted them. Very generous souls! Thank you!

Real jobs for real people

I just finished the tag below and realized that I haven't had a real job (one that pays, of course!) except that one with the telecom company and the one I have right now (which is not that demanding either, in some ways, huh). I gave up the corporate world after less than two years and I've been "this" since then. I once tried being a real estate agent (before graduating from college) and was able to close one deal thru the help of my mom and that was it. I realized I'm not really a salesperson and never will be. And since I just recently discovered that I like digital art, I'm trying to earn from it too, freelance, of course ;) I am honestly still finding "me". I'm probably taking too much time thinking about what I want but I'm happy that Hubby is very supportive all the way. I'm getting there, hopefully.

Four things

MJ tagged me, thanks girl!. Finally was able to sit down and think think think!

Four things about me that you may or may not know in particular order:

Four jobs I have had in my life and what country:
1. Customer Service Associate (of the company that makes things possible)
2. Businesswoman/Operations Manager
3. Rotary Club Officer
4. Wife

Four movies I would love to watch over and over again:
1. Serendipity
2. Independence Day
3. White Chicks
4. The Notebook

Four places I have lived (aside from where I grew up, Bulacan):
1. Manila
2. Mandaluyong
3. Quezon City concurrent with
4. Malabon

Four TV Shows that I watch:
1. Marimar!
2. 24 Oras
3. Ellen DeGeneres Show
4. Whatever Ane's watching, especially if he has the remote!

Four places I have been (favorite ones):
1. Boracay
2. Tagaytay
3. Singapore
4. Bay Area

People who e-mail me (regularly):
1. Elites
2. Sister and Brother in Law
3. Husband
4. Notifications from various memberships

Four of my favorite foods (at the moment, this is my list):
1. Max's Mocha Slice!
2. Goolai Salads (they change their menu every week)
3. Any pasta dish
4. Bananas

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed (currently sick!)
2. San Jose with J
3. The Manor (still in bed) in Baguio
4. Singapore so I can hear my dear Huggabub tell me details about his ...

Four Things I am looking forward in 2008:
1. Weddings!
2. Going back to school (hopefully!)
3. Getting my own DSLR (fingers-crossed!)
4. Baby Number 1 (praying!)

Heartwarming

I read a post by Amore and Aggie about their greatest fear as mothers, and their responses are truly heartwarming, even made me cry (and gave me the goosebumps!). Their kids are still young and still at that delicate stage of building the foundation of their personalities. Reading about their fears means they know their responsibilities as parents. With their current mindset (and learnings from the past), I'm sure their kids will grow up to be the best they could be. I hope these kids, in the future, will still see that "mothers know best" and will never have a problem that will break their mothers' hearts (i.e. rebellious attitudes, being less proud of their beliefs, and drug rehabilitation,among others). Kudos to you, ladies!

Shout-out: Avenue Q, The Repeat

As you all probably know now, Avenue Q will have a repeat performance this month (December 14-23)! I said I was gonna catch it again but with the Holidays coming up, I'm not really sure I can still fit it in. But given the chance, I would, really. It is a great play and the local actors are wonderful. Anyway, our Avenue Q experience in August was made special by Ms. Lorna Lopez (a.k.a. The Bachelor Girl) and her team. Atlantis Productions, the local Producer was more than happy to award Ms. Lorna and her team the honor of Spreading the Fuzz on it's opening night on December 14, 2007. I am posting the details (with the perks from Ms. Lorna's team) below. If you guys missed the August run, make sure you catch it this time. It's worth your money, time and effort. Promise! :)

~~~~~~~

Date: 14 Dec 2007 (Friday)

Time: 8pm
Venue: Carlos P. Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza that's located at the corner of Buendia (Gil Puyat) and Ayala Ave. in Makati City Philippines

Cast:Felix Rivera - Princeton / Rod

Rachel Alejandro - Kate Monster / Lucy the Slut

Joel Trinidad - Nicky / Trekkie Monster

Aiza Seguerra - Gary ColemanFrenchie Dy - Christmas Eve

Rycharde Everley - Brian

Teenee Chan - Mrs. Thistletwat and others

Ticket Prices: Balcony Php 500 Lodge Php 1,000 Orchestra Side Php 1,100 Orchestra Center Php 1,300

Where to Get Tickets:

Please call Ticketworld Head Office at (632) 891.9999

Or contact Lorna Lopez

through:(Globe) 0917.9256505

(Sun) 0922.3875729

(email) llornalopez@gmail.com

Spread the Fuzz Activities for Opening Night:

Sampling by Sabrett Hotdog—New York's #1 Hotdog

Internet Access via MyDestiny Internet

Raffle Prizes:

GC from MyDestiny Internet

GC for a Ring from Singelringen

GC for a Workout from Elorde Boxing Gym

GC for Nail Art Printing from Max in Pink Salon

FAQ's here :)

In the Spirit of Christmas...GIVE! :)

Below is an article by Rory A. posted in our badminton community forum. I am sharing this with you in case you want to extend some help. At this point, I doubt that I can still pick-up donations in kind as the group will already visit the community again this coming Sunday. Cash donations are most welcome and I can receive it via Paypal or Bank transfer (Metrobank). Please email pamarawan [dot] donations [at] gmail [dot] com so I can give you Paypal or bank details. Janet and Daday Pascual are sisters and very close to Ane and I. Pictures at the end of the article are courtesy of Daday from their initial visit. The rest of the pictures are found HERE.

~~~~~~~~~

The beauty and drama in the photos below cannot hide the poverty of life in Pamarawan Village, Malolos, Bulacan. In this community, people thrive mainly from the bounty of the sea. Many of them depend on fisheries to live from day to day. Village folks start their day early with fish trade along the stretch of the river channel.

Life is not easy in this side of town. It is hard to make both ends meet. The village's geographical location makes it vulnerable to the slightest hit of a storm or whatever calamity. It takes 30-45 minutes of boat ride to get to Pamarawan from the fishport in Panasahan, Bulacan, and as such, it is also difficult and costly for most children to go to school. Most of these children opt to stay home.

Fr. Efren Gomez Basco, the parish priest in the area, is currently building a formation center to help in the education of the youth and aid in the holistic growth of the townspeople. The center is currently under construction (refer to pic below) and needs further funding for its speedy completion. This building will serve as an evacuation camp whenever there's flood or if it becomes unsafe for the people to stay in their homes.

On December 9, 2007 (Sunday), volunteers headed by Janette and Daday Pascual, will visit Pamarawan and they would gladly extend to the community whatever kind of help you can give. Monetary donations will go a long way. Old clothes and shoes will be much appreciated also. Thank you very much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you!!!!

Personal Update

How creative can I get, uh? Boring title I know. Anyway...

...Last week was spent mostly at home. Ane was down with flu so we didn't have any choice but to stay put. He was supposed to bring me on a date on Friday night (we didn't have Rot meeting), but ended up staying at Yellow Cab in Timog while waiting for my li'l bro (some party at a bar). He was feeling a bit better that night (he was just resting for two days, amd missed work on Wednesday).

...We were also able to watch Beowulf at the Gateway Mall on Saturday just before I went to work. Loved the movie. The graphics are simply awesome I wish I was the artist! Angelina Jolie had a moment of frontal nudity (but a CGI of course! heheh), and that body is to die for. Beowulf is one proud hero but weak, too. I plan to buy the book. Basta ang ganda!

...We had to endure a very long line before we could get our Beowulf tickets. Why? People were "clamoring" for the Lloydy-Bea movie. The ticket girl said it's a nice movie, not the usual local stuff. Even li'l bro's friends said we should catch it too. But Ane gave me the look...he won't go with me obviously. Calling my galpals, yooohooooo! Or maybe I'll drag my brothers on Friday. I also wanna watch Enchanted (now showing as well), maybe Ane will concede heheh. And then I found out today that the Bee Movie shall be shown here early January. Tagal! Sigh.

...I'm aching all over I wanna quit going to the gym hahaha. Less than to weeks and it's taking a toll on me. But I think I lost another pound. We also started eating salad from Goolai, yum yum. I've been staying away from rice, and it's helping I guess.

...My scrap mojo is back but there's an album I badly need to work on. I know this project has been dragging me for months but I'm glad I'm getting somewhere, at least. Twenty more pages to go!

...We have, yet again, evacuated from our home and are currently in QC. The river near us overflowed and it's been flooded for two days now. Doesn't help that the tide is also high. I miss our bed but we don't have much choice.

...Lastly, countdown started on the 24th and it's gonna be the longest two weeks of my life...

This has been a very disorganized entry, but a personal entry nonetheless. :) Long weekend up ahead, yahooooo!

Party

Yesterday, I paid for the contribution intended for the subdvision (where the brothers' apartment is located) Christmas party on the 8th. The letter also asks that we confirm whether anyone is attending or not so the committee can allot the food. We are going to miss the gathering altogether. This is the second year that we are not attending since we moved in (which reminds me how everything was a blur since we needed to move out due to some unexpected circumstances, and how I wish we had a service like that of a New York Moving Company...our move could have been done more swiftly..and yes, am blabbing now...). It's not that we are being anti-social, but the second weekend of December, from experience, is usually busy for us. Besides, since we are only renting, we can't tell for how long we are gonna stay and I for one, suffers from separation anxiety that I cannot be too close with anyone.

Did this post make any sense at all? Sigh, I need to focus.

A lot of times, they don't get it...

See, I just talked to the part-timer girl and told her that starting next cut-off, she will be regularized (nice performance for the last three months). She accepted the offer and we said that she will still be supervised because she has to learn more...and she needs to learn stuff asap. We told her the new pay rate and that she should also inform the officer to fix the schedule with her doing an 8-hour duty. Am not sure though if my announcement made her happy.

And then I called the officer in so I could inform him and instruct him. He left and returned in a huff because of one concern.

He said that, even if the crew was informed that their pay rate is confidential, they won't stop asking each other and comparing. Sigh. And the officer is afraid that the others will feel "ripped-off" when they found out our offer to this new regularized girl. That should be the least of our problems, ayt? As if we can tape their lips sealed and never let them talk. I'm just sad that they question our decisions. Even sadder that they would feel we are treating them unfairly. And yet they don't know that we are actually preparing a new scheme for the old-timers. I don't owe them any explanation and I'm standing firm. I just had to share it coz I suddenly felt stressed.

It's that time again!

EOM - as in end of the month. Ugh. At this time, am busy thinking of bills to pay, checks to fund and payroll to disburse (and I have other deadlines, too!!!).

I've said it and I am going to say it again -- running a business is not easy-peasy. When I was still a part of the so-called workforce, I used to complain a lot about salary deductions -- taxes, contributions, premiums as well as other payables (mobile phone, credit card and gimmick expenses, etc). Back then, I was with a big company that we considered ourselves leaning on a wall because of its stability. Even a payday loan is easily approved through the cooperative. Those were the days when I would complain and never realize that it's easier to wait for payday to come rather than thinking about whether the cash on hand would be enough for everything and everyone.

But we get by, gladly. And because really, running a business has it's long term benefits. I just have to wait and be patient :)

Irony

We are a third world country (okaaayyyyyy, to be politically correct, we are a developing country). I checked the NEDA website and as of December 1, 2005, the population is almost 76.5M, average income per family as of 2003 is less than P150K while expenditure is almost P125K, and almost 25% of families are within the poverty incidence (30.40% of population). Can we consider this country to be poor?

If a lot of people are suffering from poverty, then why oh why can at least one government agency (the red plate says it all!) afford to have a Black Lincoln Town Car, and worse find it cruising along Ortigas Avenue ON A SATURDAY?

This a first-hand account and I wish I had the camera to capture it. :(

The ground shook on this part of the world

We just had lunch at around 1225 and I was standing, more like leaning on a chair at the dining table, when I felt the earth moving. I looked at my brother, and decided that, yeah, there was an earthquake. I grabbed my bags and we went out of the house immediately. All the neighbors were somehow oblivious. We were the only ones outside! It lasted only for a few seconds and immediately afterwards, I received a call from Ane and said they felt it too (their office is at the 28th floor), it was kinda scary.

At the moment, while I go over a term life insurance quote, I'm searching the net for some more information and realized that the quake was relatively mild (at 4.2 magnitude with epicenter somewhere up north, and about intensity 2-3 in Metro Manila) that major effects are fatfetched. There's no more update on the net. Maybe I should just wait for the news later tonight. :)

Don't forget to check out...

...my layout share here. I'd like to hear from you! :)

Saturday's Tourney

You must be wondering what happened last Saturday to my partner, Mami C and I? Hehehe. First, I'd like to thank Patrick for capturing that shot :) And secondly, I'm not that proud of my form, coz according to my Bro G, it isn't at all proper (look at that left hand, ang arte! hihi).

The thing is, we lost all four games. Yup, we were not able to contribute a single point to our team, which landed second runner up. Go Black Scorpions!!!). But we sure did our best. It just so happened that we weren't the strongest team there is (We played in group5, lowest level hehe at wala na yatang ibang bababa pa sa level namin ni pard, heheh kidding!). And we had so much fun. Our first game was against the team we were so afraid of. Our friends were so nice to cheer for us (go, tili girls!) that everybody thought we were faring pretty well. Again, the we didn't allow the pressure to sink in and we didn't allow the fun element to be gone :) It would have been better if I won any of the raffle prizes, hihi.

Anyway, I learned so much from this tourney. I got a lot of tips from hubby, who trains with no less than Coach Martin M. His tips helped me get us points and also made me realize that I badly need to practice on my drop-shots. If I were able to make all the drop-shots I tried to return, then we could have won at least one game. I also learned that in every tournament, not just in badminton, there will always be sore losers (no need to elaborate!!! and that's not us huh!) and those who will put you down no matter what. I got annoyed at some point but that didn't ruin the entire day for me. :) Plus, I'm happy I didn't get cramps!!!! :)

Kudos to the organizers. It was worth my entry fee (although I could have just saved it for another havs, hahaha!). And I'm happy for the orange shirt's debut :) Til next tourney!

Dreaming of our future house again.

I took a short break from composing entries and decided to surf a bit. I can't stop thinking about how our future house will look like so I net-hopped for some home furnishings. Currently, we have bar at home that is hardly used (we are not drinkers and I'd rather convert that small area into a mini library). And if ever hubby will insist on putting one in our future home (for the guests!) I'd want to have ceiling lighting like this:

Ain't that a wonderful set-up? I'll show this to my parents, they'd probably like the same for our restaurant bar :)

**image from www.lightingshowplace.com

In 1978

I actually have a book of 1978, listing a lot (if not all) of important events in the world that happened that year, but this is probably a nice rundown of some events :) Got the link from Chikai. The most significant for me probably is the installation of Pope John Paul II. And it made me giggle that Ashton is the same age as me. Hehe. Babaw ko noh?

In 1978 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US US Senate votes to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999 Israel and Egypt reach a peace settlement at the Camp David Accords The US and mainland China announce that they will restore full diplomatic relations Members of Jim Jones' People's Temple commit mass suicide in Guyana Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in centuries Ted Bundy is captured in Florida The first computer bulletin board system is created Garfield debuts in newspapers Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken, and Nelly Furtado are born New York Yankees win the World Series Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the US charts Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

They're on tour!

Have you heard about the Van Halen tour happening soon? I read the website and it says, they are a band from the late 70's and became pretty popular in the 80's. But I honestly cannot remember any of their songs. But to be fair, I was not a music-lover ever since. I mean, I listen to songs and I love the New Wave era but I am not a big music fan compared to my brothers. So there. If you are in North America, and you know them, this post is a heads up. :)

He is so smart!

Of course I'm talking about Joaquin again. They were on their way home the other day when my sister noticed the half-moon. So:

She: Look Joaquin, the alien ate the moon!

Him: Mommy (in the exasperated tone), this is a safe planet. This is not monster earth. It's just a crescent! (with that as-a-matter-of-fact-look)

Where does he get this stuff, eh? He's four and he surprises us with talk like this. And finally, I was able to finish a layout (about how smart he can get), and find it here. Lemme know how I did :)

Backtrack

MJ tagged me to review my past entries....I just realized that all the long worthy ones (except current ones) are in my old Xanga blog. So I'm sure my links here are either too recent or about ads. Hehe. But I'm trying...

*** INSTRUCTIONS: *** 1. Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given below. 2. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better. 3. Don’t forget to read the archived post and leave comments.

Link 1 must be about FAMILY "Where did time go?" (January 25, 2007)
Link 2 must be about FRIEND "Mini-Reunion" (May 28, 2007)
Link 3 must be about YOURSELF "Certified" (April 24, 2007)

Link 4 must be about YOUR LOVE "Insensitive" (November 2, 2007)

Link 5 can be ANYTHING YOU LIKE... "Lesson learned the hard way" (April 26, 2006) -- may I add that I was never able to recover my Zen and it died. Hmp.

Snag this if you like it :) Filler-alert! :)

Doing a survey?

During our feasibility study days in college, we were tasked to do some surveys to "feel" our market. We learned that part of doing it is sampling and actually reaching the sample or target group. And we had to do it manually. I remember, we had to go to some villages and knock on doors, hoping to get a ten-minute audience in every household. These days, it is a lot easier to peruse Mailing Lists that are available with companies such as martinworldwide. But this is of course for the bigger companies who have budget for Research. For a fee, the company can provide those who need it with a compilation of consumers that will eventually lead to higher sales (because the client gets to target the correct group at first try). This is efficiency and leads to lesser costs, don't you think?

Sweat it out :)

I did it!

I went back to the gym! I actually started on Monday, hoping to meet up with my new Personal trainer (PT). But he wasn't around coz I had to change my schedule the last minute. Just talked to the consultant and she also offered options for my bro. Yup! We're doing this together. On Monday, I just did some cardio and lotsa crunches (have an event on Saturday, and I badly need to fit in my dress!!). Today was my Fitness Test. I had to do it again coz I stopped going to the gym for a long time, remember? I'm still aching in the middle...did more crunches today! I was told today that I still have 35 PT sessions left, yay! So I'm gonna be working my a*s off in the next few weeks. I just hope I can keep going back for my sessions. I start officially on Friday.

The OB said I should lose at least 15lbs. The Consultant says 20! Oh my! Extra effort! On a happier note, I already lost 2lbs (and keeping it that way), just by watching my calorie intake (for the last two weeks). I get hungry all the time but it's good that I can stop myself from eating too much.

Will update you every now and then about thie "battle". Wish me luck! :)

Flood...

in this blog. I have assigments to finish and there's no other time to do it but now. I was supposed do everything last night but the internet connection conked out just when I had the groove to think. Sheesh. And besides, I could not stay up to late coz I know I'll be in the gym today. I didn't plan on passing out while on the treadmill, hehe. Plus, tonight is the schedule for the album layout...haven't finished it yet, I know. The list of pictures to include in the album was sent only the other day. Need to finish it badly before I start with another project.

There, I was blabbing again.

Gold

The Peso is getting stronger while the dollar becomes weak, at least for this country's economy. This happens every time the Holidays arrive since a lot of remittances are sent during this season. But there are days that it becomes otherwise, and the increase in the cost of basic commodities is unavoidable. This leads us to the fact that money is not very stable, investment-wise. A better alternative therefore is gold since it is a more tangible investment and free from depreciation. A small bar can go a long way in terms of purchases and it is also a safer alternative to keep. Click the link to learn more about this.

Scam Alert

A couple of weeks ago, I got this SMS, a classic spam:

Sender: +639277904022
Message: NOTICE: Ur mobile phone # had won 500,000.00 frm PCSO "PAMILYANG PANGKABUHAYAN" CALL NOW I'm TINA R. LOPEZ per dtincr permit#3082 series of 2007. (CONGRATULATIONS).

And when I exit from the message, it says, the sender requests for a reply. Of course I did not reply nor call. I know for a fact that I did not join any raffle or contest. Heck, I haven't even played the lotto for a while now and I'm not aware of any raffle by PCSO. If there's one, I would have probably caught an ad on tv. And, the sender is not the usual 290, 2966, 2343 etc. This Tina Lopez probably "got" my number by random, hoping to get a reply or a call. The MO is that, she would tell me to deposit an amount to a certain bank before she can give me the "actual" winnings, claiming that it's for tax purposes and/or fees.

The NTC is well aware of things like these and they (together with the organizations and companies used like PCSO, GMA7 etc) have been working to disseminate information around so the number of victims will be minimized. But the fact that I still receive messages like this, means that some people haven't learned their lesson and still fall victims to these scams. Hmmmm

I had something in mind....

before starting this post but I lost track of my thoughts! Maybe because it's almost 2am and am still awake (normal for me but...). I've been having long days for the past few days and busy is such an understatement. I have so much to share but my mind stopped working at midnight. Hehe. I blogged tonight to finish some opps and the tags (don't want to keep the ladies waiting). Gotta catch some zzzzzz's and wish me luck for tomorrow's tournament! Our first game is at 230pm but Ane is dragging me there early coz theirs is at 930am! I'm bringing Ivy so I can work on something--I can't tell you about it yet--while I wait for our time :) buh-bye for now! :)

Blogging Me

Tagged by Chikai, thanks sis! I was actually writing down a draft (yup, on paper!!!) while sitting in a meeting a while ago. Hehe.

1. How long have you been blogging?

More than three years. I started blogging in April of 2004 at Xanga without knowing what I was doing! Hehe. Brother said it's an online journal as well as a network building site like Friendster. Didn't know it was called "blogging" :) This blog, on the other hand, originally started as a photo-blog in October 2004. When I got tired of X because of it's limitations (had to pay for premium account), I created another blogspot site until in August2006 I made this blog my all-around blog coz I realized I can't maintain two anymore. Oh, and there's another blog I created as a wedding blog and I plan to revive it ;) In June of this year, I won a domain name and webhosting from Amor, and that became my (un)Creative Playground. :)

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

I just thought I needed a medium to "showcase" my writing skills...or lack thereof. Hahaha. Kidding aside, I thought blogging is a perfect way to express my ideas and feelings and share just about anything. I was literally clueless and didn't what I was doing. Hubby's friends, DEP and MEG taught me some basic codes and I also learned by searching tutorials online ;)

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

Used to do it just for fun and basically to just note memories. But I recently started blogging for money, so I don't have to ask hubby my "extra" expenses :)

4. Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.

> I'm amazed by how much I learn everyday while online.

> Easy correspondence with my sister, BIL and of course darling J :)

> I met MY FOREVER online hihi...

5. Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE within the online world.

> Keeping myself away from it when I need to.

> Spam! But I don't get that much.

> Scammers! Not that I've been a victim of one but I'm weary all the time. I guess it's the paranoia within, hehe.

Dunno who to tag anymore, I've seen this around. If you haven't done this yet, share!!!! :)

I miss my kitchen

I don't claim to be a kitchen goddess, but I can make a mean Sinigang (anything with tamarind soup). My cooking abilities are limited but my husband is surprised that I know what I'm doing. When we moved in, hubby agreed to buy stuff for the kitchen (except for the oven, haha!). My kitchen is almost complete, well at least with the basic stuff. I used to spend most of my time there during the first few months into getting married, so much so that hubby even agreed to put his old tv in the kitchen so I can get entertained. The space is small though that we had to attach it on the wall using a tv mount. Anyway, the past few months (well at least since we got back) were spent either outside or at the brothers' apartment. Or if we're here, we only sleep (late!), then wake up early the next day and leave again. Our time at home is just a small fraction of our weekly schedule. Oh well, the point is I miss my kitchen and I miss cooking stuff and I miss our dinners at home.

Brand Curious

MJ tagged me and would like to know the Brand of my:

1) wristwatch? A purple Timex and two brandless ones I got from Target.
2) bracelet? Do beads count? As for real jewelry, I lost my precious pieces to thieves.
3) cell phone? A free Sony Ericsson S500i from my mobile service provider. I'm a big SE fan!
4) computer? Desktop: generic chopchop assembled by hubby. Laptop: Ivy, my ThinkPad.
5) bags? Lacoste, Guess, RL, Nine West and lots of unknown ones.
6) undies? Victoria's Secret and some local brands.
7) flip-flops? Havaianas (my splurge!) and generic ones.
8) shoes? Nike, Keds, Aerosoles, Nine West, Baddeo, SM Shoes! :)
9) wallet? Nine West
10) shirts? Lacoste, Burberry, Old Navy and lotsa unbranded ones.
11) TV? LG and Sony

12) cars? Technically we don't own one, we just borrow whichever is available - Isuzu, Toyota or Mitsubishi

13) mp3 player? I share an IPod 30gb Video with Hubby but I only use it while driving (transmitted) coz earphones are bad for my ears, really.

14) make up? Bare Escentuals
15) shampoo and conditioner? Head & Shoulders and CreamSilk respectively.
16) jeans? brandless
17) laundry soap? Pride
18) lotion? Lubriderm Pink, Cetaphil, Jergens
19) toothpaste? Colgate
20) ballpen? a black Reynolds, at the moment.

Thanks for the tag girl!

One is enough.

At this age when there are a lot of appliances (ie. PS3, cable box, video player) that need a display unit, one television seems not enough. Or at least, it's a hassle to connect and disconnect cables every now and then. But these HDMI switches save the day, as they say. And it has an infrared remote control to boot, perfect for the lazy butts. One day, we'll buy a switch. But first, we have to worry about the high definition television. Hehe.

Weekend recap

Hehe, it's Tuesday and my weekend recap is late. Anyway,

We practically stayed in the apartment, sleeping, on Saturday. We brought li'l brother to a school function in AFP Theater (El Fili play) just after lunch and picked him up around 5pm. The traffic was terrible that by the time we got back, I had to rush and ready myself for a dinner with my college galpals at Shang Mall. It was actually a welcome-back-dinner-get-together for R & R. The couple got there earlier and I joked that they've become 'americanized' since they usually come late. Hehe. Dinner was at Krocodile and we had coffee afterwards at Starbucks. I missed the girls! And the little girls, too! Waiting for Ris to upload to pics, and I will share some here. :)

Sunday, brothers & I picked some boxes in another WB branch, met with a crew member in Caloocan, had late lunch in Tiendesitas (discovered peeled Suha! Yum!), then later coffee at Kopi Roti in Katipunan, while waiting for D and B. We scheduled to visit the wake of Mommy C's dad in Lagro in faraway Fairview, hehe. Later, D & B dropped me off at SM North where I tasted an Almond Milk Tea from Bubble Tea (more yummy than CK's nan chai). And then I closed the store.

Weekend was long, this entry did not justify how tiring it was. Hehe. I was asleep the whole morning yesterday coz I felt so restless!

Reminiscin' part 2 (and an Award yihee!)

Hi ya'all! Am back with the rest of my Childhood memories. At least one person promised to come and read the rest of the thirteen , heheh. Hi Chikai! And she gave me an award too! :) Here's the remaining 6:

1. I remember out little nipa hut, our dear little play house where we "cook", "spend the night", "teach the kids", etc.;
2. Waiting for an uncle at the compound gate to drive-by when he throws at us one peso each;
3. Apples during Christmas! (back then, the fruit is too expensive for us that we only get to eat them during Holidays);
4. Singing the Batibot theme (Pagmulat ng mata, laging nakatawa...);
5. Almost chopping my finger into two (I still have the scar) just to share a ChickenJoy with brother; and
6. Sitting outside my Lola's house, waiting for a banana, and falling asleep in the process (sandalog ako eh, until now! hehe).

There you go! And the award from Chikai, I am a:

Thank you sis!

Sunbathing in Mexico

Is something I would like to do in the future. Don't get me wrong, I love the beaches here (Boracay! Palawan!) but vacationing in another country is another thing, right? While daydreaming and surfing the net (a.k.a. hunting), I came across Riviera Maya resorts. I was looking at the page of El Dorado Seaside Suites, and what can I say? How about, Hunny, let's go there for another honeymoon? Yeah! It is located in a secluded area, smoke-free (a big plus!) and best of all, the hotel is for adults only. How's that for some action, huh? Hihi. And who would want to leave that bed? (picture from the site). I guess we will need at least a week to sunbathe AND do other things, huh?

Chasing dreams

I saw myself standing inside the commissary's office in Laguna. I was waiting for the girls to turn-over our stocks order but I was ignored. I didn't remember how I got there. I didn't even remember me paying the toll at SLEX and surrendering my ID at the village guard.

In a snap, I was around a group of people and they were talking about how I never made it to Laguna because I met an accident. I was dead.

Scary, huh. I tried to go back to sleep and chase more dreams, pleasant dreams but I half-opened my eyes and saw that it was already lunchtime. I sent Hun a message and he said I'm probably just thinking about the accident a former Senator met, where his wife died. :(

Freaky funny

Scenario: The parents together somewhere up north. My Li'l bro in the apartment in QC. Other brother in the garden but in the office. Me sitting in the garden at the guest area. Time was around 8pm on Thursday.

I suddenly received a text message from my dad (who never sends text, replies to texts by calling) as: "I luv all" -- notice how "you" was omitted and the message seemed like he typed it with some kinda urgency. Now our dad is never expressive and hardly says "I love you" to us. I was surprised, of course, and was waiting for my brother to come out from the office to ask if he received the same message. He stayed inside. My imagination started to run. What exactly was my dad's message? Was he in trouble? Were they fighting? What was going on? I waited for a few minutes before I replied, "I luv u too".

Brother came out as if nothing is wrong. I asked if he received the same message and he said yes. Apparently, li'l bro called the landline and asked why dad was sending that kind of message saying, "Freaky eh!". And the time my brother came out, he already replied that we all love him and even asked, Why po?

A few minutes passed and he couldn't stop the urge and called my mom, who was laughing at the other line, as if everything was just d*rn funny. Dad was sending the message because, as per mom...

HE WAS JUST PRACTICING THE "SEND ALL" FUNCTION!!!!!!!! (Dad got a new phone last week). Hay buhay. Hehe.

Employee cash advances

Managing a business is a hard task. There are times that I think about the days when all I had to worry about is to be able to budget my salary for until the next payday. Now, we have employees who have no one else to run to but us. Days come when some of them need emergency money...when their salary is still a few days away. When this happen, I would not deny that our own budget gets affected too. Too bad, we do not have some kind of Faxless Payday Loans made available here, like in the States. Our employees really just depend on their bosses. In the US, paydayloanquotes.com offers easy payday loans and cash advances without credit checking, not to mention possible approval within minutes. Loans are payable in two weeks (just in time for the payday!) but may be longer. Sometimes I wonder when this kind of service is to be made available here. It would truly help with unexpected bills. I do not, however, encourage our employees to advance their salaries all the time, because debts are debts are debts. Right?

Reminiscin'

Yen's Thursday Thirteen today inspired me to do this post. It's all about random memories from childhood (not sure I can fill up the 13 slots though) ;)

1. My sister and I are eleven months apart so we got used to be mistaken as twins! Didn't help that we wore similar clothes and haircut :)
2. I remember mom and dad bringing us to Fiesta Carnival in Cubao and riding the carousel
3. Riding a "katig-less" banca, scary haha
4. My brother R hit me with a small bowl even if I was sick (I must be that annoying, uh!)
5. I joined a declamation contest (Oh Captai, my Captain) in Grade One because my teacher said I had a powerful voice and good diction. I was the only girl competing and I lost.
6. My mom's BIL was playing with me, threw me up the air, missed me for a second, and finally caught me by the ankles..and I was upside down, hanging behind him!
7. I fell in a canal behind my lola's house and got this scar on the forehead.

I'll come back for more. This got me thinking eh :) But I gotta close the store first...hehehe

Responsible parenthood equals perfect kids?

How can parents be assured that their kids will still take care of them when they get old? How will they know that the youngsters will not bring them to a nursing home (or in the case of this country, a home for the aged) later on in life? Nursing homes are a part of the culture in other countries while here, the idea is being frowned upon.

One church organization here apostolates on a family of seven. The oldest four of the five kids are mentally retarded and their life is hard-up (the father's income cannot sustain their daily needs). The mom, when asked why they had to continue conceiving one problematic child after the other, said that they were hoping the next kid would be normal. And that they expected the normal kid to help them take care of the not so normal ones in the future. Is that fair at all, in the case of the youngest child? How can this couple expect the youngest kid to be responsible for her siblings when her future is hardly bright? Stories like this make me sad. Children are supposed to be the hope of tomorrow. But today is the foundation that molds them.

Shopping, shopping!

Today is Ane's day-off and we scheduled to have the truck serviced today for maintenance. We decided to go to the mall while Espee is being serviced. Anyway, yesterday I received an anonymous text saying that all SM Advantage and Prestige members (am one of them) gets 10% off on ALL items all day, for today only. I was hesitant to believe it since the text didn't come from those 4-digit numbers (ie. 2977, 2640 etc.) but I forwarded it to Ane just the same. I instantly knew, when he replied (even if he didn't say so) that he smelled he's in trouble! ::Wink::

We left Espee in Isuzu and got to the mall. It was true after all that we can get 10% discount for all purchases in the department store! So while having lunch at Kenny Roger's (which I didn't enjoy, I forgot to tell the cashier I wanted the breast part!) I listed what I needed to buy (and wanted! hehe). We got gifts for my godchildren who I will on saturday, stuff for Joaquin (a pair of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, a polo shirt, a polo, a shirt and pairs of briefs), cargo pants for Ane, I got some underwear too, a make-up bag plus vanity mirror, and some socks. Yay! I wasn't done looking around but we needed to go already. I dropped by the bookstore to get some office supplies, too.

I wanted to shop for clothes but I'll do that next time. Husbands can get pretty impatient while the wives shop, I tell yah! :) My brother picked us up from the mall, dropped Ane at the service center, and then off to the garden. :)

On December 20, 2004...

I wrote this in my old blog:

"i'd say that the worst feeling in the world, besides indifference, is neither hatred nor angst. for some (usually the paranoid, ), it is but the feeling that some other people ceased to NEED them. i will not elaborate anymore. because for me, just the thought that someone (could be a loved one, a family member, an old friend, a new friend) does not need me anymore makes me quite sad."

I do not remember anymore what triggered this entry. I said I might elaborate, but I never did. Hehe. I slept on it as DEP suggested. But then, I still feel the same until now. Nope, no one is ignoring me at the moment. I just mean that one of my greatest fears, really, is getting to a point when no one else would need me anymore. I am a possessive sucker like that. Hehe. Maybe I need a shrink, kaching! :) Mwehehe.

Trip to Orlando

I've always been vocal about my desire to visit Orlando, Florida someday. I'd like to visit the theme parks (what else?!?), especially that the Harry Potter theme park will open in 2009 (I am a Potterhead!). Of course, I would choose to go there with my entire family and probably some friends. Since we are now considered a big family, we can probably avail of group hotel bookings so we can save a bit. I also heard Orlando.com can arrange vacations in the area and they can even suggest the perfect itinerary so we can make the most of our time. I just can't wait to feel like a kid again!

Mosquitoes, ack!

I am currently a sorry victim of mosquito bites, uh-oh. Mosquitoes love me too much that Off has become my bestfriend. I always apply the repellant and we periodically spray insecticides to get rid of the insects. I dunno what happened but maybe it has something to do with the changing weathers and usually wet days, ugh. The attacks started over the weekend. Was in a skirt going to places, the courts and in the open bar so I got bites on the legs and thighs (forgot to bring the lotion!), and then I got bites on my arms too, from the garden. So you can just imagine how itchy I still feel. Sigh. :( I'll apply katinko later to ease the itch a bit.

Quiapo Adventure and Slashing stories

My brother R, cousin Ana, staff Ricky and G's driver Zaldy went on a Quiapo trip yesterday. We met Ana and Ricky at SM Manila and then we were off to C. Palanca to find the parking space near the famed Ills de Tulle. Ry felt secured enough to leave Tisay in the paid parking area, since it was guarded, that he allowed Zaldy to go with us. We initially asked him to stay and guard the car coz we never know what might happen. Our agenda was to buy a new DVD Videoke for the bar since our old one got busted and our guests have become restless without it. We checked some stores near where we parked but decided to go with the original plan of canvassing in Raon. We walked and we got there, the place is truly a cheap electronics haven! The machine we chose has about 10,500 songs (new ones) and comes with a pair of microphones. It was so cheap we decided to get another DVD player for the concert videos. In total we spent only less than P6,000 (about $135), and even if our loot was cheap, Zaldy was able to haggle it down a bit more. Good thing we got him to tag along! We had lunch at ChowKing while waiting for the long microphone cords we also purchased. And then before we finally left the area, we shopped for some dibides for only 3 for P100. Yay!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A friendly reminder to those who commute: Beware of snatchers and slashers! Since Christmas is nearing, like in previous years, the crime rate related to stealing is rising. The other day, I was talking to a previous colleague and said she got her bag slashed on her way to work. And then yesterday, while Zaldy is waiting for a bus, his pants' back pocket got slashed. Good thing he caught the culprit just before the man was able to take his wallet. Anyone who've seen our driver will know that he is too big for thieves to even try stealing from him. But these criminals are well-trained that way (or maybe they thought Zakdy is just too heavy he won't be able to run anyway?!? heheh). Zaldy was able to kick the man and the man was soon calling for back-up that Zaldy had to rush and get in any bus before he gets into further trouble. Take care all of you! ;)

Effective appliance search online

When my sister and her husband finally decide to buy themselves a new home, most definitely they will have to buy new furniture and appliances. The house they're renting at the moment is semi furnished so they didn't need to worry about stuff anymore. When they finally move out, my sister is likely to find, for instance models of KitchenAid Dishwashers, online. And when she does, I'll probably recommend krillion.com because this website seems effective in pointing to consumers where exactly an outlet is located. This system saves time and effort on the part of the buyer, because everything is neatly categorized. The internet is really a powerful tool, aint it?

Strike!

Look at how expressive this little boy is. This shot was taken by Ane after J and his mom hit a strike in a bowling game (not fair though, coz they had blockers on each side! Hehe). We were celebrating his 4th birthday at that time, in June. Oh well, he's trained to show his real emotions, and that's precisely the reason he can easily make us go insane. Hehe.

Anyway, Ane entered this in their company's Photo of the Month contest (for October), the theme of which is "Emotions". Ane texted me this morning that he won 1st runner up, yayayayyyy!!! He's getting a certificate for 50 4R prints plus p1k worth of photo accessories. We didn't expect him to win at all, because we saw all the other entries and a lot are better than this shot. He entered this in a beginner's level, by the way.

Participants voted on who should win, and Ane got enough votes to land second. It must be J's expression that can be felt just by looking at him, don't you think so too? Oh, I should remember to scrap this one! :)