Happy New Year!

Credits: Fireworks Paper by Dumb Bum Designs; Wordart, Champagne Bottle, Champagne Flutes and Ribbon by Utopian Rain

Online Fun

Before my first casino experience, I never really understood why some people frequent those places. But after betting on a couple of card games and playing on the slot machines several times, I finally got it... It was quite exciting not knowing whether you're going to win or not, I don't know if there's a science to it where you would always win, for me it was purely luck, and it was quite a rush. So for anyone who would like to duplicate their experience in casinos without leaving the comfort of your homes, visit an online casino. It would give you a wide variety of choices of sites as well as the games you particularly like. You don't have to dress up, you don't even have to wait to play... The choices are right there in front of you, all you need to do is point and click and the fun begins! Oh and you will play without worries because this site provides with you with professional reviews and trust scores for each online casino as well as bonus features!

'Twas The Day After Christmas...

I was supposed to go back to work today but as I woke up at around 10 in the morning already, I saw that it was pointless to rush myself to go to work, well it is really not surprising that I overslept what with the tiring (but uber happy) day that was yesterday... Christmas morning was spent cleaning up the mess that was made the night before and then I started cooking for the Christmas lunch that I was hosting for my family. I cooked simple dishes that were family favorites: Chicken Curry, Inihaw na Bangus, Pork Barbeque and Beef Stew. My family arrived at around 12:30pm and we started eating lunch right away. After lunch, we opened our gifts for one another and watched TV for a while. Then after a few minutes of rest my baby sister, Mae helped me to cook carbonara for the visitors that I was expecting later that day (my godchildren... with their parents of course!). At around 3:00pm they (mom, dad, sisters & bro) bid me "adieu" to go visit my grandmother and my mom's siblings who were at my Aunt's house before finally going home. I caught a bit of R&R for an hour or two before my cousin Tin-Tin came with her son Enzo (Charlie's godson) together with her husband Elmer and two of her sisters, Lorraine and Levie. Elmer joined in the "drinking session" with Charlie and some of our neighbors in front of our house while Enzo opened his "ninong Chayie's" gift. After a while came Rosebeth (my officemate) with her daughter Kate (my goddaughter) and her husband Joseph, but since Kate was in "toyo" mode, they had to leave early. After a while Enzo wanted to go home also so the rest of my guests had to follow suit. That left me with loads of cleaning up to do on my own since Charlie was still with our neighbors outside, celebrating. Needless to say, by the time Charlie and our neighbors called it a night, I was already finished with the cleanup and it was already 1:30am! I'm not complaining though, I enjoyed the things I did because it made my family and friends happy... And now here I am, writing this post from home, but tomorrow its back to the office for me!

Happy Holidays!

credit: Merry and Bright Quickpage by Ellie Lash

Innocent Life

I spent most of my time over the weekend playing Harvest Moon Innocent Life... I have always liked playing Harvest Moon from the time I started playing it on Gameboy Advance. I even had one in my mobile phone before. And at home, in my pc, I had HM in project 64 format. And after finishing the girl game in Back to Nature for PSP, I decided (despite the numerous negative comments from my friends and the ones I read in forums about the Innocent Life version) to try playing it and sure enough I couldnt put the PSP down... Charlie keeps saying that he's going to hide the PSP or the memory stick containing the game (hehehe!). Anyway, I really like it. I also like the plot although I miss the courtin part of the game in the previous HM versions, but there are a lot of new things in Innocent Life, like the cute buggy that the lead character gets as a reward from his "creator" when he is able to open certain portals. There's more area to be explored also plus you get both a dog and a cat as pets. I better stop before I go on and on about this game... I'll probably write more when I finish the game already but as for now, I can't wait for the clock to hit 5pm so I could go home and play again.

Be a Smarty, Join Smorty!

In the blogging world, there are many opportunities that are being presented to you and its just up to you to choose which ones to accept and be part of and which ones you think is not suitable for you. It is a well known fact that a lot of bloggers has converted their blogs from personal ones to gain additional income and one of the more popular ways to do so is when one advertise on blogs. Smorty is a service connecting such advertisers with us bloggers, and fairly recently I have joined the bandwagon. Yes folks, if you want more opportunities to be presented to you then you should do so too! Smorty is very easy to use, all you need to do is register and voila! The doors to blog advertising will be opened as soon as your blog gets approved. You will be offered numerous prospects and the earning limit is only that of which you set for yourself. So if you’re like me, who wants extra income, this is the chance to do so. Join Smorty and be welcomed to the world of getting paid for blogging. You write about lots of stuff anyway, so why not earn while doing so?

Ronito Ronita

Bloggers unite! It is the season for giving and what better way to celebrate such a joyous occassion than to partake in a "ronito-ronita"? Juliana tagged me with this and I cannot contain my excitement over it... for my fellow n@wies I think you are familiar with this as this is a yearly activity from N@W only this is purely via the net. Just remember to reply to the tag before the 16th of December.

Here's How to Join:

[1] Fill out and submit the details of this form.
[2]Copy and post the rules to your blog. Include the “backward list” (a record of how the tag reached you) and add your name.
[3] Recruit for participants. Be sure to get their consent.

Should they agree to join, add them to your “forward list” (bloggers you’ve convinced to join).

Remind them to do item #1.

** Participants will be accepted until December 16 (Phil. time) only. On December 17, the organizer will email to you the details of your Ronito/Ronita. Send him/her a Christmas greeting via E-cards preferably on December 25.

Should time be a constraint, you can send it earlier.

I'm tagging Anne, Thet, Che, Mec, Raquel, Kathy, Meng, Toni, Mhay and Chi. If someone else tagged you already then it's ok, so long as you're part of it already... Merry Christmas!

edited today (December 14, 2007) to include My Backwards Link List: iRonnie, Jeff, Thess, GBex, Liza, Liza 2, Rems, Eds, Abie, Jhona, Mich, Diane, Ideal Pink Rose, Juliana, Heidi

-add your name here: Heidi

`Tis The Season...

It's been a while so just bare with me and the long post up ahead...

Over the Weekend: I did a multitude of chores around the house, so much in fact that by Sunday afternoon I was like a gadget nearing its "battery empty" stage with no charger in sight! Yikes! I know some may say that I am over-dramatizing this but hey, I'm just human and to tell you the truth up to the time when I got married I was not used to doing everything on my own... I lived with my parents and although I knew how to do most house chores I was not obligated to do anything at all! So just imagine the major adjustment I have to endure whenever I go home tired from work and stressed with all the office happenings but still find myself at the beginning of a list of things to do, this time at home. Anyways, I'm not really complaining even though it might sound that way... I'm just... well.... just airing out my feelings, that's all! In fact all this independence and being responsible for a lot of things it's just a bit overwhelming at times specially over this weekend when Charlie had to go on uber overtime at work which meant I had to do ALL the weekend chores on my own. Some may ask, why not get a maid or something, but when we start contemplating on getting one the cons outweigh the pros of getting a househelp so we'll just have to endure this period of adjustment and maybe eventually not be so bothered with the endless chores we have to do (either that or eventually succumb to the urge of finding a maid!).

Monday until yesterday (Wednesday): I was not able to go to work, I woke up early morning feeling nauseous and dizzy. After a trip to the comfort room and a splash of water on my face, I checked my temperature and found it at 38.9 degrees so hubby declared that I was not to go to work and just stay at home and rest. By the middle to the day our neighbor brought me congee and a huge can of juice. Apparently Charlie asked them to look in on me from time to time because he could not NOT go to work that day and he was worried about leaving me alone, sick. I was feeling a bit better the next day (Tuesday) but decided still not to go to work to avoid relapse or something, besides I was still feeling a bit queesy. By Wednesday I was feeling a lot like my usual self already but hubby insisted that I still take time off to rest so still, I did not go to work but by noon, I was already feeling restless and bored. I even made several phone calls to my mom (It was her birthday yesterday, her 60th) asking her if she wanted me to go with her somewhere but she said I should rest and that she didn't really want to make such a big deal out of her birthday so I said ok we were just going to have to celebrate some other time (in fact I am already planning a big retirement celebration for her come March, shush! it's still a secret, hehehe!) Anyways, I ended up changing the curtains and beddings in our room instead because, well... I was bored! Besides I rationalized to myself that it's time to change the beddings anyway because I got sick there and whatever virus that I got sick from must have infected the beddings thus the need for change, hehehe! Plus I disenfected the whole bedroom... by late afternoon our room smelled faintly of a hospital with all the disinfectant I used but then it looked immaculately clean and organized that I felt good and treated myself to a yellowcab pizza delivery, which I shared with our neighbor, also as sign of thanks for being there when I was sick.

Now: Here I am back at work, a mountain of paperwork waiting to be organized and filed but decided to post this first before tackling the major workload that I have to finish today. I'm a renegade, I know... but what can I do, I just feel that it's a travesty that at a time when there are twinkling lights in the hallways and wreaths and lanterns on the office windows and doors, it is definitely not the season for paperwork... `tis the season for cheerful parties, wrapping presents and exchanging smiles and stories with people you have not talked to or seen in a long time.

Cravings

Lunch break! The lunch we got today is pork sinigang which is fine... but what I'm really craving for is feta cheese and spring rolls! Ah... just the thought of it makes my mouth water... maybe later if I could go out for take-out after work...

Link Tag

Mhay tagged me with this:

The rule: When you get tagged, you have to add your name next to the person who tagged you and by doing so you are letting the list grow.

Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamas
StylewithPassion
Chinneeq
Dora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks
My Love. My life. My everything.
Our Journey as a Family
Married and Happy About It
Winged Words

And I'm tagging Mec, Mommy Chi, Anne and Thet

Manic Monday

When I woke up this morning, this was the first thing that came to mind... "It's just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday, 'Cause that's my funday, My I don't have to runday, It's just another manic Monday ..." as the song by The Bangles goes...



Well at least there's always the thought of Friday...

(Sigh... Sigh...)
Anyways, here's what's been happening eversince my last post:

November 27: Charlie got sick so he wasn't able to go to work, I wanted to bring him to a clinic to get a prescription but he said it's just his tonsils that was aching that's why he had fever so he just took the usual medication he takes when he has tonsilitis. (Men! Why can't they just admit it when they need to consult a real doctor?!)

November 28: I wasn't able to go to work as well because Charlie's fever won't go down and I decided to bring him to a clinic against his wishes. The doctor prescribed him with new medications and by afternoon he was feeling a bit better (Hmp, should've gone to the doctor in the first place, right?) Anyways, the rest of the afternoon I spent finishing the AVP that was due tomorrow for my Aunt's retirement tribute.

November 29: Still wasn't able to go to work because there were certain matters I had to attend to with regards to my Aunt's tribute, hey after this I'm thinking of doing this as another sideline... Anyways, my aunt's tribute went smoothly enough and Charlie was finally getting better (I was worried there for a time because he very rarely absents himself from work even if he feels a little under the wheather so I know he really felt sick that he called in sick.) BTW good thing I went home early from Makati where I set up the AVP or I would have been caught in the traffic caused by the Manila Peninula seige.

November 30: I was supposed to attend a team-building seminar at Cardona, Rizal but asked to be excused because I had to get another TVU which went well enough, now my OB is saying things are finally looking up for us in the conceiving department... hmmm... maybe... let's keep our fingers crossed...

December 1: Just stayed home all day while Charlie went to work.... finally finished putting up the christmas lights and decorations.

December 2: The usual sunday stuff... church, laundry, ironing of clothes, csi supreme sunday, foot spa...

Today: It's back to the salt mines for us! Just please, please let the work be just work and no more side stuff!

Monday Madness

I came to work a bit late today because I still feel queasy (eversince friday, I feel nauseous almost all the time) and found a montain of paperwork to be accomplished and reports to be done due tomorrow! Why does my always start this way? It's not as if I don't do the work assigned to me on time... it's just that work keeps piling up because I do all the work alone in a department that's supposed to consist of three people at the very least! I cannot help but whine about stuff like these because I always feel stressed and pressed for time. I really hope the staffing pattern for our office be enforced already because I don't know until when I would be able to endure this much work pressure. Specially now that I am not feeling well...

And now there are a lot of office intrigues and gossip going around and they are just irritating! It's not that I'm the one being gossiped about but it's just so frustrating to think that these people have spare time to gossip and cause intrigues about our co-workers when there are others, like me, who work almost non-stop! Well, I guess in an organization there are always certain factors that you cannot control and would definitely dampen your spirits but I really pray that things would work out without people getting hurt.

The Name Tag

I got this tag long ago already but I just saw the tag today... sorry Anne! I frequent your other blog kasi that's why it's only now that I saw the tag...

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: Twinkle Honda
YOUR GANGSTA NAME: Rocky Road Milano
YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: H.Yad
YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: Violet Tiger
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: Espiritu Parañaque
YOUR STAR WARS NAME: Yad He
SUPERHERO NAME The Yellow Four Seasons
NASCAR NAME: Eleuterio Ildefonso
STRIPPER NAME: Clinique Snickers
WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: Peñafuerte Lorenzo
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: Tandoc Tagaytay
SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: Christmas Daisy
CARTOON NAME: Strawberry Blousey
HIPPY NAME: Bacon Yellowbell
YOUR ROCKSTAR ENTOURAGE NAME: The Digiscrapping Rain Tour
YOUR PORN NAME: Twinkle Bonifacio

Again... sorry... i'm not tagging others anymore because it's been a while and i don't know who tagged who already.

BLOG TAG

I got this from Mhay but didn’t realize it until today… hehehe, sorry Mhay, I thought it was just the friendships online that you tagged me with… anyways, here it goes:

1. How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging (with Blogger) November of 2004 but I was maintaining a different blog before that, I just got more comfortable using blogger.

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
Way before I started blogging, I like keeping a journal already so blogging is like an extension of that for me. I was most convinced to keep on blogging when I saw that there were many others who were maintaining one specially before I got married when I joined W@W.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
Like my other fellow bloggers, the money making part is only recently… I’m basically keeping the blog because I like doing so and not just for the money.

4. Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.
(Mhay really hit the bullseye with this so I’m just repeating her answers since I have the same reasons as her)
- I gained of friends.
- I get to learn a lot of new things also.
- It lets me earn extra money.

5. Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE within the online world.
- Not having enough time to really be online.
- Putting into words the things that I would like to do so on time (or else the moment passes me by).
- Gaining more traffic towards my blog.

Floor Manager

Ooops, it’s not what you think, this is not about a working person’s title… it’s about how we can better manage our floors, particularly our garage floors. Often, we take for granted the floors in this part of our house. We beautify our living room floors and bedroom floors but we seldom think of improving or beautifying our garage floors. But when we think about it, we invest so much in our vehicles and in preserving our cars to the best of our ability and yet the foremost place where we leave our vehicles is left with bare concrete floors that crack and get stained with constant tire and foot traffic. Besides, where else do we spend time tinkering away at our cars than our garage? No worries… the most practical yet attractive garage flooring could be found at CAR GUY GARAGE. You can choose from a wide variety of floor tiles or you can even just treat the existing concrete floor you have with professional grade epoxy. So, with these choices, we can be better “Floor Managers”!

Friendships Made Online

I got this from Mhay:



Thank you so much Mhay, it's things like these that makes me want to continue blogging... I'm really glad that I have online friends like you...

And to Toni, Anne, Che and Kathy... I am awarding the same to you. You are really considered treasures when it comes to online connections, and I am grateful for friends like you!

Back from Baguio

I arrived at around 10pm last night from a three-day seminar in Baguio... Now I feel so tired, and I took extra vitamin C supplements because I feel a bout of colds coming. I must tell you that I have been to Baguio several times before already and I've stayed at Teacher's Camp several times already also but this is the worst experience I've had visiting Baguio and Teachers' Camp. First, the room that we were assigned didn't have a comfort room of it's own so we had to share a common CR and shower stalls with almost a hundred other participants. And then the room also didn't have a single electrical socket so we had to go out to the hallway and plug our cellphone chargers there and stand there waiting or sit on the floor of the hallway or leave our phone there for anyone to see and get! In the morning I had to wake up super early so I would be able to take a shower because like I said we had to share 6 shower stalls with many others, and if you're late in taking a shower you would experience very little water supply or none at all and you have to wait several minutes for them to replenish their water in their tanks or something to get water again. But what's worse is there is not a hint of a heating system for the water so you end up taking a shower with freezing cold water! Haaay, I don't mind that so much because I like getting cold showers (although normally not that cold) but most of the participants are already middle-aged and some are even as old as my Mom so you can just imagine their agony in having to endure the cold weather as well as the cold showers as well! And then the overflowing number of participants rendered the dining hall jam-packed! If you were one of those people who walks slowly then you would have to endure the long lines queued to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. And if you're one of the really, really unlucky ones, after lining up and waiting for a long time you end up with a different, less tasty, hastily prepared make-do of a meal because the supply of the meal that the earlier diners were served has already been consumed. Haay, naku! And as if matters weren't bad enough... it rained, and rained, and rained... the 2nd day of the seminar granted us rains that made it even harder for us to enjoy Baguio. It's a good thing that the last day was a bit more cheerful because we were blessed with sunny weather and the organizers decided to fast-track the last topics so we could go home early. I am not blaming anyone though, this is just a typical rant, stating my dilemma about the situation... I know that Teacher's Camp is under a lot of renovation now and that the unexpected influx of participants gave the organizers of the seminar a situation where they had to make-do with a lot of things, but hey... I'm entitled to whine a little, right?

I still like Baguio though, I love the weather and I like seeing flowers bloom all around you so I would still come back and bring my hubby there (who is from Ilocos Sur, a stone's throw away from Baguio, but he has never been thre) this January... I would just have to make sure that we would have better accomodations and we would be able to enjoy the scenery and the weather! Anyways, I'm here now... home, safe and devoid of pasalubong because we werent able to go out and scout for the usual things we buy from Baguio, but there's still January...

The Rule of 8

a while back Meng tagged me with this but I'm only posting this in reply now because of the crazy workload I had... sorry Meng, but as they say... "better late, than never" so here goes...

THE RULES
* write 8 facts about yourself
* in the 8 facts, you share 8 things that your readers don't know about you. at the end, you tag as much other bloggers to keep the fun going. each blogger must post these rules first
* each blogger starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
* at the end of the post, a blogger needs to choose as much people to get tagged and list their names.
* don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they're tagged and to read your blog

HEIDI'S 8 FACTS/HABITS

1. After each bath, no matter how tired, sleepy or in a rush I am, I "ALWAYS" put lotion on my entire body first before dressing up.

2. I don't eat okra, saluyot or any other "slimy" veggies/food.

3. I'm a certifiable couch potato.

4. I'm totally addicted to the game "Harvest Moon", whether it be on the PC, gameboy or PSP.

5. I'm a hoarder... when I like a certain product, I buy lots of it and keep replenishing stocks of it (meaning I never run of the stuff).

6. I'm a pre-med graduate but not a lot of people would have guessed that because my work has no relation whatsoever to my degree.

7. I'm totally dependent on others when it comes to going to places I've never been to before. As in no matter how detailed the instructions are (even if you write them down) I will not go anywhere I've never been to before without someone else with me. Let's just say I'm "geographically-challenged"

8. My favorite past time is... SLEEPING or SHOPPING! hehehe! extremes di ba?

Anyways, I'm tagging Anne, Thet, Cheryl, Mhay, Toni and Kathy. If you guys have been tagged with this before, never mind, sorry... I've just been out of the blogging world for quite some time now that I don't know who's tagged with what already...

Practical Gift Shopping

Christmas is almost here and for most of us working wives, shopping for our loved ones could be a bit difficult. First there is the issue of "what to buy", I mean yes we know our loved ones' likes and dislikes but sometimes, it's still frustrating to come up with meaningful gifts that they would really appreciate. And then there's the "how much?" aspect, I mean we can't all spend loads of money on gifts! And then I found out about CouponChief.com ... It got me excited again over the prospect of shopping for my loved ones. Here's the 411: You'll find it all here, whether it be a gorgeous watch for Mom or a nifty gadget for a tekki brother... name it and CouponChief.com has it! Oh and the best part about it is DISCOUNT!!! You get all sorts of discounts and freebies that you just can't help yourself but thank your lucky stars that you found out about it. Like the gorgeous watch I was thinking of buying my mom, could be found at Sears at 20% discount and the nifty gadget for my brother who is addicted to gaming consoles could be found at Best Buy with a 100$ discount plus add-ons! So if you're like me, who wants to buy good stuff at friendly prices, you should definitely check out CouponChief.com for a worry-free and definitely practical christmas shopping!

It's my Blogoversary!

Yey! It's been 3 years since I first started with this blog and, lo and behold... the blog is still standing! or floating, or whatever, basta it's still here... lately there have been less updates but things are finally settling down to a routine and a slower pace at work and maybe I'll have more time to blog. Anyways, I think the first ever post I had in blogspot had something to do with my engagement to charlie, and now we have been married for more than a year! wow, time really flies! Anyways, more updates to come... but for now, it's back to work for me... I just couldn't pass up on posting about my blogoversary today!

Stolen Moment

Here I am, on my lunch break, trying to steal a few moments to myself... for my blog... for my sanity! Oh, and to let everyone know that.. YES, I am still alive! Swamped with work, constantly cramming to reach deadlines, suffering with tonsilitis, ngarag to the max, but still alive. Just one more day.... one more exhausting, weakening day and I would be able to breath normally again!

Complicated

Recently, I have been remiss in my duties as a blogger at updating my blog, but what can I do?! A lot has happened in the past week or so and unfortunately I have no ample time to blog about them... even now, I am just stealing time off from the grueling work that I still have to accomplish... Maybe in a month's time, things will finally settle down to a routine again and then I can get access to my blog more often. So to everyone who visits my blog... Thanks, I really appreciate the bloghops and all... And to those who tagged me or gave me something to write about, I really, really am sorry for not replying or not continuing the string but please know that although I want to do so, I just have a lot to finish nowadays and very less time to even visit my blog and even much less time to visit other blogs. Now I have to run... promise to back to my old blogging self when the dust clears!

I Disclose

This policy is valid from 17 October 2007


This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Heidi Yadao. For questions about this blog, please contact Heidi.


This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.


To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Gift for Hubby

Christmas is just around the corner and what with all the traffic and the malls congested with shoppers, I am really concerned if I ever would be able to buy a gift for my husband which he would really like and use for a long time... And then I came upon a site which features lots and lots of appropriate gifts for him. See he has a motobike and during his free time, he like tinkering with it so I guess the most likely gift he would really appreciate would be something he would be able to use while tinkering away with his bike. I am still contemplating though, which one to get him... the double helmet shelving or the garage storage shelving? Hmmm, at least now I know I wouldn't have to endure traffic and window shopping anymore because I know where I would get the perfect gifts for him!

Changes

I think I've had a post with the same title but hey, I'm only human... besides I don't know what's more apt than "changes" for this post. Yesterday, I've officially transferred to the new department that I am going to handle... It's kinda scary to think that I would be handling a more challenging job in terms of responsibility and also that it would entail quite a bigger effort on my part. First of all, my office needs to be... let's just say "improved". And folks, I am just putting it lightly when I say this because if I were just after the bigger, nicer office, I would definitely be staying at my former station. And looking past the superficial aspects of the transfer, there is also the work-load aspect -- I mean, talk about big difference! Anyways, I'm still very optimistic that this is a good change for me, and a welcome one at that.

On a more personal note, hubby and I have completed the payment for the equity of the house we are purchasing in cavite. I'm really getting more excited each day by the prospect of having a house of our which we can improve and do whatever we want, paint whatever color we want and not worry that our landlord will not approve... hopefully by April, next year we would be able to start on the improvements then be able to move by July... haay... I get giddy just thinking about it!

Shopping Spree

My mom and I went on a spur of the moment outing yesterday at the Mall of Asia. I didn't go to work, to put it simply, I played hookey for a whole day spent it with my mom who's currently on month-long vacation from work as per her doctor's orders. I guess she's starting to get bored all cooped up at home that she called me and asked me if I had anything specially planned for the day. i of course just told her that aside from boring office work, I wasn't planning on doing anything else. So when she then asked if I could accompany her to go "out", I immediately said "sure" because normally, my mom wouldn't even dare of asking me to absent myself from work just to accompany her, I felt that she needed someone to be with her at the moment so I told her I could bring her to MOA if she wants and so we went... Well, I didn't expect my mom to be super energetic and walk and visit all the botiques in the mall or anything because she's always complaining of aching joints and muscles anyway and I just brought her there so she'd have new things to see and I could treat her out to lunch or something but I guess having her first born by her side gave her an extra energy boost because we went window shopping, and she didn't even complain of getting tired or anything (well except towards the end of the day, and by that time, I was tired as well!). She even helped me in choosing from a wide array of choices of makeup from elianto and endured the long wait as I tried on cute flip flops from ipanema (I bought a cutesy salmon colored one!). We had lunch as sbarro and then continued with the window shopping until she came upon stitchin' moments where she bought several patterns for her new cross stitch project. We went home at around four in the afternoon... I miss spending time with my mom... I know it can't be helped that I live apart from her now but I just wish I could still spend time with my family more...

My Desktop

I have been tagged by Mhay about how my desktop looks for sometime now but am only now posting this... (sorry Mhay, slightly ngarag ang lola mo, nyahahaha!)


Anyways, as you can all see, my wallpaper is a picture of me and my husband in front of our first apartment in Las Piñas. And if you scrutinize the icons on the left side, most of it are games I usually play whenever I have the time (which is non-existent these days!). And since most of the blogs I visit have already posted something like this already, I don't know who else to tag...

Certified Postie

I’m a Postie, yes I am…


I have been awaiting the approval of my blog for a couple of weeks now so I could finally start being a full-pledged postie…and now, it has finally come! I have even started blogging about a couple of opportunities that were presented to me. Hopefully I would be able to post as much as possible to maximize the earning possibilities. And yes folks, you can earn while blogging also! Since we blog about almost everything under the sun, then why not blog about things that could give us extra income? Not only that, bloggers could also widen their audience/reader range while being a postie. You can gain more friends and contacts while being able to write about more things as well. There is also the challenge of being able to write about things from off the top of your head when you are presented opportunities. So what more can a blogger ask for? You get challenge, more friends, wider horizons, while earning! So to those who have not signed up for this amazing opportunity, here’s your chance… grab it now and earn immediately! What to do? It's as easy as a click away (just click on the link below).

get paid to blog

Now after signing up, your only next question to yourself is… how do I spend my earnings? The prospects are really endless! The only limit is the one you set yourself, so what are you waiting for? Join us and be a postie now!

Pitch Black

Yesterday, while I was browsing around National Bookstore a series of books at the young adults section caught my eye. Mainly because of the different colors which are in about the same stripes as each other. Then as I came for a closer look, the titles caught my interest. Torch Red, Pitch Black, Fool's Gold, etc. anyways I bought only two... Black and Gold. Last night as I was waiting for Charlie to come home I read Pitch Black and finished it in one sitting (about an hour and a half). It's basically for teenagers, but I liked it. In fact I decided to complete the series and make it part of my book collection. It's not your typical pa-tweetums teeny bopper novel. It imparts Christian values that is badly needed by today's young generation. I would greatly recommend it to my younger sisters and nieces and even nephews.

This particular book (which is #4 in the series, I didn't even notice that there were numbers until I was about to start reading the novel na!) deals with a teenager's way in dealing with the confusing things that are happening with her. First off, her parents broke up, then her brother is doing drugs, then her mother started dating and has decided to marry a boy half her age and to make matters worse, her best friend who seemed like a "together" kind of guy committed suicide.

If you are in the market for a simple yet touching kind of book for a teenager or even for an adult who appreciates a variety of reading material then this book is for you. Besides, at five centavos shy of two hundred pesos, it's a reasonable buy.

Getting Some R&R!

These past few months have particularly been tiring both physically and emotionally. To recharge for the next batch of overtimes and whatnots, my husband and I are planning to go on a short vacation this October and we have browsed the internet to look for an affordable yet suitable vacation package. While browsing, a site caught my fancy...

This site does not only deal with reservations for hotel accommodations but for vacation packages as well. They also have links for flights, resorts, motels and even car rentals. Hey, not all travel sites could offer all this and so much more! The site is very easy to navigate and has a variety of choices ranging from the luxurious to quaint. One can even search hotels by the amenities they offer or by the address. The one thing that I really liked about this site is that it gives you the advantage of knowing how much your choice of accommodations would cost you, I mean you don’t want to reserve something and find out that it would create a big dent on your credit card bill, right? It really is ideal for people who don’t have much time to go to different travel agencies and look for a package that would suit them. Hotel Reservations is really a blessing to busy career people looking for that ultimate getaway or even a place to stay while attending a business conference. It truly is fortunate that I came across this site at the most opportune time. Now, my husband and I are looking forward to a restful and memorable vacation thanks to Hotel Reservations. I can’t wait to be able to rave about the fun things we were able to do and the relaxation that we would experience because of the carefully chosen places we have reserved to go to!

Crazy for Bell Peppers

I don't know what's with me lately but I have been hankering for bell peppers since Tuesday! I even cooked stuffed Bell Peppers last night thinking that maybe after that I would be satisfied and then I'll stop salivating at the mere thought of another bell pepper-enriched recipe, but I think the quest for more viands with bell peppers got worse! Hmmm... maybe I'll have to excercise extra will-power... hehehe! Anyways, as part of my self-therapy to wean myself from this craving for bell peppers I am posting here the recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers that I cooked last night:

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS WITH MEAT GRAVY

8 Bell peppers, lg. for stuffing
3 tbsp. bacon grease
½ K ham cubes, chopped in food processor
1 c. Bell pepper, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed then minced
1 kilo ground beef
4 pcs. of loaf bread, soaked then torn in sm. pieces
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans tomato sauce
3 cans water
Angel hair pasta
Parmesan cheese

Cut tops of Bell peppers off, clean out inside and wash. In very large pot filled with water, boil the Bell peppers for 20 minutes or until just tender- crisp. Do not over cook or the peppers will split up the sides. Drain peppers and set aside. In large deep saucepan, heat bacon grease. Add ham and cook for 5 minutes. Remove 2 tablespoons of Bell pepper, onion, celery, green pepper, onion, celery, green onions and garlic to ham and saute over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and tender. Add meat, thyme, allspice, pepper and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until meat is brown and breaks apart, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze all water out of bread and tear into tiny pieces. Add this to mixture and stir well. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove some the of meat mixture and set aside for gravy. Using remaining mixture, stuff Bell peppers and place in a deep baking dish.
Heat olive oil in deep saucepan and add Bell pepper, onion, celery, green onions and garlic which has been set aside. Saute until tender over medium heat. Add 4 cups meat mixture and stir well. Add tomato sauce and water. Cover, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 30 minutes or until gravy becomes slightly thick. This gravy should not be as thick as regular red gravy. Pour gravy into baking dish with peppers. Make sure that you pour some of the gravy on top of each pepper. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until Bell peppers are tender. To serve, place cooked angel hair pasta on plate. Spoon meat gravy onto pasta, place one pepper on individual plate with pasta and pass the Parmesan cheese.

I actually got the recipe from the internet (i forgot where exactly) but altered it a bit to suit my taste. I got so excited about eating it that I forgot to take a picture. Besides hubby was already hungry as well so we just dug in after it got cooked. We were even able to give our neighbors some because I cooked way too many for just the two of us.

Get To Know Me More

Mhay tagged me several days ago but am only posting this now because of the crazy work load I have nowadays…

Q1: What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was already working in here, (gosh! I can't believe naka-10 years na pala ako dito!) And was at that time nursing a broken heart.

Q2: What were you doing 1 year ago?
I just got married and underwent several tests for infertility.

Q3: What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
I am going to write them down in the order I like them:
1-Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips
2-#4 Cheese Pizza from Yellow Cab
3-KFC Hotshots with lots of gravy and eaten with coleslaw on the side
4-Quickly Taro Ice Special
5-Pistachio Ice Cream

Q4: What are 5 songs you know the lyrics to?
Not to brag or anything but I like listening to MP3s even as I work in the office or at home so I know the lyrics of lots of songs so I will just list the ones that have a special meaning to me:
1-Butterfly Kisses
2-Swept Away
3-Love Doesn't Have To Hurt
4-Fallin'
5-Dream of Me

Q5: 5 things you would do if you are a millionaire
In no particular order:
1-Buy a House & Lot in Parañaque so I could be near my parents
2-Buy a 2007 CRV
3-Do whatever medical procedure there is to be able to conceive
4-Open a business of my own
5-Help my parents in paying for my baby sister's tuition

Q6: 5 bad habits
1-like Mhay, I can sometimes be pessimistic also
2-putting things off for another day or time (hey, that's also like Mhay!)
3-impulse shopping
4-being fickle-minded
5-being a couch-potato

Q7: 5 things you like to do
1-watching movies
2-listening to music
3-reading books
4-shopping
5-decorating the house/rearranging the furniture

Q8: 5 favorite toys
1-my treo phone
2-charlie's psp
3-my gameboy advance (when charlie's being madamot with the psp)
4-our digicam (however barriotic it is!)
5-my mp4 player

Q9: 5 things you would never wear
1-micro mini skirt (duh! laki kaya ng pata ko!)
2-sleeveless shirt/blouse (hello! laki pati ng braso ko!)
3-anything with excessive ruffles
4-clothes with huge flower prints
5-super high stilletos

Q10: 5 things you hate to do
1-doing the laundry
2-cleaning the house (specially mopping the floors!)
3-filing documents
4-going on commutes where I have to change rides more than once
5-going to formal parties

It's been a while since I was tagged with this so I don't know who else has not answered these questions... anyways, if you read this and you have not answered the above questions, consider yourself tagged!

Nice Matters Award

"This award is for those who are just nice people, good blogfriends, and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those who care about others, who are there to lend support, or those who are just a positive influence in our blogging world"

Mhay and Jhona were bighearted enough to present such an award to me. I'll have to admit it's my first award in the blogging word. I have never really paid attention to such things before but having read this:

Heidi of Winged Words is another nice person that I have had the privilege of getting to know (at least thru blogosphere). I could sense a good individual in her. I always enjoy the variety of things she has and posts she writes at her blog.

made me want to bestow upon others the honor that was given to me as well, so here goes...

1> Ann of Chronicles of Pasawife seems to me like a lively, happy, energetic person. She reminds me of a younger version of me (yikes, writing that made me feel older than I really am). She and I are like kindred spirits who have yet to see each other face to face. She's more of a younger sister who has touched my heart in so many levels already by means of just reading her posts and her comments on my blog.

2> Raquel of Memories Frozen in Time is a very recent acquaintance (thru blogging) but I so enjoy reading her posts because it seems like she really pours her heart and soul with each word she publishes.

3> Thet of Life:Half Empty-Half Full caught my attention with her former blogskin, which was really an eye-catcher! But upon reading her posts, I feel like she's a good person hiding behind a tough exterior.

4> Kathy of Buhay Misis just strikes me as a down-to-earth, no frills kind of person and I feel like given the chance to see each other in person, we could be very good friends. I just sense a connection there somehow... she makes me feel comfortable and welcome.

5> Cheryl of Taking the Plunge Together is one of those people whom I have only communicated through the internet yet feels like a long lost friend. She's really very easy to talk to. And although she has not updated her blog for quite a long time now, I feel like she deserves this award as well.

So there... I have chosen the next awardees, may you spread the word of nice matters award and continue to be the friendly, helpful and good bloggers that you are.

Hasta La Vista, Uncle Jessie

I know I have been remiss at updating my blog this past week but I have a valid and sad reason for that... My Uncle Jessie, my mom's younger brother passed away last Thursday, September 20, 2007. He has been undergoing Hemodialysis for the past 19 months and then last Monday, after his usual dialysis schedule, he was supposed to have gone for check up about his foot which was aching due to a wound that has not healed for the past couple of months (he's diabetic) when the doctors adviced them that he needs to get confined because aside from the aching foot, he had difficulty breathing. On Wednesday, he was brought to PGH for angiogram and subsequently, when it was found out that two tubes going to the heart are blocked, he underwent angioplasty to unblock the said tubes. And although the doctor said that there was still a risk of cardiac arrest while of immediately after this procedure, he seemed fine after that even my aunt Viring with whom Uncle Jessie stays with and is responsible for all the medical treatments he's getting, said that although Uncle Jessie was screaming that he didn't want to live anymore, she was sure that it was just the after effects of the anesthesia and that when he comes out of it, it looks like he was going to be fine. He was brought back to Perpetual Hospital and was confined at the ICU. Thursday was a different story though... Uncle Jessie took a turn for the worse and by late afternoon, the medications which were dripping through an IV were stopped and a priest was called. By nightfall, after having seen his two sons, Uncle Jessie closed his eyes and went to better place... a place where he would suffer no more, a place where all his pain will go away, place where he could truly rest in peace. Yesterday, before his body was put to the ground, the priest who said the mass said that it is wrong to say goodbye during times like these because we are not truly saying goodbye, we should just say "hasta la vista" or see you later because each one of us will eventually see each other sooner or later... in that place called heaven. So I say this to you uncle jessie, thank you for watching over us and yes... we'll see you later!

Credits: ribboned frame by Petit Moineaux

P.S. I was late in publishing this... I have saved the draft last monday (today is wednesday already) but for some reason I keep getting an error message whenever I try to publish.

Rainy Days and Mondays

The day started a bit gloomy for me, I didn't get enough sleep because Charlie's sick. He's been suffering with cough and colds for almost a week now but yesterday, he had a slight fever and was complaining of aching joints and muscles so after lunch I told him to take a quick hot shower and I gave him a whole body massage using a minty liniment (I don't know the name because it's in chinese, it was given to me by one of my superiors at work after a trip to China & Singapore) He fell asleep naman agad and said he can breath easy again (before the massage kasi he said his nose was clogged na so he couldn't breath na). When he woke up at around 5pm I fed him hot chicken and vegetable soup and saltines. I proceeded to iron our uniforms for the week and then prepare for dinner na at around 8pm. I just re-heated our ulam for lunch -- pork asado. After dinner we watched DVD in our room while I massage his head kasi he still has a slight headache daw. Then I keep waking up through the night to pat his back because he coughs really loud and hard every 15 mins. or so... Then this morning, it was raining hard and I told him not to go to work na lang kasi he could not use his motorcycle naman dahil nga it's raining but after taking a bath and eating breakfast, the rain let up and he decided to go to work na rin. Hay naku, hirap din kasi he's super sipag when it comes to his work kaya kahit may slight nararamdaman pa sya, he still insists on going. That's why nga today, I feel like singing "... rainy days and mondays always make me sad..."

Bountiful Breakfast Bliss

boun•ti•ful (boun'tə-fəl)
adj.
1. Giving freely and generously; liberal.
2. Marked by abundance; plentiful.

break•fast (brĕk'fəst)
n.
The first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning.

bliss (blĭs)
n.
Extreme happiness; ecstasy.
The ecstasy of salvation; spiritual joy.


Credits: Autumn Harmony QP4 by Anita Designs; Dinner Party Chalk “delish” & “yum” by Sara Carling

Today's breakfast caused me to alliterate. I love Amira's Chicken Tarts (actually I like all their tarts but their chicken tarts' my absolute favorite!). Yesterday, my ninang gave me a box of chicken tarts (9 pcs. per box) and 3 pcs. of apple tarts. Of course I didn't waste any time and ate two chicken tarts before the boxed pasalubong even reached our house. Then Charlie took three chicken tarts and two apple tarts for packed merienda or brunch or whatever (basta binaon nya to work today) so I decided to eat the same for my breakfast. Coupled with my favorite Jasmine Tea... it's heavenly! Nyahahaha! And to think I'm super ecstatic over something as trivial as breakfast! Hehehe! Basta I feel so chipper this morning and short of thinking I'm bordeline psychotic with the constant mood swings, I just choose to think that I'm just happy to be able to start the day with my favorite food to eat (and drink!).

Mission Accomplished!

This weekend was a very fruitful one for us...
I was able to go home early last friday because there was a fogging scheduled at around 3pm at the office. I was already home by 3:30 and decided to clean up around the house and fold the clothes that have been waiting since monday night on top of the bed in the spare room. By 7pm I decided to order for food delivery, so we could celebrate Charlie's birthday on the day itself even with just a simple meal. And so when hubby came home at around 8pm, the food has just arrived (Good timing ako kasi I know how slow this resto's delivery is!) The after dinner kwento is for PG13 na or baka R pa so on to the next day na tayo. Saturday was an unusually early start for me because I had to meet up with the agent of the house that we're thinking of buying in Imus, Cavite. After seeing the house again and being assured of several concerns, I had a unit reserved for us already and paid 5K as reservation fee (ok lang kasi deductible naman sa total downpayment) With all the papers that I had to fill up and the traffic it was already 1pm when I got home. Dad was already waiting for me and has started cooking the papaitan and chicken feet which charlie requested as pulutan for his drinking session with our neighbors and several of my officemates who were also his friends. Charlie arrived at around 6pm and after freshening himself up immediately started the drinking session with our neighbors. At around 7pm my officemates arrived and although I was already suffering from migrane at the time (maybe because of the heat I suffered during the traffic earlier that day) I sat with them and exchanged stories with them because Charlie was moving from one table to another (hehehe, does that mean he's drinking twice as much as the others?). Hubby and my officemates were all praises for me for having reserved the house already and being able to prepare the documents needed to acquire a housing loan from pag-big within the day (well except of course for the two documents that I need to get signed by my superiors at the office). The beer party ended at around 1am. The next day, we got up at around 9am and after a quick breakfast Charlie was kind enough to do the laundry (on this own) while I started the preparations for the family lunch. I cooked kare-kare (charlie's favorite), mechado (my favorite) and buttered shrimp. Everyone was present except for my only brother. All in all, the lunch party was a success, my family left at around 5pm and charlie and I proceeded to church for the 6pm mass. After that, I ironed our uniform for the week but left the rest of the clean clothes in the hamper to be ironed next week na lang because I feel so tired na by the time I finished with the uniforms. Haay! this weekend was truly fruitful... imagine, I was able to reserve a house, and prepare for two celebrations for my husband's birthday.

Charlie's Day

It's my husband's birthday today and I decided to make this simple LO for him...


Credits: Tenderness Kit by M. Raines; Guardian Angel wordart by Tina Chambers

We don't have time for a celebration today though... he has work overtime and I have to go to Cavite to visit the site of the house we're planning on buying. So, the celebration would have to wait until this weekend. Anyways, I love you honey, and I wish more happy and healthy birthdays for us to celebrate together.

Perditi Diem

Remember I said a couple of posts ago that I will give a detailed "kwento" of the wish I thought was granted but was not pala? Here goes:
My monthly period, before I started medication for PCOS, was super irregular. But after a couple of months of strict compliance with the doctor's orders, my period became a regular monthly event, nyahahaha! (event daw, o!) And then came August... after eight months of regular monthly events, and when I say regular I mean on the expected day talaga ha, dadating sya, me period did not come on the expected day... so I waited... one week, still no period but I didn't want to get my hopes up so soon... on the middle of the second week of delay, I started getting cramps and breast tenderness so I thought, ok, it just got delayed, it's coming now...but still not a single drop came...by the end of the second week I decided to buy an pregnancy test kit. I didn't get to use it though because the next day I got my period... or so I thought... after several drops and a lot of pain, the flow stopped. And so my husband decided to take me to my OB because he was super concerned already that I was in too much pain. So I told my OB the story, she just adviced me to put a hot water bottle on my tummy to ease the pain and said if my period does not come till the next day I should use the EPT kit and text her the result. So the next day, when still no flow came, I tested myself and got two lines... POSITIVE!? I questioned the test because there was one very distinct pink line while the other one is blurred and very faint. I texted my OB right away and she scheduled an ultrasound the following day explaining that the HCG might not be that high yet and the cause for the short bleeding a couple of days before was just implantation or something... On the day that I was supposed to get the ultrasound, it came... painful and heavy. I called my OB and informed her of the new development. She said to come in for a check up after the period na lang but if I experience nausea, excessive bleeding or unbearable pain that I should check myself in at the hospital right away. There was none of that, thankfully! Because I wouldn't have been able to bear it if I found out that I got pregnant but lost it anyway... I could live with the fact that it was just another "false alarm"... it was just not the time yet...
I once read a children's story about a roman emperor named Titus. At the end of everyday he liked to sit and contemplate on the things that he did good for the day. When he asks himself "What good have I done today?" and nothing comes to mind, he writes in his diary "Perditi Diem" meaning "I have lost a day" because he feels that a day that passes when he has not helped anyone or has one way or another done something good is a day lost.
Now, why did I recall this story? Because when I found out that I had another "false alarm" -- meaning I lost another chance at conceiving during this month's cycle I immediately thought... "Pediti Diem". But that's all in past now... there are things that are to be thankful for. Like now, at least I know that my cycle is going on its rightful, normal path. I can endure the cramps, the pain is bearable so long as I know there is a higher chance of getting pregnant.
Oh, and one more thing to be thankful about: today I got a memo containing my promotion/transfer... YEY! I know its effectivity will not be for another 10 days but at least that's one thing off of my "things to worry about".
Now it's back to work for me because getting transferred does not mean you get to leave the paperwork to your successor... it means you have to finish the work that was assigned to you before you start working on the new ones that you will get once you transfer!

Kiss Quiz

I got this from Thet... just wanted to post something light after a couple of cryptic, slightly heavy posts...

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

Imagine that?! I would never have thought that I would be classified as an amazing kisser.. nyahahaha! I guess it comes with having lots of practice... nyahahaha!

September

A lot has happened since my last post... lots of confusing events occured that might cause a series of more confusing happenings in the future. At work, I only have until the middle of this month, not exactly to decide because it really isn't up to me anymore, to wait and see what my future will bring me career-wise. I still don't know if I would get promoted and transferred to a different department or will I be retained in my current post or worst yet, if I would get transferred to a different department much more demanding in terms of work-load without promotion nor additional compensation. What's a girl to do? I am not one of those whatever happens, devil may care kind of girl... I worry about things like this... I worry that if worse comes to worst, I might have to resign and find employment somewhere else. But this would be the absolute last resort that I would go to because I already hold a regular/permanent position now and although the work is not as rewarding as others, still having security of tenure is a big plus.

There are also several other confusing occurences in my life lately that I don't have the guts to elaborate for fear of stirring up the calm I currently feel after the turbulence of the past several days. I don't want to open up old wounds... and deep wounds they are. If I talk about it I would remember the pain and confusion again and I can't go through that just yet. As for the cryptic post prior to this one, it's a definite NO already... The time has not yet come for me to yell "SUCCESS!" (a more detailed post about this to come later).

All in all the last week of August and the first two days of September proved to be difficult for me. I have not lost hope though... I continue to be optimistic that this is just a passing phase... several bad days that shouldn't even be given that much attention considering the many good years that God has blessed me with.

Wish Granted?

Could this really be the long-awaited answer to our prayers? Is this really it? Would this post be filled with unanswered questions? Unfortunately, I can not be more precise than this... I still don't have the guts to make an announcement without waiting for an official confirmation. Too cryptic? I guess those who have been following my posts would have an inkling as to what I am trying not to write about... Let's wait and see... Hopefully, I could muster up enough patience to keep this under wraps for as long as I have no substantiation from the "proper authorities".

Birthday Bash

Long vacation... long hours of making up at work... That's why this post is long overdue. First of all let me thank Ann for the recipe gift and for the greetings. Bear with me sis, for I have a mountain of paperwork to finish at work first before I can send you the header thingie. Anyways, since my birthday fell on a Holiday, my family and I got to enjoy a simple yet filling and memorable lunch. I cooked Beef Caldereta, Chicken Pastel, Lumpiang Shanghai and Grilled Pusit. Baby sis, Mae also prepared the ice cream with bananas and chocolate syrup because we liked it so much and Mom bought an ube macapuno roll at goldilocks... simply because it's violet! My mom will never forget na yata that my favorite color ever since I can remember is all shades of violet so even though it's not my favorite cake flavor she bought it for me. Here's several photos taken that day to commemorate the event.

Credits: Muddled Kit by Anita Designs

33 Random Things

33 Things I Want to Share About Me

Since I'm turning 33 several minutes from now, I've decided to share 33 things about myself... This is not in any particular order, I just wrote them as they came to me. Bare with me, this is going to be quite a long post.

1. I'm the eldest of five children born to Adelaida and Hermilo.
2. I'm also the eldest grandchild, both on my Mother's and Father's side but I'm not in the least bit spoiled! nyahahaha, defensive!
3. I’m very sensitive towards others’ feelings as well as their reactions to me but I am not confrontational so I always process my realizations first before making a move.
4. I’m impatient. I hate waiting and I have very low tolerance for incapabilities of others and I normally tell them as non-offensive as possible but only once. After that I just do the deed myself or ask someone more capable to do it.
5. I’m a pre-med graduate and I wanted to go on to medicine proper but decided not to in the end because I had to take into consideration my four younger siblings and the toll it’s going to take on my parents having to send all of us to school.
6. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. I became a bum. I stayed at home just taking care of my youngest sister for a year or so and then the first job I had didn’t have anything to do with my course… I became a Computer Teacher for preschoolers and a courseware developer.
7. I opened my own computer shop/computer tutorials for gradeschool students at age 21 and it was doing ok but I decided to sell the computers and work as a regular employee after a couple of years because I wanted to be able to mingle with more people (hehehe, my computer shop at that time was an extension of our house so I very rarely get out of the house!)
8. I had two serious relationships before I met my husband and two short-term ones.
9. My first kiss happened when I was 16 at our JS Prom, and yes he was my first boyfriend. (one of the two short-term, nyahaha!)
10. I’m grossed out by the mere sight of a lizard, I don’t know why!
11. I am artistically-inclined, whatever that means! But that’s what my evaluator told me after our management evaluation seminar last year.
12. I am very interested in tech gadgets, I don’t necessarily buy the latest gadgets but I just like keeping tabs on what’s new, and what’s hot.
13. I met my husband through the internet. To those who have not read it yet, click here for our Love Story.
14. I like cooking, specially for family and friends. I also dabbled in baking for a while but it’s been a long time since I baked anything from scratch because I have yet to own an oven.
15. I hate doing the laundry! It’s the most tedious house chore I ever have to do and it drains the energy right out of me.
16. Reading, watching DVDs and playing computer games are what I do when my time is not occupied by work or house chores.
17. I became a voracious reader at age 8 when I would spend time at the library while waiting for my mom’s lunch break when she could walk me home. She was the principal of the school I went to during elementary.
18. One of the first books that made an impact on me was “I Wish Had Duck Feet” by Dr. Seuss (Theodore LeSeig) then I had Nancy Drew series (my mom bought me lots of it) then in highschool I had lots of Sweet Valley High and Sweet Dreams books. Now I am collecting books by Sandra Brown (aside of course from the Harry Potter Books)
19. I could sleep for hours and hours… I can’t seem to have enough sleep, specially on rainy days, I could go on sleeping the whole day. I remember in college, after a field activity in Marinduque that lasted for a week, I came home at around four in the morning, just took a quick shower and slept… I woke up around two in the afternoon for a quick trip to the bathroom and to drink a couple of glasses of water then went back to sleep and didn’t wake up until three in the morning the following day because we had another field activity in Baguio!
20. I’m a frustrated designer. I designed my bridal gown and the gowns of all of the female entourage in my wedding plus if I was given cloth as a gift, I think of a design that would best suit that textile, make a drawing and have a dressmaker make it for me.
21. Going to Palawan would be my dream vacation here in the Philippines, Singapore if in Asia but my ultimate dream getaway would be to Florence, Italy.
22. I’m a homebody.
23. I’m a couch potato.
24. I have asthma.
25. I was diagnosed with PCOS about four or five months after I got married. I’m still under medication, and is undergoing fertility treatment.
26. I got married at age 31 but my husband often tells me that he keeps forgetting that I’m older than him by almost three years because I don’t act my age…hehehe, good thing I don’t look my age too, nyahahaha!
27. I’m a hopeless shopaholic and a ditz with the credit card!
28. As a student, I excelled in most subjects except anything that has to do with Math.
29. I did an oil painting once for a humanities class and sold it for P1,800 during a fund raising activity of our school org. for an orphanage.
30. I don’t like noisy, chaotic crowds. That’s why I don’t go out much, to avoid them. I don’t even go to the mall during sales.
31. I like listening to dance music and sometimes dance when I’m all alone at the house. I’m too shy to dance in front of other people.
32. When I’m angry, I don’t talk. I avoid having conversations because I might end up saying something I will regret someday.
33. I have always kept a journal… before I used to write everything in a diary, no skipping of days, every night before I go to sleep, I write. Now I just write when I feel like writing -- which often occurs often enough.

So there, 33 things about me before I turn 33!

Up and at `Em

I remember when I was in gradeschool, my uncle gave me an alarm clock because i was always hard to wake up in the mornings to prepare for school. The clock was bear-shaped and instead of the usual beeps or rings that alarm clocks make, it says "up and at `et, up and at `em" repeatedly until you press the bear's nose. I wish I still have that clock but unfortunately, i wasn't such an organized child so i don't even know what happened to it. Anyways, why am I writing about a lost clock that's a couple of decades old? Well, it's because I had a really hard time waking up today, I felt nauseous and my head was pounding. I feel like I'm going to have a fever any minute now... I'm here at work though and is trying to cope with the workload as well as feeling sick, plus I have to go to Subic tomorrow for a 3-day seminar.

Going Bananas

Today, my sisters and I decided to make banana splits of sorts... we were just looking for a different kind of snack and when we looked at the contents of my refrigerator and freezer, we found a pint of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. We sliced a couple of bananas in an ice-cream dish, placed a scoop of ice cream on top and drizzled it with chocolate syrup... yummy! hay naku, extra calories gained again! Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture, it was really a delicious treat both to the palate and to the eyes.

Stormed In

Hubby and I were not able to go to work last tuesday because of the heavy rains... our village was not exactly flooded but the street immediately outside the gates of our subdivision was... besides charlie was a little apprehensive about the heavy rains because the previous rainfall brought about the discovery of a leak in the roof right above our kitchen area which led us to inform our landlord and he sent a repairman right away but we were still apprehensive because this is the first time we would be able to check if the repair solved the leak problem. Anyways, while we were stormed in and watching TV, I came across a video featured at Soundtrack Channel which really hits the bullseye when it comes to the drastic weather changes that we are having nowadays...

Daddy Turns 60

Seek Codes

MySpace Graphics


Yesterday was fun and tiring for me... My dad turned 60 and I volunteered to prepare a special birthday lunch for him so our family could celebrate together. I cooked mechado, chicken fillet with mixed vegetables and quail eggs, grilled squid, lechon kawali & banana fritters with chocolate syrup. We only had few pictures because I was so tired from the preparations that I forgot about that. And right after lunch, my Dad fell asleep on the couch while we were watching CSI Supreme Sunday. They left at around three in the afternoon then Charlie and I re-arranged our plants and dog house... Whew! It was really quite a tiring but very productive weekend for me. I got to finish a lot of chores and even managed to give my dad a birthday blow-out.



Credits: Sweet and Sassy Papers and Tag by Anita Designs; Celebrate banner by Julia Van Der Werf

Level Complete!

I just can't wait to brag about my newly acquired skill... I have now finished self-studying on how to use Photoshop! Yes! I have even started making elements for my digiscrap hobby. Well nothing really hard yet, just a couple of frames and several doodle flowers for a layout of an invitation I did recently. But the point is, I did it on my own. See my header? I did that using Photoshop with Anita Designs' Country Delite quickpage and elements. Before, I just use livepix to make my LOs but now I can definitely relate all the others who use PS! Also, it's much more easier to make layouts for tarpaulines and stuff.

Another cause for self-congratulation... I have recently joined the bandwagon of earning bloggers by being a PayPerPost blogger. I have yet to post something for them though because this blog has been idle for quite a long time and I have to be approved to make my first post. But there it is, I have made the first step (and also the second because I have installed PPP tools in this blog... if anyone wants to join the league of earning bloggers just scroll down and click on the appropriate box in the PayPerPost section).

I guess the business-minded side of me has been super active lately because I have also earned quite a sizable amount selling Victoria's Secret Lotions and colognes to my officemates and friends. Oh, and I have three more events lined up to make invitations, giveaways and tarpaulines for... Hopefully by December I would have earned enough to add to my current savings and be able to buy a car, nyahahaha! Previously-owned though because I am not earning by the hundred thousand just yet!

Ok, so I've over-excited myself once again and written so much more than just the quick update that I was planning to do... now it's back to work for me!

Rush Hour 3

Finally, the movie that my husband and I have been waiting for for the longest time is going to be shown come August 8! Sound like the start of an ad right? But no, I'm just super excited because the last movie date my husband and I had was on our 1st wedding anniversary last April... And although we both were awaiting movies like Spiderman, Harry Potter, etc. we were not able to watch it because of our crazy schedule. Yes folks, I have yet to watch Harry Potter, huhuhu! And I most probably won't be able to watch it on the big screen and settle for waiting for it to come out on DVD! But there's no use crying over spilled milk, I will just have to look forward to a different kind of movie. Here's a funny story: Last night as hubby and I were watching the news a trailer for the movie Rush Hour 3 came on and both hubby and I said "Yes!" at the same time, we looked at each other and were grinning like crazy. Then we burst out laughing and talking at the same time, after the giggles subsided, we planned when we're going to watch the movie and where. And we were so excited we ended up dancing and chanting in a stupid sing-song "manonood kami ng sine" over and over again even while washing the dishes and preparing for bed. *LOL* We were like kids again, and all because of a trailer of Rush Hour 3!

Glitch Gone!

I never thought I would be posting another article here again but... here I am back with blogger... Oh, for those who have followed me to my i.ph blog, I am going to maintain that also but I still have yet to decide how I am going to categorize what posts I would post there and which ones I would post here. *LOL* What can you do? A female mind is really complicated, and coupled with a temperamental internet connection and an "antique" computer that could oftentimes make your head ache with the staring and the waiting, one really doesn't know what to expect next! Anyway, just know that I'm back and will be posting in this blog again.

Friday the 13th

Wow, my last post was published successfully! Does that mean that I'm not having problems anymore with blogger? Here's the ultimate test... A post on the popularly known "most unfortunate day of any year" -- Friday the 13th! If this post still appears without glitches then it's probably a good enough sign for me to start being active with blogger again. Here goes... Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Just another

Here's another attempt at trying to post something here... hopefully this will come out without problems. I miss posting here and most of my blogger friends know this address. Meaning I'll get more visitors here. Please, please, please let me continue to keep this blog so I could keep in touch better with other blogger friends.

Something New

Recently, I have been experiencing problems with regards to my blog so here goes another new thing for me... WINGED WORDS 2.... my new blog. Hopefully this would be for keeps! Blogger would continue to be special to me since I have quite a lot of memories invested here but the need for an outlet drove me to seek somewhere else, which would not cause too much stress while trying to post what I need to post... to my friends who frequent this blog, I hope you continue to keep in touch by visiting my new one.

Testing 1, 2, 3

I don't know if this will work but I am just trying to see if this post will finally appear...

What happened?

Promised Pictures

The Month That Was

February proved to be quite a busy month for me, what with the move and adjustments I had to make because of that move, as well as getting into a new routine with Charlie's work schedule and weekly happenings with the family and friends... I must say the past 28 days really were jam-packed with home improvements, gardening, shopping for house needs, entertaining house guests, getting to know the neighborhood, as well as the usual busy work-month for me and Charlie. Hay, buti na lang this March would be less stressful for Charlie kasi less overtime na siya ako naman, hanggang 2nd week ng march na lang yung hectic schedule and then all will be well from here na. My one concern is that Charlie's asking me to come with him to Ilocos on the third week of April kaya lang baka mag-conflict with the seminar-workshop sa office. hmmm... di bale, we're planning naman to have a short vacation naman sa Baguio mga 1st week ng April and our usual overnight swimming by 2nd week of May. Tapos Charlie would be off to Hongkong by June! Kainggit! Sana matupad din yung target ko to go to Singapore by November. Sabi ni Charlie, sama daw siya, but only if I get an expensive pasalubong from Hongkong, hehehe!

Aside from the change of address, I also had a make-over (ngek! hair-cut lang pala). Tapos I also had a long-overdue visit sa spa for a whole body massage (hey, I deserve it after all the packing and moving) One thing that's bugging me lang up to this minute is that our phone line has yet to be transferred, hay naku I don't want to rant about the service of PLDT, not just yet anyway... Basta dapat by this week na-install na nila yung phone namin!

Our Home

Here are several pictures of our new (and improved) home... Di pa ko tapos sa aking own brand of interior design saka landscaping (hehe, kala mo laki ng garden area e!) pero super belated na kasi itong initial pictures na ito so i-post ko na lang muna, para merong before and after.