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.