ER Drama

Okay. I figured I was not as sick as the doctors perceived me to be. Why? I was still noticing the newly installed chutes made for easy medicine transport. I was still noticing the orderly who helped me get on the gurney was reeking with cigarette odor. I was still noticing the flickering light bulbs near the X-ray administrative station. The hallway going to one of the X-ray rooms was actually unlit. The only ray of light was emanating from the admin cubicle. Cheapskates!

As I was wheeled back into ER, I saw my three daughters and hubby huddled on one side. They were just looking at me. Their faces inscrutable. Daughter # 2 was at home with Ethan. My son was at his apartment knowing nothing of my predicament for I specifically told my daughters not to tell him for finals was ongoing. I looked at the wall clock. It read 12:17 A.M. I am getting tired of all the poking and questions.

Suddenly a familiar voice cried Mom!

My son was there beside me, dripping wet and asking me how I was.

Who told you I was here? How did you get here? I asked baffled.

The story was daughter #2, the one left at home, was online and caught my son online too. Knowing nothing of my order not to tell my son about my health condition, daughter #2 told my son about it. My son then called daughter #1 and asked about what has been going on with the intention of going to the hospital. Daughter #1 said "No!, don't come now. It's late and you have no ride." My son said " but she's my mom too and I need to be there."

So the story was that my son walked all the way to Philcoa from UP Teacher's Village to ride a bus going to Makati. As it was past 11:00 P.M. the MRT was already closed. He got off the corner of EDSA and Ayala. Finding no bus or jeep he was in a dilemma on how to get to Makati Medical Hospital. He did no want to take a taxi for two reasons. He was down to his last 100 pesos and it was past 12 midnight and he was well-versed with taxi-scare stories. So what he did was run the length of Ayala Ave. to get to the hospital. As it was raining that night, he was drenched to the bones when he finally got to the hospital.

I asked my hubby and daughter #4 to take my son home immediately as he might get sick. I told my son to get an extra shirt in my car for him to change into. I instructed hubby to make sure he feeds our son before going home. After settling everything, daughter # 1 got back to her rounds. Daughter #3 went to the admission office for my accommodation. The doctors stopped poking for a while and left me in peace.

All alone in one corner of the ER, I cried.

At the Emergency Room

There's nothing more terrifying than the unknown. As I lay on the gurney at the Emergency Room with daughters # 3 and 4 hovering by my side, hubby a distance away, and daughter # 1 conferring with the ER doctors and neurologists, I thought "is this it?" I prayed hard not for myself but for my family. I prayed that they would be able to handle whatever is in store for all of us.

The two resident neurologists came over and did a series of tests. My elbow, knees and hands received a lot of boinking. I was asked to push, pull with both my hands, feet and knees. Great. I passed the boinking and the push and pull but not 100%. The doctors thought that I have some back nerves being pinched somewhere in my cervical spine region. I was asked to take off my watch, rings and sterling silver jewelry earrings in preparation for the X-rays.

I was wheeled to the X-ray room, with daughter #3 following. I was made to change into a gown which was freaking difficult because aside from the numbness on my left side I also had a IV on my left hand and an oxygen tubing in my nose. Daughter #3 helped and I was then taken to the X-ray room. I can't help but notice the spanking new machine - state of the art. I was then posed into various positions and angles. As each shot was made, I can see each X-ray result as a TV monitor was facing the X-ray machine. Bad architectural layout. What if the one being X-rayed was a medical professional who could more or less decipher an X-ray shot and that the X-ray proved to be "bad news?" I was straining to see the shot on the monitor looking for tell-tale signs of a lump or bump. Nothing. I was glad though that my bone is quite dense. No osteoporosis.

The verdict? Cervical Spondylosis.

Hello. Back On!

Hello! I'm still alive! I was confined in a hospital in Makati for three days. I thought the doctors would neve figure out was wrong with me, but they did, eventually.
Thank you
Angelwaya, ,Wena,Cherry,Huling,Juliana ,
Gorgeous Mum,eMz,Tricia,Renz,Joel, Splice,Blessed Mom
for wishing me well. Special thanks to Wena who even texted me.

After my 3K jog on Wednesday (March 25, 09) I took a bath, then propped myself in front of the computer to finish some researches. It was about 8:15 P.M. when I felt a numbness in my left arm that gradually spread to my back and side then my whole left side. I immediately asked daughter # 3 to call daughter # 1 to get her opinion. Take mom to the ER, now! said daughter #1. I was whisked to the local ER and had a neurological test and an ecg. Everything was fine but the doctors could not explain the one-sided numbness of my body. It was not actually a stroke for I could walk straight, talk straight and still had a pretty face! Gosh! even my face and head ( left side) were tingling. The ER doctor wanted to do a CT-scan. Fine. But the ER doctors were in a phone conference with daughter #1 and they all decided to change hospital - to where daughter #1 was doing her residency. Off we went to the other hospital and by 10:10 P.M. I was under a battery of tests and questions from ER doctors, neurologists, cardiologist sonologist ,radiologists, dietitians and more.

I had lumbar and cervical X-rays, ECG, CT-scan, doppler ultrasound, EMG, and all the other possible laboratory exams that they could possibly do to me. I must have lost a pint of blood because of all the lab tests. The tests took a day and half. Did the team of doctors found out was what wrong with me? Yes they did. I've had an episode of transient ischemic attack, cervical spondylosis, carpal tunnel (both hands!) and some degenrative plaque in a neck nerve.

Yah! I'm sick and I didn't even know it. I have meds for all the diseases and I'd like to think that the prognosis is good as we were able to diagnose the ailments early ( or is it?) . I am now in a low fat, low salt diet as my cholesterol level is just outrageous. I have gone back to jogging about a week ago but I guess that the exercise bit came too late.

Now, I have to adhere to my new diet, exercise and freaking expensive medicine. With my hubby's heart condition meds, daughter#3's anti-seizure meds and my meds... gosh I just don't know where to get the extra juice. Anyway, I know that the Lord will provide as has never failed me.

I'm actually feeling tired and my neck and shoulders are aching now. Better log off before daughter #1 catches me on line.

Wake Up Call

The medical emergency I had was sort of a wake-up call. For the past five years or so, I have neglected to take care of myself. I indulged in all sorts of food. I stopped exercising. I was laden with stress and angst and sometimes plain unhappy. I guess it's time to revert back to my old ways of eating healthy food and doing regular exercise. I guess I better let go of some stress too. Life is just too short. I wonder if now is the right time to look at some term life insurance quotes.

Desperate Blogger is in hospital

Yes, my mom is stuck in a hospital room without wifi and it's driving her nuts.


It all started last night. After her late night jogging, she experienced a bit of numbness in her left shoulder. Good thing sister # 2 (daughter #3) and sister # 3 (daughter #4) was at home so they took her to the hospital. Typical mom, she insisted on driving to the hospital but sister # 3 vehemently said "No".

After an hour or so, sister # 2 called me up on the phone saying that they had to bring mom to sister #1's (daughter#1) hospital to have a CT scan. The numbness spread to the left side of her body. Uh-oh...

I looked for my dad to tell him about mom but sister # 1 already called to tell him what had happened.

Ethan and I had nothing else to do but wait and pray. Mom texted me and asked me to read aloud Psalms 23 and 99 with Ethan. It took a while 'cause Ethan wanted me to explain what we were reading (so hard!).

Anyway, I'll leave it up to my mom to continue the rest of this story. Here's a picture of her that she wanted me to post for y'all.

- Daughter # 2

A Tuxedo for a Change

Daughter #1 called me up yesterday asking how much would a custom-made Barong Tagalog for Ethan would cost. I said the last time I bought a jusi-pinya clothe in Divisoria it cost me 550 pesos. The tailor charged me 800 pesos. If I add in the gasoline, toll fees, parking fees to the lot, the total would be somewhere in the vicinity of 2,000 pesos. I told her I saw quality Barong Tagalog for kids sold at one high-end store and it cost 1,200 pesos only. Why the Barong Tagalog, I asked. Ethan is due to be a ring bearer this April and the attire is, of course, the Barong Tagalog. I wish, for a change, that wedding couture for little boys would be a tuxedo. I can just see Ethan now... strutting like a formal penguin.

HipHop It Is!

Summer is here! I can feel it with the sweat trickling down my back as I sit in front of my computer monitor located at the supposed-to-be coolest part of the house sans air conditioning - the basement. Ethan's school is officially over for 2008-09 though his reading therapy (as Ethan is dyslexic) will continue with a three-times weekly schedule. I chose to forgo with the regular summer program for Ethan in his school. I think the 3x weekly reading therapy is "academic" enough. I was actually considering enrolling Ethan in soccer but my girls and I conferred and it was a unanimous decision: hiphop dancing for the peacemaker this summer. The picture on the left was Ethan doing his own hiphop moves 3+ years ago. Isn't he just adorable? I miss the little-chubby-Ethan. Anyway, I've been itching to teach him the piano since two summers ago but his dyslexia got in the way. This summer, our hip-hopping dyslexic of a peacemaker will do the piano. Good luck to me.

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Tediber Online

Wish List

I love to window shop - online. It's just relaxing and inspiring to browse on different items online and "pretend" that one is about to purchase. Many-a-time, I've added tons of items in my cart and proceed to the check-out counter only to find out that first: I cannot afford the purchase or second: they do not ship to the Philippines. During my latest online window shopping episode I found these three items that I.WANT.TO.HAVE.

In this order. Gosh! I just love the shoes. The DSLR camera is a must for me. I don't even have a digicam! The Wii is a given. Every self-respecting family should have one. Tomorrow is Monday. Can Cyber Monday be far behind?

Health Insurance

My health insurance is about to expire. Come to think of it, my family's health insurance are all to expire in April and I have not even used its perk of free executive medical check-up. I remember my agent asking me for some health insurance lead a week or so ago. I gave her the contact number of a school whose admin is on the lookout for group insurance and maybe in her excitement forgot to mention that our health cards would soon expire. Hmmm... to renew or not to renew.To renew, right?

The Peacemaker

Ethan's school did not give out the usual academic excellence awards to deserving students. Instead, the teachers did a survey and asked each student what he/she thinks of a particular classmate. The actual question and answer portion was videotaped and was presented and shown in wide screen during the ceremonies. The question went something like this: What do you think of (name of classmate)?

Crap! I was actually nervous as I awaited the answers from 9 of his classmates. The gist of the answers was something like this.

He is friends with everyone.

Ethan is funny.

He tries hard to spell. He is my friend an he makes me laugh.

He is so funny. He makes me laugh.

He works so hard to read and spell and he is so funny. He is my friend.

and so on and so forth.

I was worried that Ethan's citation would go something like this: for being the class clown who tries hard to read and spell....

When Ethan's name was finally called and he went up the stage for his citation and medal, I was fidgeting in my seat. My worst fear was far from realization for the citation was nothing like my perceived one. Teacher Michelle read: Ethan is friendly with everyone. He tries to soothe every hurt feelings and right misunderstandings among his classmates. He is always happy and gets along well with everyone. He is the class peacemaker.

Whew! Wow! We are all so proud of out little peacemaker.

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Eyebrow Threading

Daughter # 4 just had an eyelash extension - a procedure where synthetic eyelashes are attached one by one on top of your natural lashes. Verdict? Daughter #4 said it herself: Gosh! I look like Snuffy (the long-lashed imaginary friend of Big Bird). So we all had a good laugh and I went online to look for a self-video on eyelash extension. None. I found a site about threading eyebrows instead. I clicked on the link and watched an eyebrow threading video. Okay. I need that. My girls and I need that. The video excerpt shows not only the proper way to remove hair by threading. It's done by twisting a length of cotton thread along unwanted hair. The procedure lifts out the hair and its follicle giving one a two to four weeks before the hair regrows. The procedure can be done for the removal of facial hair, eyebrow threading and even large body parts such as the arm and legs.

Interested? Get the video at Aesthetic Video Source.
Toll Free: 800-414-2434
Telephone: 801-282-2490
Fax: 801-282-9187
General Info: info(at)videoshelf(dot)com
Orders: orders(at)videoshelf(dot)com

God Speed Natasha Richardson

My girls were watching TAKEN, a Liam Neeson starrer, when I heard the news that Liam's equally popular wife, Natasha Richardson suffered a head injury while learning how to ski somewhere in Montreal. Oh, tough luck, I thought it was just a nasty bump. A day after the incident, March 18, 2009, Natasha was dead! It seemed that she was not wearing a helmet when she fell and as she appeared uninjured, did not seek medical help until hours later when she suffered excruciating headache. She was taken to a Montreal hospital then jet-planed to a New York hospital where she passed away the following day. Doctors think the swelling of the brain was caused by a clot caused by the seemingly innocent fall.

Natasha Richardson is the daughter of the British actress Vanessa Redgrave and Tony Richardson. She is the sister of Joely Richardson. She is survived by her two sons and husband Liam Neeson. Just like that. A seemingly harmless fall proved to be fatal. I pray for peace and serenity in this time of grief for Liam and his sons.

Graduation Thoughts

Today I attended Ethan's graduation from kindergarten. His batch of 10 kids were all dressed to the nines for the occasion. The very simple moving up exercise was made highly special because of the very intimate but meaningful presentation. Each graduate had a short audio-visual presentation done by their teachers highlighting the year that was for each of them. The "speech" was given by Teacher Tere, the owner/directress of the school. The gist of her message was "parents should always be there for their kids because it is their rightful obligation and duty." Okay, so I was like "been there, done that" but at the same time I was teary-eyed.

Around me were young couples and some single parents in the threshold of something new. Their eldest or only child is ready to step into first grade this coming school year. Big step for their kids.Bigger step for the parents. More than ever, the parents would have to deal with "letting" go of their children. Their children will no longer be pre-schoolers. The kids will have longer school hours, more demanding school work, more responsibilities, more trials and of course, the inevitable disappointments and frustrations. The parents should ready themselves to the changes they need to adapt to be able to cope with their kids' growing needs and independence.

I was with daughters # 1,3 and 4. As I look at them, I thought "how quick time flies." Was it really 22 years ago that daughter # 1 had her kindergarten graduation? Here we are now, attending her son's kindergarten graduation. Have I come full-circle yet? Maybe. Maybe not. There were other grandparents present too but I do not feel affinity with them. They were just there as doting grandparents. I was there as Ethan's primary care giver, grandmom, comforter, tutor and driver. I bet they were not as proud of their grand kids as I was of Ethan.

So there I was, teary-eyed, thinking "Gosh! I've a long way to go!"

First Commenter on desperateblogger's post is Vicissitudes of Life

Idle Hours

Once you reach a certain age, life becomes predictable. You wake up in the morning, skip breakfast, pig-out at lunch, snacks healthily at 4:30 P.M., tries to avoid dinner but ends up eating late dinner anyway which is more fattening (since it's more ideal to have the last meal of the day before 7:00 P.M.)and to compensate for the late dinner sleeps real late (1:00 A.M.) then wakes up before the alarm goes off at 6:00 A.M. and the vicious cycle starts anew. In between the eating are tasks that needs to be done. I've some help in the cleaning and laundry department but some tasks are just for me.

Not that I'm complaining for I've had my share of escapades and never-to-forget-experiences.. BUT! my life has become so monotonous and gray. There's just nothing to get excited about.

Oh look! It's Chip's bath day! Yey!

I have never thought that giving my puppy a bath would be the hi-lite of my day. It used to be that I wish there were 28 hours in a day for 24 was just not enough. The kids are all grown up and my schedule is not quite as hectic. Now, there's just too many idle hours. Idle, not because I'm not doing anything. Idle, because I do not enjoy what I'm doing and the tasks are not fruitful enough. Routine!... and routine sucks. You might say "stop doing what you don't like to do." Right. But if I do that the house would cease to be a home. Sigh!

Gasp! Panic!

I am in a panic mode. I have not had opportunities for the past week! What has happened? I lost my PR 3 and when all has been said and done, it's all about PR after all. Panic! I have come to rely on this blog's earnings to pay for a better part of my household's and Ethan's needs. If this dry spell continues... I don't even want to think about it.

My brother said, recession is more felt in the US than ever. He said the government keeps on printing money without its equivalent in gold bullion. Bad. Bad. That's tantamount to "play" money. I guess a lot of people are in panic mode too as so many are being laid-off work, losing their homes, getting more deeply in debt ( ouch!), declaring bankruptcy and more. If only I could wave my magic wand and set everything right then there would be "world peace" ( no pun intended), financial liberty, greener world, and happier citizens of the world. We could all wish upon a star and hope for a miracle. But a better way to get our miracle is to "pray" for it. Have a fruitful and problem-free week ahead.

First Commenter of desperateblogger's post

Ethan's Moving Up

Ethan's kindergarten class had its last day of class March 13. On March 18, the kindergarten class, all 10 of them, will have their moving up ceremony. Yup! Ethan will be in first grade this coming school year. Ethan's dyslexia has become more manageable now. He started out in reading level 1 this school year and now he's in level 5. It might not be too impressive for a 6-year old kid, but for us, that reading level is tantamount to hurdling a great obstacle. Ethan would still be in the same school. The pre-school has now added a first grade level, still with a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. We'd think about moving Ethan to a bigger school when he becomes a little older.

First Commenter of desperatblogger's post

New Dresses

I had some custom-made cocktail dresses sent to my sister-in-law and niece. The mother and daughter duo will be out for some serious partying this coming April. My niece wanted some real fancy clothes all the way from the Philippines so she sent over her measurements so I could have my personal seamstress do the clothes. My sister-in-law also sent her measurements and asked if I could have a formal dress made for her too. Why not? So, I bought the needed textiles and accessories and brought them to my seamstress. The three dresses are done and are now on their way to New Jersey. I'm just glad my niece did not ask for an equestrian apparel. I would not know anything about it.

Tears of Joy

Daughter # 2 and I went to the supermarket to buy 3,800 Peso-worth of groceries. Why that exact amount? Her grade 6 homeroom class was assigned to give gifts to three janitors in line with the school's Custodian Day. The donations amounted to 3,800 and more. Her class and daughter # 2 decided that the best practical gift would be groceries. She chose basics like sugar, milk, coffee, chocolate dink, cooking oil, rice and canned goods. Daughter # 2 also bought some snacks and cookies. She was very careful not to overshoot the budget that at the check out she was carefully watching if barcode scanner was working just fine. The following day, she said the three janitors were so happy with the "party" and gifts her class sponsored. All three janitors cried. Tears of joy I presume.

Chip Re-Gifted

No, that's not an ewok. It's Chip, the male shih tzu that was given to me by my kids sometime in February. My early birthday gift was re-gifted yesterday. The puppy is well-loved by everyone in the house. Ethan says Chip is now the baby in the family. Yah. We're all suckers when it comes to dogs.

Chip's favorite sleeping area is daughter # 4's bed OR

the crook of my son's arm...

this was how daughter #4 found Chip
when I honked my car horn to signal that I was home



First Commenter in desperateblogger's post

Sunny Spain

My brother is currently on a business trip in Germany. He has sent some pictures of churches and tourist spots he had visited and I'm just dying of envy. I have always wanted a European tour with Spain as my primary destination.Why Spain? The Philippines was under Spanish rule for over 300 years and I guess it's just fitting to see the country and culture that has greatly influenced us.

Madrid, the capital and the new gateway of Spain is first in my list. The city is famous for its intricate Gothic and Renaissance architecture and I would like to see that first hand. Plaza de Cibeles is a classic example of Spanish Gothic architecture at its finest. Of course I have to visit Barcelona too. The city boosts of avant-garde infrastructures that blow your mind, that is aside from the old classics. I would also love to visit the 1993 Olympic venue there. Planning a trip is not complete without looking over accommodations. The picture on the right is of Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid

Hotel Espanol is website that says it all when it comes to hotel accommodation in Spain. Madrid Hoteles presents hotels,apartels, inns, apartments and other lodgings located in the area. Likewise with Barcelona Hoteles. The accommodations listed in these sites would ensure a well-planned and laid-out, even discounted, pre-bookings. If you want to stay in the Ramblas area while in Barcelona, check out Las Ramblas Hoteles.

Birthday Blues

Today is my birthday. As always, I received numerous text messages and wall-to-wall greetings and comments from friends (and foes?). As always, I contemplate and ponder on what the last year has been like in terms of the different aspects in and of my life.

Kids: generally okay

Ethan: generally alright

Financial: needs improvement

Love life: what's that?

Hubby: next question please

selfworth: erratic but basically up there

health and weight: gosh! i need to lose weight... seriously!

blogging: okay but can definitely take in more improvement

Am I happy? I'm not sure but I know that I'm not really sad. Life has become one big wheel of expected events. Gone is the thrill of the unexpected in everyday living but I'm left, still, with the daily worries of everything and under the sun.

There's a big dinner party tonight over at my in-law's house. Great, you'd think, for the in-laws have thought of giving me a bash. Let me burst your bubble. The party is not for me. It's for my father-in-law. In 2001, my father-in-law decided to die on my birthday. From then on, my birthday is the day they remember his death. My birthday became insignificant for them. I always had to set aside any bash I plan for my natal day for the death anniversary took precedent. For them. Not for me. The last three years, I did not come over to "celebrate" with them. It's my dang birthday and I' d do what I want to do.

Angst and Emote are alive and well, especially today.

First Commenter for desperatelogger's post

BeBe Gandanghari

I don't normally blog about actors and actresses but when an actor turns actress, it's worth my while. BeBe Gandanghari is newly born - at least her persona is. If the real truth be told she (who was known as a he) is 44 years old this coming May. His..errr, her new name is shortcut for Binibining Gandanghari or Miss Beautiful King. I have no idea what the crap is Rustom...errr, BeBe trying to convey with the new name. I used to workout along side Rustom, BeBe, in one of the leading gyms in Alabang. Back then I knew he was gay for the "manly" gym instructors told me. I could not care less. He was separated from Carmina that time and I believed had her twins too. It was Robin Padilla, Rustom's brother, who captivated me. That Robin has one heck of a sex-appeal! Anyway, I wonder what Kuya Robin would say when he sees this picture.

BeBe Gandanghari

Did BeBe forget to shave? My oh my. Notice the mustache line.

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Bored Out of My Wits!

It's Monday and I'm slowly melting due to heat and boredom. Ethan is on his way to full recovery but I made him stay home still. I've yet to "make money" today. There's just "nothing" - if you know what I mean. Due to boredom and for want of something better to do and tweak, I made a donation button widget at my blog's side bar. I've always been curious about those donation buttons. Does anyone really donate?

My left upper arm is still sore. I and daughter # 4 had our free flu shots from Sanofi Philippines care of Nuffnang Philippines. It was held last Saturday at Max's tiendesitas. I had no plans of coming but two dedicated staffers or Nuffnang, Jing and Roanna, did not let up until I said yes. I was made to understand that only mother-bloggers with kids are invited. That two shots per blogger - mother and child. My online buddy Cherry was there with her daughter MG, 2 shots. A new found blogger-friend, Snow, was there too, 1 shot. Most of those present adhered to the 2 shots per blogger. Almost. I was surprised that there's one blogger who took her entire family- husband and kids - and had them all vaccinated. If only I was not such a strict rule compliant then I could have had my whole family inoculated and had them eat free friend chicken and veggie spring rolls.

Going back to the strict rule compliant thingy, I also make sure I keep my appointments. Having said yes to Roanna and Jing of Nuffnang that I'd be coming, I asked daughter # 3 to re-schedule her dental patients to Sunday so she could look out for sick Ethan. Well. That's who I am. I follow rules and keep appointments - unless of course something grave comes up that I can't possibly keep the appointment. I know. I'm ranting. Not really. I'm just bored.

First Commenter in desperateblogger's post is Tediber Online.

A Dud of a Bash

So! Where were we? I've been spewing angst and emotions these past few days that I lost my X-stories momentum. Now I'm finding it quite tasking to finish my X-series. I still have 3-4 stories to go.

Next week, comes my nth birthday. Yes. Nth. It has come to that point where asking my age is tantamount for being disrespectful. Yesterday, Cherry and I were supposed to have a joint birthday blow-out. She invited some blogger friends if hers and I, mine. We were expecting a big turn-out and we were both so excited. Ethan's fever was still in the 39's but I left him at home with daughter #3 (who was supposed to consult with her "little" patients but re-scheduled them instead so I can go ahead with my blow-out). The much-awaited-a-month-in-the-planning event proved to be a dud! Only one of the 9 other bloggers expected to come, came! Cherry and I appreciate you eMz!

In fairness, those who did not come expressed that they won't be coming due to some (unexpected) predicaments. Some texted me a day before. Some an hour or so before. And others, at the hour itself. If only I was told before hand that they won't be coming, Cherry and I could have postponed the affair and then I could have stayed home to care for Ethan. Sigh!

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BarefootedMe

Social Learning Network

Joining social networking sites is a must if you are an internet savvy. People have two concerns when joining such sites: meet up with old friends and gain new friends. You exchange comments, view each other's pictures, send virtual gifts and play virtual games. Sometimes, I think it's such a waste of time as students prioritize chatting in their social networking sites than studying. Hit two birds with one stone. Join Course Hero.

Course Hero is a social networking site with a twist. It is a social learning networking site best suitable to college students. Students and professors interact on a certain platform collaborating, learning, sharing on course-related theories and concept. Lehigh University ACCT 108 is now available at the site. Joining is free and fairly easy. You can even join through your Facebook account. For those who are in a quagmire with their accounting subjects try out the site and get credible accounting lecture note, free. Oh and an online 24/7 help is available.

Francis M Passes Away

Francis Magalona is dead! HE succumbed to multiple organ failure due to sepsis and pneumonia. He was 44 years old.

Francis M was diagnosed with leukemia August of last year. He had been undergoing blood transfusion and chemotherapy and we all thought he was on his way to remission. It seems that he was too weak to battle off the secondary infections brought about by his weakened immune system. He was supposed to sing a song with the Eraserheads in tonight's concert at the Mall of Asia. The son of Philippines Movie idols of the 50's Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, Francis is a well respected rapper, song writer, producer, actor, director, host. He is survived by his wife Pia and their children Maxene, Saab, Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, and Clara. His remains lies in state at the Christ the King Church in Quezon City.

It seems like only yesterday that my kids (and the rest of the Pinoys) were strutting to Francis M's Mga Kababayan Ko. He will be missed.

First Commenter in desperateblogger's post

idealpinkrose

Good Feng Shui

Practicing architecture in the Philippines is not just about designing on the principle based on Frank Lloyd's Wright's Form Follows Function. The principle is that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose. Well, not so if you're designing for a particularly superstitious client who believes in both the old Filipino traditions and the more recent Feng Shui. One female client insist on building wall fountains in her living room. She says that water in a fountain creates good chi or energy. No problem with that as aesthetically speaking, the wall fountain would add beauty and ambiance to the living space. But! The husband does not want to for he says the water receptacle would attract mosquitoes and make it its breeding ground. Guess who won?

Emote!

I barely slept last night. Ethan suddenly developed a fever and I was up most night taking his temperature, giving him sponge baths and his paracetamol round the clock. His mommy was off duty last night but Ethan still chose to sleep in my bed. His fever was in the vicinity of 39 degrees centigrade and even reached 40.2 degrees centigrade. At the crack of dawn daughter # 1 and I were up and about to take Ethan to the hospital.

We did not take him to the ER but went to our personal pediatrician's clinic at St. Luke's Hospital instead. The pediatrician has been my pediatrician and my kids' too. Yup! She's that old but is still one of the best. She looked over Ethan and found nothing of grave concern. She saw that Ethan's tonsils are so swollen and his chest congested. He was given a prescription for antibiotics.

What an inopportune time for Ethan to get sick. I have appointments for tomorrow that could not be set aside. Right now, his fever is gone. I just hope it stays that way so I could take him with me tomorrow.

Every time I emote about my "status" in life, something invariably comes up. Someone gets sick. Someone has school problems. Someone has work-related problems. Someone is nursing a broken heart. Someone is financially crippled. Someone is sad and problematic. And so the list goes on.

Thank you my online buddies fog giving me the heads up to take a well-deserved vacation. I will certainly think things over very carefully as there are two sides to the situation if I leave them for a month or so. First, they'd be able to cope without me. Yey! Second, they won't be able to cope thus affecting all other aspects of everyone's lives.

Now, if only I could accept the consequences of scenario # 2.

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Angst!

Crap is the word! It's that time in one's daily life when everything seems to be falling apart. Well, not really falling apart... more on... nothing seems to be going right. For me. I just feel like screaming and tell every single fart who makes my life uncomfortable to just shove it up their as**s!

I need a freaking break. A break from the daily grind. I have not taken a "me" vacation for the last 29 years. Vacation time was always with the family - and I guess you know that for most moms that is no vacation at all. Vacation time with the family is synonymous with doing all your everyday household chores and responsibilities away from your house.

The irritating, if not that sad part is, "some" do not realize the effort and sacrifice that comes with motherhood. Day in, day out,for the past 29 years, I've put my kids' welfare and well-being as my priority. I set aside my career and put the children first. I set aside my personal feelings for the kids. I spent all my hard-earned money for the kids and their needs. I breathe and think of my kids. I became irrelevant. I became an extension of them. I was at times taken for granted. In a few more years everyone of them will leave home and have their own families. Where would that leave me?

Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing.

What do you know? This is my 1000th post!

Cocktail Dresses and More

I went to Divisoria ( Manila's ultimate bargain center) yesterday for the sole purpose of buying textile for my sister-in-law and niece. They wanted some really spanking-glamorous cocktail dresses for a sweet sixteen birthday bash they plan to attend next month. SIL says there are a lot of great looking dresses available in the US. Many stores are now offering prom dresses at huge discounts. There are even dresses and gowns available at surplus. However, there's nothing to beat a made to order dress from the Philippines, courtesy of well... me. I just hope the mother and daughter would appreciate the dresses I'll have made for them.

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Summer of '76

The Summer of '76 was a 'dry' spell in terms of relationships. Each and everyone of my close friends from church myself included were boyfriend-less and prospect-less. After watching the long-winding Good Friday procession in our hometown, we got together and ate ice cream and made a pact. We were going to choose our prospects for the summer and do our dang-est best to nail them. I chose Jonathan.

Like me, Jon was an architecture student too. He has been a church mate but was not visible in the youth sector for he did not attend such. He was from UP High School and I used to see him during my college freshie year at UP while I was gallivanting with first love. Yes. I was 10 months older than Jon. Anyway, I've made my choice so be it.

It was a breeze hooking up with him. It was summer and the church had a Vacation Bible school for kids. As teeners, we were trained to handle such classes. I was tasked to handle the 4th graders. This was class was the most notorious of all as everyone of them had undiagnosed ADHD! Hahaha. Really, those boys were adorable. Anyway, I needed an assistant and guess who volunteered. Yup! Jon did. For straight two weeks we were inseparable. We handled classes together. We went on swimming sprees with the 4th graders and basically hang out. I still have the freaking scar made by the exhaust of his motorbike during one of our "wild" rides. My best friends used to call that scar as "tatak ng kalandian"*. Jon was notorious for being a snob but during that summer he was not. He even went to do something as unsanitary as share his condiments (fish sauce and vinegar) with me.

Jon was no "first love" but he was tall and fair and good-looking enough and brainy enough for me. At church one Sunday morning, he borrowed my gold ring with the initial L. He wore and said he'd keep it for a bit. He gave me his ring with the initial J in exchange. Just like that we were "on" which did not last long for the rest of the "boys" from church started to tease us endlessly. Juvenile! Because I was basically "stupid and inexperienced" I must have said something negative about Jon or the relationship because the next thing I know, I was wearing my ring again.

A few weeks after I heard that Jon started to court Inya. She was my brother's first love. So brother and I shrugged our shoulders and went on with our lives.

Three relationships prospered that summer of 76. Liza got her prospect but eventually broke off with him. She said he was more beautiful than her. Cieny married the brother of Liza's prospect. Bibong never even got to first base with her prospect but the cousin of her prospect fell madly inlove with her which prompted her to get involved with Rosen, her husband now. Myrna set her sights on Rod but got his best friend, Anching, a better that choice. The only one who got her prospect - signed-sealed-delivered- was Marini. She married my brother. Hahaha.

I still see Jon and his wife when I attend church in Taytay. They have two kids, a boy and a girl. One of my girlfriends, a close friend of Jon's wife, said that Jon is a very strict dad and husband. One time Jon's wife went out with us to eat dinner in a mutual friend's house. By 8:30 P.M. Jon was already asking his wife what time she'll be home. By 9:00 P.M. Inya was getting ready to leave. In less than 10 minutes, Jon was there to fetch his wife while the rest of us stayed till past midnight. Jon and I would not have lasted. I'm a free spirit!


*evidence/sign of being flippant/a flirt

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Flawless Complexion

I've been pregnant five times and I've never experienced a bout of acne. My complexion was always flawless during pregnancy. Supple. Soft. Smooth. Rosy. The only problem I had when pregnant was my weight. I always gained 30 to 40 pounds during pregnancy. The excessive gain weight caused a lot stretch marks on my tummy. The stretch marks are caused by the rapid expansion of skin during pregnancy and no amount of lotion and oil alleviated the condition. I guess I am more lucky than most since I did not have pimples or acne during pregnancy. My friend is now about 6 months pregnant and is highly agitated because of her acne. Her pre-pregnancy complexion was fair and flawless - a far cry from her skin condition now. I searched online for beauty products fit for preggies.

Beaute de Maman products are available online. The company offers health and beauty products for pregnant women. The products are developed by Dr. Michele Brown a gynecologist and obstetrician. The products are all safe for pregnant women to use. Such products are: stretch mark creams, nipple gel, face and body cream to prevent pimple break-out, and facial scrub. I better tell my friend about these products so she couldorder now

What Do You Think?

What the farking effing crap!? I think I just submerged myself in super-duper-hot-boiling water! Remember my X's series that is still ongoing as my list is only 3/4 done? Well, the series of articles brought about the following events - as Lemony Snicket says "a series of unfortunate events".

Cyndy emailed me. A friend and batch mate of Grace found me too. She said she'd tell Grace. Google the full name or even the nickname of "first love eventually dies" and my blog is ranked #1 in the search. I made the creep # 1 in Google! Hahahaha... it's only a matter of time that one of them would eventually comment in my blog. I'm actually wary. Do you think I should delete or modify the full name of first love?

Back to Basics

Ethan's best bud's mommy is expecting! She said that a bundle of girlie-joy would be arriving sometime in June. She's so excited for it's been six years since the patter of little feet. She told me to organize a baby shower for her for no one gave her one with her first baby. No problem. She has gained a lot of weight now and looks like a cuddly pink teddy bear. In a few months time she'd be back to sleepless nights and grumpy days. She'd be into to breastfeeding and formulas, bottle sterilization and disposable diapers. Isn't she the lucky one?