A Real Holiday

Today is a holiday. No classes and offices. That does not necessarily translate to " no work" for me. The kids are all here and so are some of their cousins. My house has been in constant state of mayhem since 9:00 A.M. I was at the basement doing my usual internet thingy when I heard a racket in the vicinity of the dining room. Daughter #4 just came in from her overnight stay and she brought home one of her new friends to eat breakfast. By 10:30 A.M. the whole house was buzzing with activity. Daughter #1 came home from her 36-hour duty, my son was home for the long weekend and was miraculously already awake, daughters 2 and 3 were also eating late breakfast and so was Ethan. The phone kept ringing and it was irritating me at no ends so I went down to the basement, put on my earphones and did some work.

Four of my kids's cousins dropped by for lunch. It was a good thing there was food to eat as we had five uninvited guests for lunch! By 4:00 P.M. all eleven of them were busy eating (again) snacks of corned beef, hotdog and bread while everyone who had a laptop were all busy tapping and yapping. By 6:00 P.M. surely, I thought, they'd all go home. Wrong! As I type, they are eating dinner.

I sometimes envy those who can just pack their bags and go on a short vacation. I've never gone on a relaxing vacation for the last, ummmm... 30 years?! How I wish I could finally experience some fun and exciting Vegas vacations with some able-bodied friends.

Girls' Night Out

It was girls night out last night. Not my girls as in "daughters" but my girls as in "friends". After planning and re-planning, my 3 girlfriends and I finally reached a conclusion to a Friday-night out. The timing has to be perfect for we have family commitments that have to be delegated to others for us to be able to go out and get crazy. The four of us decided to leave for an early dinner. As the designated driver, I picked up the three others as we all live in the same village. I picked up Beth first as her house fronts my back garage. I picked up Tess second as I'd pass her house first to pick the 4th member of the four-feeling-young-wannabes, Eva.

Tess was the friend I rushed to the ER about 10 months ago. She fractured a vertebra and had to wear a real stiff body brace for 6 months. She still wears the brace when she has to go out for work and "recreation" though. She was stiff from the chest down to the waistline as she climbs up my car. Eva and Tess were at the back seats while Beth was in front. Since I was picking up daughter #2 later that night, I brought the van instead of the car. Tess was having a hard time with the van's uber deep recline that she asked Eva to get the small pillow at the back of the van. Eva can't reach the pillow, which is less than a 2 feet away, because of a "frozen shoulder". I had to stop the van and get the pillow my self for my front passenger, Beth, can't readily climb out of the van because of her chronic back pain!

Gosh! Going out with these "old ones" was one frenetic experience! So, we reached Greenbelt 5 and decided to eat at Chilli's for a younger and more hip vibe. As usual, we ordered a lot - two appetizers and four main dishes - one for each. The nachos we ordered was refillable and I swear our waiter can't believe how much we eat! My friends actually said that I lost a lot of weight which kinda pushed to eat way, way more than usual.

"What did you do to lose so much weight in just a few months?", asked Beth.

"Oh, I got myself a mini stroke and spondylosis which forced me to change my diet." I answered. But! I'd definitely NOT recommend it as a best weight loss program. Hahahaha.

Stuffed and puffed, Eva had to excuse herself to go to the restroom for her insulin shot. After paying the bill, we walked for a bit, window-shopped a bit, then decided to treat ourselves to coffee and desserts. I almost forgot to pick up daughter #2 as my friends and I never stopped talking and eating. I ate too much, talked too much, and came home late last night, or may I say, early this morning! Now, I have a queezy tummy. Too much nachos and blueberry cheese cake last night.

I Saved Water Instead

Dang! I had to brush my teeth while in the shower! I've mentioned in an earlier post that the water supply hose of my bathroom's lavatory sprung a leak this morning. I had to turn off the supply pipe that leads to the lavatory faucet to prevent water leakage. Today, I called my foreman twice just to remind him to drop by my house to replace the busted hose. Twice, he said "yes". The last time was at 3:30 P.M. before I left the house to fetch Ethan. Confident that Eng (short for Engot - his mother's nick for him) would have fixed the leaky faucet by the time I get home, I never bothered to check. Ethan and I arrived home around 6:30 P.M. After dinner, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth before settling myself to computer work. Foaming in the mouth, I turned on the Kohler faucets - the H and C, and nothing happened! Crap! Eng did not fix the hose! Oh well. When you're handed a lemon, make a lemonade. I took a quick shower and maybe, just maybe, saved a glass of water.

Walk-In Tub

I woke up to flooded bathroom this morning. The water supply hose under the lavatory has a leak - sprouting water under the sink and eventually on the bathroom floor. The leak must have sprung out during the night for it wasn't there (or was it?) when i went to bed at 1:00 A.M. I think it's really time to remodel my bathroom. I've been thinking of that for a personal project for the last 4 years. Ethan has been pestering me for a bathtub but I'm set against the idea for the design of my bathroom is not applicable for a regular tub. Safety against slipping when stepping in/out is an issue until I saw these: walk in tubs. The new bathtub is unbelievable! There is a small opening that serves as a door to eliminate stepping over the tub rim! The tub comes in different models but the concept is pretty much the same: a door to get in and out the tub! I love this!

Love Interest

My son has not been coming home on a regular basis on weekends for the past month. He says he has tons of work to do and can't afford to come home. I asked him why he can't do his work at home and he answered that he needs the library for his research material. Well I retorted that he can actually make use of his "moldy" library card to borrow the books he needs, take them home and do his paper! He had no answer for that.

My mom-radar is tingling! Something is "going on". I smell something fishy. So I snooped and played detective. Aha! My son has a crush! My girls got excited too and snooped with me - clicking from one social networking site to another in the hope of stumbling on a high resolution picture of "the girl". I asked my son about this and he said that he and "the girl" are just "dating". "Dating as in what activity?" I asked with eyes a-goggled! "Oh you know... we went to an electronics shop the other weekend and looked for some stuff for my laptop." Oh! That kind of dating. Very well. I'll just digest the fact that my son has a "love interest" later...much later... as in never?!

Unanticipated

I was car-less for two days like week. Remember the car accident I had last week when I was rear-ended? Well, the cheapskate paid me a measly sum but I took it anyway for the sake of her daughter and my son being former classmates and my daughter and her son being former classmates too. Anyway,I figured that since my car's damage will be repaired, I might as well have the hubcaps and other dents and scratches fixed too. Before doing that I brought the car to the service station to have the wheels aligned and rotated first. The mechanic said the right camber bolt was stuck so I had to call the other auto shop to have it fixed. The other auto shop mechanic said the disk brakes were quite thin and worn out and that they had to be changed too. or else suffer the consequence - accident. What can I do but agree? So the little car-dent fixing translated into more repairs - more money out the window.

I was glad to have my spanking clean-wheel-aligned and rotated-dent-fixed and disk-braked-changed car! The auto painter did a real nice job. He was even able to remove the scratches from the car's window rain guards and mud guards. So! Come Sunday morning I was getting ready to leave for church happy that my car is fixed! I turned on the ignition and all I heard was slight engine growl and then no more. My batteries are dead! Yes! The two maintenance-free car batteries that my car needs to run are freaking dead! The church was postponed. I called my foreman and told him to get my car first thing on Monday morning and have the batteries changed. The pair of batteries are new now, newly bought. I refuse to leave the house today. Who knows what other expenses are lurking to pounce on me.

I Want that Kettlebell !

I have not been frequenting a gym for a long time now. I just can't seem to squeeze in an extra 2-3 hours to my daily load for a gym workout. What I usually do now is jog a minimum of 3 kilometers at least 3 times a week. For my weight training, I use my dumbbells. I sometimes find it taxing to hold two-callus-causing dumbbells. If I want callus-free palms, then I have to wear my workout gloves. Isn't there any other option? Seems like there is. I found this cool Kettlebell that you could use for weight training. It's so cool I want to place my order now. You can use it for spot-training, while you do aerobics, while you are on the treadmill or out jogging. They come in different colors and weights. I think I'd order one workout package with a free kettlebell.

Super- 8 What?

I remember the 8mm home movies we had when I was just a kid. My father had his "moving camera", as it was called then, and used to "film" my brother and I. Watching the 8mm movie of ourselves was not an east task. My father had to hang a big white sheet on the living room wall for our make-shift screen making sure there were no bumps or uneven surface for easy viewing. Then father had to set up the projector and roll out and thread the 8mm film. It took forever to do the set up. Sometimes, right in the middle of the viewing, the "screen" falls down or the film unrolls itself. The 3 to 5 minute films were a joy to watch then. Those were the days. "Moving cameras" have evolved over the years. My first ever moving camera was a Minolta super 8 camcorder in the 1980s. Oh it was magic for me as the film was actually in a compact cartridge. Next, I bought a Sony camcorder that even had a more compact cartridge. In 2004, I think, I bought my latest Sony mini handycam which my kids tell me is absolutely obsolete now.

"Mom" said my wise-old-son, " your camera is still called a camcorder or handycam, small and compact as it is."

"So?!, isn't that what it's supposed to be called" I quipped back.

"Duh?! Mom! Everyone has digicams or digital camcorders. Your handycam is old!"

Hmmp! He's telling me. I still need to get a digital camera for myself. The digital camcorder will have to come later.

Of Feng Shui and Moving Boxes

I was at the doctor two days ago for an emergency consult. I have been feeling some tingling sensation on the whole left side of my body that made me concern.Well, panic actually, as it was the same pin-prick sensation that I felt when I had my mild stroke. So! I was off to the doctor at the speed of light. I was number three in the list so I took out my magazine and started to read. One article about saving money caught my attention. It says the clutter you make in your house has an effect on your money-making ability. Hmmm... yeah!

The article further read that according to feng shui or Chinese geomancy, the left side corner of your house as you view it from the main entrance is the money-making room in the house. There was no need for me to check what that room is in my house. Yes! It's my work area where I have my computer and drafting table and the one I'm in right now as I type this article. And Yes! It's so full of clutter that my head spins whenever I look at it. I guess it's really time to de-clutter, feng shui or no feng shui. But first, I need to get some real big cardboard moving boxes. I would be needing large packing boxes and maybe some wardrobe boxes too to really clean up my space. Good Luck to me! BTW, the doctor said I'm fine, just tired.

Internet Connections

On a normal week night, there are usually three laptops and one desktop simultaneously online. The desk top would be me, and the three laptops would be daughters 2,3 and 4. On weekends, there could be as many as five laptops and a desktop online. If some of my kids' friends drop by, there could be as many as eight laptops all vying for a good signal from my wireless router. My first ever wireless router was store bought. At that time routers were pretty expensive. My second router was provided by my broadband provider. The company could have thought that I deserve a free wireless router since I was paying quite a sum for a residential connection. My connection is quite fast for a broadband. Speed tests show internet speed of 1.5 MB to 2.5 MB. I even had to put a password on my wireless connection for fear that my neighbors are riding on my wifi! But! All is not well. There are times that the laptops barely get signals whereas my desktop ( the one directly connected to the router) enjoys maximum speed. It is the router that is at fault, right? I had steadier and stronger wifi signal with my old Linksys router. I think it would be best to use it again.

Doing "Mommy" Stuff

My girls and their girl cousins (from their dad's side) are pretty tight these days. They had an impromptu dinner at our house two Saturdays ago and again, last night. I have not been in the mood to cook food for the longest time but yesterday, I was cajoled and slightly pushed to do some cooking for dinner. What can I do but agree? There was nothing in my freezer so I rushed to the supermarket to do some food shopping. I did my usual grocery list and the ingredients for the dinner meal. My menu was penne marinara, tacos, chicken pastel, and porkchop barbeque. For dessert, it was saging na saba with sago in syrup with option to add in milk and crushed ice.

I hate doing my grocery shopping on weekends! The lines to the cashiers are unbelievable! By the time my turn came, 30 minutes have already lapsed. The cashier seemed to be in slow motion as she deliberately scanned each item in my cart. She repeatedly had to run the barcode scanner on some items too! It took me forever to be done with my shopping, load the stuff in my car and get home. As I drove home in the midday sun and traffic, I thought to myself: "Crap! I've been doing mom things for 30 freaking years already!" Do I want it to stop? Are you kidding me?

Junk Ride at Victoria Bay

Finally! The Hong Kong pictures have been uploaded in my USB and are not awaiting printing. Okay, that would have to take a backseat for I still need to pick out the 120 pictures (to be enlarged) from the thousand taken in MIL birthday. Anyway, here's a sample from the pictures that are now sitting in my USB.

Amy, Gia, Ninang, Me, Ethan and Mama

Is it that Time of the Year Yet?

I almost fell flat on my face yesterday when I saw displayed in my friendly neighborhood mall - Christmas decors! In August! Tsk!Tsk! Christmas is coming in earlier each year. Before we know it, Christmas decors would be an all-year round item, much like some specialty shops that sell Christmas items all year round. Have you notice too that there are stores and malls on a three-day sale almost every weekend? The stores have to get rid of the old items to make room for new items for before we know it, Christmas would be just around the corner ready to smack us right in the face. Gosh! It seems like it was only yesterday that I've just stored all my decors. Now, I've to gather strength (again) in sorting out what goes in and out in my Christmas decor line up. I wonder if there are actually Christmas decors on sale right. You know, better early that late!

Caution: Repairs Ongoing!

My house is currently undergoing repairs. I hate to see trickles of rain-water on my walls and ceiling. The little holes and cracks in my galvanized iron roofing have warped the part of the ceiling where they are evident. The ever-not-reliable drainage system in our area also caused my house draining system to clog up! The surface water drain runs along the house perimeter and is about 4-5 feet under. The problem lies in digging the drain to expose the clogged part. I just hope that my perceived problem area is correct to minimize the digging. While I am at it, the repairs I mean, I think it's about time to change my overhead tank to stainless steel drums. The galvanized iron tank is old, rusty and leaky. It would be better to replace it than have it repaired.

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser, the TV show series is in town. There will be an audition at the Megamall tomorrow. Ethan seriously said that I should join and the sentimental fool that I am, asked him if I were that fat.

"You're not fat mom, but the cash prize is!"

Great! The cash price is quite hefty at $100,000 which translate to about 5 Million pesos. I have a niece who is 150 pounds overweight. She lost weight sometime ago when she started on diet pills. The moment she shed 30 pounds, she stopped taking the pills and at the same time started to indulged again and never looked back. The other day my girls were formulating the audition video of their cousin for the Biggest Loser in the hope that she could be one of the contenders.

Tripping the Light Fantastic!

I have been consistently reminded - no make that- nagged by my daughters to "please mom! choose the pictures for the album!" The album they are referring to is the one that will "document" the 80th birthday bash of my mother-in-law. I have been procrastinating for the past two weeks as I think I don't have the tenacity to view the thousand and more pictures, then without qualm or remorse, methodically eliminate each unwanted one to arrive at the 120 pieces to be included in the album. Everybody involved suck up to me now!

If it were up to me, I would print them all which is feasible for the pictures in the CD are all high resolution. Anyway, here are some pictures of the dance presentations we had - which reminded me that I need to sit down with the videographer for the editing. The work for that birthday thingy seems to be endless!

Monday Morning Madness!

My car was rear-ended this morning. The irritating part was that the lady driver insisted that it was not her fault as she claimed she didn't see me coming when she was about to make a U-turn. The right of way was mine and it was her dang fault as she hit the rear of my car. She insisted that I should have stopped since I obviously saw her about to make a U-turn. Dang double dang! It was so hard talking and explaining to the lady driver. Her son came by and we both decided to just call a police officer to investigate and make a report. The son called the police station and as he gave his name, my memory was jolted. I asked him if he studied in Marymount school and he said yes. I asked him if he knew daughter # 2 and he said they were classmates in elementary. The mom suddenly butt in and asked me if I had a son who studied at Southville. I said yes and bingo! Her daughter was my son's classmate from grade 1 to 4th year high school. The affinity made us decide not to call in the police anymore and just settle the problem amicably.

My Monday morning was ruined in a way. I was quite grumpy the rest of the morning and nothing seemed to cheer me up until this:

Ethan with cousin Erin and Aunts Pixie and Minnie "simulating" the Kalesa

$ 1 Per Click!

I was a certified MLM aficionado, Clickbank affiliate, a paid to surf babe, cycler enthusiast and what-have-you before I started to blog. I was quite active with my legal (and not so legal) marketing schemes because of the promise of a quick buck. Okay. I got burned. The MLMs and cyclers will earn you money if you were on the top of the pyramid. Ooppsss!!! I said it! The MLMs and cyclers are modified pyramid and Ponzi schemes. The paid to surf , pay-per-click and read email stuff were more like it but the returns were too slow. Pay up is something like 5 to 10 cents per click or read and even less in paid to surf. Clickbank could bring in the big bucks if you know where and how to market the products. The thing is Clickbank has a 30-day return of goods and when that happens, the affiliate loses money. So! I brushed my hands off those things. However, I chanced on these two pay-to-click sites that pay $1 per click! What the heck?! I joined! Hop over the sites and check them out.

Shame on You Jamby Madrigal

Here is a tidbit that transpired in Cory Aquino's funeral cortege that I be would have great repercussions on one's politico's. I quote in full the blog post of Happy Feraren. Happy is daughter #4's high school classmate. Here goes.

Shame on You Jamby Madrigal

Now that we’ve remembered, relived and recreated the spirit of ’86 let’s make sure this yellow ribbon doesn’t get tangled up in other people’s political campaigns.

Subtle electioneering IN A FUNERAL?!?! SHAME ON YOU. Do not ride on Cory’s wave to pursue your vested interest. The people who waited in the streets weren’t there to see you! The revolution doesn’t belong to you, phony politician, it belongs to the people. And what makes you think you could get away with such a dirty trick? Cory’s lasting impression of sincerity, humility and honesty is now the benchmark of what leaders are supposed to be. You think people don’t see through you? The respect we have for Cory is not something you acquire with falsity (or through endorsement from Judy Ann Santos) it is earned. How dare you pose as someone offering sympathy to the Aquino family while you think about the votes you’re going to get come election time.

As I waited for the cortege (news networks’ new favourite word) along the South Super Highway, my mom and I bought 2 yellow umbrellas from this street vendor who was also selling nuts. And then as we paid, he pulled out something from his pocket – a yellow beaded bracelet nicely packed in a small clear plastic bag. Upon handing it over to us, he said: “Eto o, bonus para sa inyo.”Of course my mom and I were pleased and were all “awww how sweet.”Until I actually looked at the bracelet and saw a little tag with the name and photo of Jamby Madrigal.

I called out to him and asked, “O bakit may Jamby Madrigal itong bracelet na ito” and when I looked at the vendor for an answer he had already walked away.

Maybe an hour before this incident, I saw her car passing by the growing sea of people. Window open, flashing the L sign and strangely enough, a cameraman in front filming the people. My mom started shouting “Transparencyyyy!” and then I looked at her asking if I could put up my middle finger and my mom looked at me and said I should just shout transparency, accountability or good governance. In other words “BOOOOOOOO!!!!” And then the two of us just started shouting BOO JAMBY!!!

I am utterly disgusted by you, Ms.Madrigal. And to you other filthy politicians, behave yourselves because we are all watching you, even if you’re supposedly Cory’s “favorite” mayor. Genuine democracy is People Power and everything Ninoy and Cory stood for. It also means that now, whenever there’s a phony claiming he or she is there to protect Cory’s legacy, we will be able to speak up and act with the same fearless fervour we had before.

You know sometimes I wish I could march in the government offices with a magical broom that can sweep away all the dirty politicians we have in this country. A giant clean up, but this time not just for the environment but for our government. Haha, imagine if we could really do that? I’m already writing down the names of the people I’d attack first with my magic walis!

So, before you file for candidacy (a bit too late though in this case) think again. Actually, good luck! The people have remembered.

It is possible that Senator Jamby Madrigal has nothing to do with this inappropriate act. The idea to give away Jamby-pictured-bracelet might have been the "brilliant" of one of her supporters. But then again, who are we kidding? Remember the Halili-Kho fiasco at the Senate where the trio los bobos precided? I rest my case.

Nursing Home Care

Watching the necrological service and the funeral procession of the late President Cory Quirino brought on a lot of tears coupled with true sadness for most Filipinos around the world. It was a day of mourning for the Filipinos as they laid to rest a lady of strength, determination and integrity. As I sat glued on television, I can't help but think of the day when I'll be old and gray and will not be able to take care of myself. No parent would like to be a burden to their children especially if there's extensive medical needs.

I have always thought that a home for elderly care is not such a bad option. In some countries, nursing home choices are few. In the USA, to find a nursing home would be easy as the said type of institution has long been established in the USA. There are different choices available for nursing home services and long term care choices like: home care; accessory dwelling units, subsidized senior housing, board and care homes and continuing care retirement communities. Whatever one chooses it's important to see to it that vital services like food, recreational and medical (if need be) are met.

Paalam... Cory Aquino

There's one "stupendous" (a more delicate way of saying stupid!) dude who said that he never did not like Cory Aquino because the forex rate from Philippine peso to US$ went up from 8 Php to 20 Php. It was hard explaining to a person like that the value of peso then was masked and faked so as to give the Filipinos a false sense of financial security during the Martial Law regime. Yes! I voted for Cory during the 1986 snap election. Of course Cory was not your typical-political-presidentiable. She was a housewife and a mother, a widow even, when a million Filipinos petitioned her to run against Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. She won by a landslide as the Filipinos watched over the polls to prevent the administration from cheating. EDSA I happened. Democracy, as we know it, was restored.

How do you pay tribute to a woman who has suffered a lot all for the sake and love of her country? There is thousand and one ways to do it. I opted to go to Intramuros last night to pay my respects to Madame Cory Aquino. I was drenched to the bones due to heavy rains in my quest to pay my final respects to Cory Aquino. Alas, the chaotic-uber long queues prevented me from viewing the remains of Pres. Cory Aquino. As Filipinos here and abroad watch the final rites and funeral procession of Pres. Aquino on television, let it be known and said: Paalam... Cory Aquino. Isa kang karangalan ng bansang Pilipinas.



desperateblogger caught in the rain under
her yellow umbrella

President Corazon C. Aquino

Oh tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

It's been three long years
Do you still want me...

And so goes the song of Tony Orlando made more famous in the Philippines when Ninoy Aquino's followers and supporters picked the song out as its theme song when he decided to come back to Manila after a three-year exile in the USA. I remember seeing a lot of yellow ribbons tied in trees and fences lining up the airport route. The ambiance was light and hopeful. Marcos was sick and Ninoy wanted to come home to talk sense to the then president to restore democracy. So on August 21, 1983 Ninoy's plane landed in Manila after a circuitous route from the USA with its final stopever at Taipei before landing at the Manila International Airport. Within minutes of his arrival he was shot dead.

Cory Aquino was catapulted into the limelight then to the presidency (1986) after Ninoy's death. Through Ninoy Aquino's death, democracy was restored to the Philippines. Through President Cory Aquino, the dawn of a new Philippines became. For whatever its worth, the husband and wife team, played an integral part in Philippine history.

President Corazon C. Aquino passed away on August 1, 2009 after battling with colon cancer. Her remains lie in state at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros and internment will be on Wednesday at the Manila Loyola Park in Sucat, Paranaque. As I was driving by Roxas Boulevard this morning, I can't help but notice the banners and yellow ribbons lining the whole length of the boulevard. I felt sad as I imagine the sufferings and turmoil that Cory Aquino went through since the 70s - the imprisonment then the assassination of her husband, the pressures of running for the presidency then ultimately running and sweeping clean a corrupt government, the scandals that Kris Aquino brought on her, her sickness... Rest In Peace Madame President. The Lord be with you.

Ugg Boots

A nephew recently migrated to Sydney, Australia. He left sometime in May right about when winter was about to start down under. He said he's still acclimatizing himself to Australian winter. He said he had bought his fist pair of winter boots adding that he bought a well-known brand. My nephew got his first pair of Ugg. He said it's one heck of a pair of boots for a really reasonable price. He chose a twin-faced sheepskin and leather boot with a fully-lined fleece upper for a snug fit. In times like this, how I wish Manila has winters too. OR! Maybe I could just visit abroad in the winter just so I could wear a pair of Ugg! I just can't stop drooling on this pair I saw online.