Starbucks planner 2010

for the past 3 years, it has become a tradition for me and my boyfriend-turned-hubby to indulge ourselves during Christmas season with the world-famous coffee, the"starbucks". honestly, we are not coffee persons. we can let the day pass by without a single dose of caffeine...


but Christmas season is an exception. we must drink coffee! not just any coffee but coffee from starbucks :) in order for us to avail of their most coveted planner that is only being offered during this season. even if others say that it's ridiculous spending so much for just a planner...for me and hubby, the planner is just a give-away, because technically, you are paying for the coffee! (and you get to drink the coffee, right?!)


anyway, i have here the photos of the plannners that we've collected for the past 3 years (2007, 2008 and 2009).






unfortunately this year, i am a little disappointed and sad because we can't continue with our tradition. well, as you all know, im pregnant (4 months pregnant now). though my OB has allowed me to drink coffee as long as it will not exceed 4 cups per day (as if i can endure more than 2 cups), hubby is strict when it concerns our baby. even if i really really want that planner, im not willing to risk the health of our baby...

i guess, i'll just forget about this...

and just settle for this :)

clean your monitor

i've been on "blogging-hiatus" lately, i couldn't say i'm busy..partly yes, but not busy busy...anyway, im just posting this link that a friend sent me...

this is the solution to your dirty, dusty and blurry computer screens.

this really made my day.

happy cleaning!

just click on the link below


http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf

this i like

this was my dream phone...

i waited for it to be available in the market,

then i can wait no more.

now that it's been in the market for quite some time now,

here i am, still waiting...

for money...

when the cats are away, the mice will play...

scenario: bosses are out for 2 days to attend the technical meeting. OIC, either too busy or doesn't care much...

result: playtime for the mice. empty cubicles. gossiping employees. telebabad. loitering. surfing the net.

story to share

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day,someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

this is us sometimes, when our status changes, we tend to forget what life was like before. sad but true....

why are pregnant women not allowed to go to the cemetery?

if you live or grew up in the province, you've probably heard your aunt, mom or granny tell your pregnant sister or cousin (or even you if you are preggy) not to go to the cemetery. they'd say that it's not safe for the baby in your womb. something bad might happen...

even if you wanted to go to the cemetery because it's all souls day, a chance to meet your relatives and friends, you wouldn't dare.

you might think that this belief is superstitious but there's a rational explanation to this.

pregnant women have reduced immune system. this is to tolerate the presence of foreign genes donated by the father and allow the fetus to develop inside the womb. thus, with reduced immune system, pregnant women are more prone to diseases, and are generally advised to avoid crowded places where diseases and other bacteria are unavoidable.

that's the reason why pregnant women are not allowed to go to the cemetery or any other crowded place for that matter.

most "superstitious beliefs" commonly have scientific/rational explanation. they just become superstitious because probably the one saying it is not capable of explaining the real reason behind.

missing home

there is no place like home...

last weekend, we went home to my beloved hometown, Irosin, to celebrate All Saints and All Souls Days. it was a long 10-11-hour trip. we pursued travelling despite the fact that storm signal no. 3 was announced in our place of origin. there was heavy rains and strong winds, yet nothing could stop us from continuing our long-prepared and long-awaited trip.

aside from the detour (via Bondoc Peninsula) due to flooding in Atimonan, our trip was generally OK. when we reached the border between Laguna and Quezon, the rain has stopped. we arrived home just about dinner time. by then, being the lone driver, my hubby was already dead-tired. after a little chat with Ma and Pa, he went straight to bed.

the next two days were total happiness.

my nephews and nieces spent the whole day at our parents house, playing, eating, arguing, watching TV, playing with Maggie, feeding Maggie etc. etc. and we went to this new hot spring resort, where they spent the whole afternoon swimming. they didn't want to go home until it was dark. oh well, that was me 20 years ago.

then the sad part. we had to go back to the city. i really hate goodbyes. wish i could move "work" and place it beside "home". i wish my hubby and i can find a good job in the province. i really envy those who are living and working in the province. i envy their clean and stress-free environment.

time will come when i'll able to give up my life here in the city and embrace the simplicity of life in the province.

someday, im going back to the province.

advantages of being preggers

as i've mentioned before, being preggers has its advantages and disadvantages...today, i'll enumerate the many advantages and privileges i've discovered in being preggers...

1. bullying your friends into buying you pastel from CDO and pomelo from DVO
2. filing SL's without questions whatsoever
3. household chores exemption (as in all chores)
4. choosing where and what to eat
5. privilege to sleep all day on weekends
6. your friends can't say "no" to you when it comes to food and other favors


ain't it fun?!

(these are just the benefits i can think of right now. i'll be updating this from time to time...)

missing in action

for my regular gmail chatmates, i was indeed MIA these past 2 days. as you may have guessed, i wasn't feeling well, i did not survive :(

i developed rashes all over my body. i was worried that it might be a symptom of German measles, which i know is deadly to the fetus. it can sometimes lead to miscarriage, deafness, heart diseases etc. this i cannot bear to happen to my own baby. so, my hubby and i immediately went to our OB for a check up.

our doctor said that she cannot immediately rule-out German measles. though the rashes is one symptom of German measles, it is not really indicative of being positive to rubella virus. it is usually accompanied with slight fever and commonly disappears after 3 days. and the development of rashes usually start at the face down to the feet and other extremities, that's why it's called the "marching rash". mine was different, i first saw the rashes in my feet then it crawled up to my body (back & belly) and i saw none at the face. plus the fact that i have no fever and it's more than 3 days now and i still have the rashes and it certainly doesn't look like it's waning.

another OB told me that the development of rashes is typical to pregnant women. she eased our worries by saying confidently that what i have is not German measles because i have no fever, no inflammation on the lining of the eyelids and i don't have swollen lymph nodes.

still, it is better to be safe than sorry, both OB's recommeded that i undergo blood tests for rubella IGG and IGM viruses. one of these will tell if the virus is recent and the other will tell if it's an old infection. the results will be released in 2 days time.

up to now, we still don't know the cause of the red spots. but it's damn itchy, it disturbs my sleep (and hubby's as well - bah, damay-damay na- hehe). i was just advised to watch my diet because i may have developed an allergy to certain food, to avoid foods that are high in protein (eggs, peanuts etc), to apply chamomile to lessen the itchiness and if i can't take the itchiness anymore, i can take the OB-recommended anti-histamine.

I survived...

a congratulations is in order :)

being preggers has it's own advantages and disadvantages. if you read my earlier blog entitled "daily battle" you'll know how difficult it is for me to survive my usual day to day activities. the greatest challenge of them all is getting out of bed :( (my hubby can testify to this :P). i admit that even before i got preggers, it is really a great effort for me to wake up early (at least i'm honest). however, since work is approximately an hour away from home, i have no choice but to drag my *ss out of bed before the sun rises.

for more than a month now, i have been going to work for only 4 days a week. yep, you read it right, 4 days. not a week would pass without me having to file for leave of absence. luckily, we have those SL's and EL's to save our salary.

and for the first time since i got preggers, i was able to complete the required 5 days of work this week! yipee! it's friday already. i survived. i conquered all my battles :)

i didn't know if it's partly because i've been waiting to spend friday night with my friends on a Haagen-Dazs ultimate buffet :))

I have you

Just want to share one of my favorite songs, entitled "I have you" by The Carpenters. This is about having someone whom you know will always be there for you, to save you, when things do not fall into their proper places.


I have always been a dreamer
Followed visions of my own
I was born to belong
To the lines of a song
And make then my home

I believe in happy endings
Though I've only known a few
For as rare as they are
Like a bright falling star
I found one in you

Sometimes
All the world can seem so
Friendless
And the road ahead so
Endless
And the dream so far away
Sometimes
When I'm almost
To surrender
Then I stop
And I remember
I have you
To save my day

Often my imagination
Has me reaching out too far
When I felt you were there
With your hand in the air
You knew from the start

Sometimes
After all you've done
To save me
Thru the love you freely
Gave me
Every step along the way
Sometimes
People ask what keeps me
Going
And in truth, it comes from
Knowing
I have you
To save my day

Sometimes
Feeling helpless
When I held you
Wishing words would come
To tell you
I have you
To save my day

take ziggy's advice on how to make your budget work...

daily battle

these are the things that i battle with every single day for the last 10 weeks or so...

1. fatigue
2. nausea/morning sickness - which i call all-day sickness (self explanatory)
3. backache
4. dysguesia - altered taste (bitter-taste)
5. frequent urination - which is very irritating during the wee hours of the morning
6. mood swings
7. food cravings
8. lack of appetite
9. excessive vomiting
10. laziness
11. sleepiness
12. aversion to certain smells

unexpected

"no pregnancy is alike, each is a unique experience..."

my former OB told me that aside from the fact that my tummy is gonna grow bigger and my breasts will be swollen/tender, nothing extraordinary is happening to me.

but i am growing a child, a human, inside me, isn't that bizarre?! well, i guess you know why she's my former OB now ;)

i have 2 older sisters who already had their share of experiences in this kind of ordeal (huh!). and i am comforted by the fact that i saw them go through it with not much difficulty. i was hoping that it runs in the blood and therefore will be the same for me. oh well, so much for hoping...

my very first pregnancy symptom was not at all apparent: i was having difficulty in breathing. at first, i thought that my hyperthyroidism has recurred. i even had an ECG test but the doctor said that it'll return to normal in a few days time. he gave me meds for low BP but i doubted his diagnosis so i did not take the meds :P

then came the most obvious one: missed menstruation. ok, no cause for panic! it's just only been what?! 3 days?! it's only a delay (but in the back of my mind, i was thinking, i have never been "delayed" all my life). maybe this is the first time...

so life went on...we had our usual saturday badminton. smash, hit, jump! i was still having shortness of breath but i disregarded it. i was enjoying the game...

monday came but i decided to take a leave from office so i could rest. maybe the stress from work and daily travel is causing the delay. to surprise my hubby, i cooked pasta with dried fish for dinner (a weak imitation of pasta with gourmet tuyo from TOSH). everything went well, until dinnertime came... i cannot bear the smell of dried fish - i cannot even bear to look at it as the mere sight makes me wanna vomit. urrghh.

that's when we decided to buy a home PT. i read in the internet that HPT's give best results when done using the first urine in the morning. so i did just that. i woke up at 5am, and did the HPT. 2 red lines. positive!

i honestly don't know how i felt when i saw the lines. i felt like a teenager who got pregnant. mixed emotions are building up inside me. maybe the fact that i wasn't ready for all the changes that's gonna happen to me, to us, sparked up the emotions inside me. i woke hubby up and told him it's positive. his first reaction was "where is the test?". he needed to see for himself. seeing the tears in my eyes, he didn't know how to react. he just embraced me.

we let the morning pass without talking about it. but we agreed that we are going to see an OB-GYN soon. when i got to the office, i emailed hubby to ask him how he felt? he said that he was happy and excited though he cannot show it to me then because i wasn't feeling the same (oh, bad e). he said other comforting words which slowly lifted my spirit...

i am now going on my 3rd month of pregnancy. what i am going through is definitely not a bed roses but i am comforted by the fact that i have my loving hubby who's always beside me and my family and friends who are always there for me.

thank you all.


---

what to expect when expecting

the first thing that came to my mind was "i'm never gonna be able to play badminton" :( how sad was that?! and then i realized that my boss is not gonna like it coz it means no fieldwork for me which is very untimely given the overlapping sked of drilling for 2009-2010 and the lack of manpower. i even promised to be available for at least a year.

oh well, so much for promises and planning...

after series of lab tests that include urinalysis, PT, blood tests, IE and transV ultrasound (yes, the dreaded IE and transV, i had to condition myself before going through these tests), it was confirmed, i am 10 wks (or so) pregnant.

it's here now. and hopefully 9 months is quite enough time to prepare ourselves for the great responsibility that comes (with great power) with it. hehe.

giant doggie :)

what's not to love about dogs? honestly, i can spend the whole day just staring at them through the window of a pet shop :)

got nothing much to write about today. duty calls. just sharing this link that my friend sent me. click on the link below to dazzle yourselves of this giant dog from North Dakota. i wonder if i'd be able to raise a dog as huge as this. or even lucky enough to be able to set eyes upon this 3-ft high and 7-ft long Landseer Newfoundland (Boomer).

amazing!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091007/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_biggest_dog

Suikinkutsu

hubby and I were watching TV last night and we came across this channel featuring a Suikinkutsu. a what?! we both exclaimed.

apparently, a Suikinkutsu is a Japanese garden ornament that serves as a music device as well. amazing, really! at a glance, it looks just like a fountain that we typically see in gardens, where water coming from a bamboo trickles continuously onto a small pond. but upclose, you'll hear a pleasant sound/music coming from below.

this is how it works. beneath the small pond, lies an earthenware jar buried upside-down with a small hole at the top. as the water drips through the hole onto the pool of water inside the jar, it creates a splashing sound that reverberates inside the jar echoing a pleasant and mild sound similar to that of the bell (ding, ding). see diagram below.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Suikinkutsu_CrossSection.jpg

Suikinkutsu is believed to have evolved from the vessel that was buried upside down next to the washing basin in Japanese gardens to act as a drainage system.

CD recordings of Suikinkutsu sound are available in the market nowadays. Some musicians even include the Suikinkutsu sound in their concerts.

Ingenious!

1...2...3 jump!

it all started when....

honestly, i dunno, maybe when somebody shouted "jump!" instead of "smile" before hitting the camera button and the startled subjects unwittingly obliged. but who doesn't want to be captured "floating in the air", as if defying the laws of gravity?! it's fun, isn't it?

originally, the word "jumpshot" is used in basketball game, referring to an attempt to score in basketball and netball by jumping, usually straight up, and in mid-jump, propelling the ball in an arc into the basket, unlike a normal shot where your feet stay on the ground. The term is also be used to refer to a shot in cue sports, such as pool (pocket billiards), in which the cue ball is intentionally jumped into the air to clear an obstacle (usually an object ball) (wikipedia).

nowadays, "jumpshot" is commonly referred to a still shot of people in mid-air, mostly doing funny actions with their arms and legs to make sure that each of them has a unique pose.

when the cameraman called for a group shot in front of the picture-perfect ruins of an old kingdom, the subjects willingly obeyed, notwithstanding the scorching heat of the sun. each was armed with a special pose in mind, ready to execute at the count of three.


1...2....3...



voila!



there goes our jumpshot photo in thailand. taken middle of this year. with (L-R) my best buddy M, in her demure pose, brother T in his shy-pose, sister E with dora-pose, sister N with her can't-think-of-anything pose, e with mcdo pose and hubby A with his flying-without-wings-churva pose.

06-08-09

friends for life!


I am forever grateful to these people who traveled the extra mile just to be there on our special day. As if they've not done enough yet, they even designed our photo gallery (see pic below). Wonderful-wonderful friends. Rare find. Looking forward to seeing you all next Saturday, for our dear friend's (in orange dress) special day (wink).

labor of love!

e's blog page

e-bloggerspot

--a disorganized repository of thoughts, ideas, emotions, beliefs, principles, moods, impressions, images, news etc. etc.--

welcome!