Meeting, Meeting, Meeting!

Say that title the way Jan says "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" in Brady Bunch and you've got the tone I want to convey. Boydee, Bang, Japa, Lai and I trooped into the Board Room to have our weekly (as it turns out) meeting about the columbarium. Although Boydee forgot to print out an agenda (que horor! hehehe), we *still* met for at least 4 hours....right through lunch, I may add!

And after that meeting, my To Do List contains a gazillion different things!!! Aaaargh!!! I really HATE meetings!!! Can't we do this all through email??? Hehehehe.

Sigh!

Oh well. I did stay in the office 'til late afternoon...talking to people. I swear, sometimes I should be awarded an honorary degree in counseling, bwahahahaha! That's what I've been doing this whole week I think. I don't know if my sanity can take this though. We need an honest to goodness Human Resources person to take over this department!!! Grrr!

Went home, TRIED to scrap, but my mind was too tired from today, I guess. All I could do on the computer was brainlessly play with Snood. After a few minutes of that, and blogging, and I'm ready to turn in.

Japa has been online ceaselessly it seems....he's doing this Brain Game thingy on Facebook and he's become addicted to it! Gone are the nights of watching TV shows on the internet. Even playing Mac Poker has taken backstage! Hard to believe, I know, despite the camaraderie he's gotten playing Fulltilt Poker with the Poker Stars!!! Great graphics or some online poker and easy to use...and believe me, he's spent HOURS on end playing this game online, it's not even funny! *roll eyes here*

Yes, I don't like poker, but there must be something in the colorful graphics and real-life looking poker table that gives Japa and his friends the thrill of "seeing" and "meeting" each other online! BOYS!!!

The Rain in Spain....

Isn't that the way the song goes in My Fair Lady?

Although Mom and I only had time to go to Paris and Lisieux in our latest foray into Europe, maybe Rod and Zhar may be interested in some Cheap Spain Hotels when you guys go for your honeymoon? Last time I went to Spain was in 1990 with the Arceos, and two years before that, with Mom, Dad, Boydee, Lola Nene and Lola Alud.

Why do we like Spain? I guess mainly the FOOD, hehehe. In general, it's like Filipino food, I guess. Considering that we've been under Spain for more than 300 years, there's definitely some influence there! Not that I like Filipino food.....but I must admit, I LOOOOVE Spanish paella, especially the green kind! I'm not sure where we ate that green paella dish, but it was just pure gastronomic delight!

The bullfight is always a must-see. When we went in 1988, a relative of ours brought us to an amateur bullfight. She said if we wanted to see how it was really done, see the amateur matadors. Why? Because they take more risks when in the ring...so that they would be noticed. And true enough, the 3 bullfights that we witnessed that day was just that: full of excitement, sit-on-the-edge of your seat moments.

I can't remember much about what else we saw while in Madrid, but the food was plentiful, that's for sure. Cheap Madrid Hotels are to be found, if you know where to look. In the "olden" days (i.e., days before the internet and online booking), we went to the central train station to book for our great hotel find of our stay.

In Barcelona, there's the Picasso Museum that should interest you, Rod :) You and Randy are the only art afficionados in the family. Me? I read up on the subject if we're going to be seeing it, hehehe. There's also the Museum of the Sacred Family (Sagrada Familia). Not sure if we went there, but it looked interesting. Cheap Hotels in Barcelona are available, especially if you're going in the non-summer months.

Like I said, Spain to me will forever be equated with bullfights and matadors, paella, cheap leather shoes (!!!) ......and I remember Dad took down a poster about some rowing regatta from a bulleting board and gave it to me, hehehehe.

Lighting

Remember my talk about renovating the terrace a few posts ago? Well, I forgot to add lighting to the list! The terrace is so wide, we need 3 chandeliers at the very least, to get some decent light in the area. I'm thinking 3, since that's what Mom and Dad used to have out here. Three ceiling fans. But ceiling fans are a bit....umm.....retro? Hehehe. I never did like the look of the ceiling fans we had here.

So, I'm branching out a little bit and considering some forecast lighting for the outside, especially the walls or maybe on the posts of the terrace. I'm thinking I can use white lights with these, affording a cleaner, brighter lighting of the area. I don't like yellow light, never did. I've always liked white light better, and even if the bulbs are a little bit more expensive, they will save me more in the long run because they are more electricity-efficient than yellow lights.

Now if we end up not changing the brick posts in the terrace area, I like quoizel lighting options as well. More traditional looking, and more for fixture-type of lighting, I think they'd go quite well with the brick finish of the posts. Hmmmm......then maybe I'd have to consider colonial or other traditional type of decorating for the terrace? Could be fun. So many options to choose from, it's dizzying I tell you! Another major reason why I would rather *NOT* go into having to renovate yet again! Sigh!

The Modern Ages

Ahhhh....modern amenities....hehehehe. Not that I didn't enjoy our stay at the Maison St Jean with Msgr Lagoutte, but it was nice to have a television, an option for internet connection (even if it was exorbitantly expensive), and with Bedroom Furniture that included a great big, king-sized bed! The Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris Hotel's bedrooms featured Contemporary Bedroom Furniture, the type that you would imagine a boutique hotel to have. Totally Paree, in my opinion, very avant-garde and sophisticated.

Low platform beds, black or dark wood paneling, red-black combination, tempered with light purples. Mirrors, geometric patterns, glass, chrome. Framed patterns of parisian ladies (kind of like flappers) all over the room completed the total Modern Bedroom Furniture look.

I took photos of course, but I haven't had a chance to download everything yet....Mom and I pretty much dropped everything as soon as we got there so we could sightsee :)

We had to leave Bishop in Lisiuex as he wanted to rest a little bit more and didn't want to push himself too much. As a result, Mom and I had a room all to ourselves. We couldn't cancel a room reservation as they had already been paid for over the internet. So yes, we were definitely living in the lap of luxury! A whole room, with a king-sized bed for EACH of us. And to top it off, breakfast was included!!!

Gotta run! Will be doing the sightseeing list in a little bit!

Honeymoon Time Again

No, not for me and Japa......but this time for Rod and Zhar. They're getting married in August, but the real OC people that they are (hehehe) they are already planning their honeymoon! Where do *I* come in? Uhhhmmmmm.....I guess I'm their RCI planner, hahahahaha! We've got timeshare weeks banked and they're up for grabs by any one of us kids to use. So since it's a honeymoon, I guess they have priority. For this year. Hehehe.

I've called RCI, Rod and Zhar and I've put in your request for Paris and London....was it somewhere in Italy for the third one? I can't remember. I'm hoping to hear from the RCI guy in a week or two. I've given him a time frame and he's going to be working around the parameters we've given him. Will let you guys know when I hear from him.

Travel plans....hmmmm.....we're still hoping that we can take a proper vacation with the kids this summer again. This past summer was just horrible as it was sooooo HOT!!! Ugh! Besides, aren't we going to be looking for a place to set up base again? With our plans for GRC, we've got some options. Las Vegas real estate is on the decline, which makes it a viable option IF we decide to remain with the current project. But if not, it's time to look at other states. If we're thinking of Arizona, how far is that from Texas, I wonder? The Houston real estate market is looking pretty good, too! And I've always wanted to see President Bush's home state! :) And dear Carolyn, our friend who's gone out of the army due to health reasons, says that her homestate is a great place to settle, too, although I do have to research a bit on Georgia real estate to even attempt to come up with a recommendation for the place.

So yeah, a proper vacation to look at all these places first hand? I'll volunteer to do it! Hehehe Anything to get out of here during the HOT summer!

Passion for Poker

Despite the fact that I am in Cebu, my dear husband decided to play poker and the kids were left at Apitong to have an impromptu sleepover. Sigh! Japa played with his college friends and luckily, he came out on top again to win enough for the marketing, hehehe.

With wins such as these, he has my blessing to play poker every once in a while *wink*. Yes, every once in a while is good. There are days (and nights!) of course where I'd rather have him at home. And there is an alternative to poker at home: Mac Poker. Imagine playing poker right in the comforts of home. No mess, no silly chit chat (although I think the boys look for this, hehehe), no smoke, no need for hard drinks (again, they may really look for this). And hey, he's got a Mac, so he can actually sign up at this site!

There are options for Fulltilt Poker and Poker Stars. Not exactly sure what those are, but they seen interesting to play. This poker online site is well thought of. Even for someone like me who is no big fan of poker, I can easily navigate the site. Love the green background, reminiscent of the poker table. See? Even I noticed that and made a connection! :) I didn't know there were lots and lots of different kinds of poker plays out there. There's an explanation for the different kinds of the site if you want to read it and impress your significant other for spewing of some poker terminology.

And again, the best part is that dear hubby can play while he's here at home. Yeah!

De-Asthma-tizing

The previous post got me thinking. Even though we live in an area with tropical weather, we still use our air conditioning since we all like to sleep comfortably at night. We've also been having a rash of coughs and colds the past few weeks; I've been hit in a major way when I started coughing, and my sinuses were hit as bad, causing me to have some migraines. Not a good thing to have while hurriedly wrapping all those gifts! :)
The boys have had asthma attacks as well, and Ranger especially, had to be nebulized for 2 cycles in the past month or so. Weather changes are likely the culprit. I was reading up on humidifiers and how they can help prevent allergies by somehow "injecting" some moisture into the air. I *know* I gave Japa a small room humidifer a few years back; I think I have to unearth the thing to see how much of an advantage it is for the boys to have. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him actually use it! Maybe he wants a branded one, something like a honeywell humidifier. At least their product ranges from small humidifiers to some that can encompass the whole house!

The honeywell site is pretty informative too, considering there is so MUCH to know about humidifiers! And I didn't even know there were different kinds either! For starters: evaporative, vaporizer, ultrasonic? Um hello! Wish there was just one kind so it would be easier to purchase, but apparently there are different kinds of humidifiers for different purposes. Guess I need to do some research on one that will help with asthma and other allergies for starters. Then secondary needs are for cracked lips and sinuses. Last to think about? My new wooden floors! Wouldn't want them cracking all over the place now would I? :)

Other de-asthma-tizing things I've done for our home recently include getting some memory foam, anti-allergenic pillows for everyone. I need to label those so there's no mix up of pillows (thereby preventing squabbles, hehehe). Curtains have been stripped down as well; although those poor windows look so bare now! I need to get the ball rolling about having them measured for roller blinds. Carpet has been taken out in the entire upstairs, replaced by wooden maple flooring. Oh! And new mattresses of course, replacing the gross old ones with nice, springy, CLEAN ones.

Keeping my fingers crossed, I think the boys ARE improving asthma-wise. Here's hoping it continues throughout the year!

Housewives Scandal

Did you guys ever read/hear about that? How this Desperate Housewives episode totally put down the entire medical field of the Philippines. I know, it's a bit old news, but I want to put it on my blog NOW. So there. Hehehe.

Anyhoo, the hullabaloo over this particular episode was when Teri Hatcher derided Philippine medical schools; the perception was that the people in the medical profession who graduated from the Philippines weren't/aren't fit to work in the States. Or something like that.

Hang on, let me see if I can put in a You Tube video on here:



So anyway, I keep telling everyone that it's NOT Teri Hatcher's fault; she's just an actress paid to say those lines. Who is at fault are the WRITERS for putting in those racial words! Sigh! Don't they realized that a huge portion of the nurses and medtechs (for starters) in hospitals around the US are Filipino!??!?! Hello!!!

It's bad enough that OUR human resources are being taken from the country, but to subject them to this humiliation is a bit too much I think. As of this writing, I know I HAVE read about some apology that ABC issued to the Filipino community. Well HMP! That's the very least eh? I think they also pulled that particular scene from any and all episodes from being aired. Maybe they replaced it with something else. No idea.

Filipinos are finally being recognized the world over for their professionalism, their hard work, and their intelligence. Teachers, nurses, medical technicians, doctors, and yes, including domestic helpers. Heck, in a majority of cruise ships all over the world, the chances of there being a big group of Filipinos within the crew are enormous!

In the States, in the Middle East, and even in Europe. Filipinos have found jobs in london, just like they have found jobs elsewhere. And with Oasis Airlines having some awesome rates to go direct to London from Hong Kong, london jobs in just about any profession will seem more and more attractive to the hardworking Filipino.

So to all the OFWs out there, I salute you! And don't let ignorant idiotic scriptwriters get you down! :)

Hey Honeymooners!

Randy and Stella, if you guys are reading this, this post is for you. When you leave for your honeymoon later on in the month (or is it next month? I keep forgetting), check out these Hôtels en Paris before you go. Just in case you find some good deals. Wouldn't hurt eh? We all know how expensive Hôtels in Paris are, just because you want to stay in the city center. Who wouldn't, with major attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe?

Be sure to go to the TOP of the Eiffel for a mahvelous view of the city. Not to be missed for sure. And if you're feeling adventurous and in shape, CLIMB the stairs, hehehehe. Not the whole way, but 2/3 of the way, if memory serves me right. Then you have no choice but to take the elevator to go all the way to the top. Breathtaking, and SO worth the climb!

Oh and the Louvre. I know you guys loved the movie (so much so that dear Randy read the book!), the Da Vinci Code, so I'm sure you won't miss this humongo museum.

I remember when we went there more than 20 years ago (eek!), we rushed through the museum because we had NO idea how important this building was! Shame, shame, shame! But hey, with the movie out, I'm sure there are TONS of Da Vinci Code tours out there, hehehe. Take lots of photos, please, so I can tour vicariously through you guys! :)

Let's see, trying to find an unusual place for you guys to see while you're there.....All I can think of is Napoleon's Tomb...the Arceos and I went here; when we toured with Mom and Dad, I don't recall going to see Napoleon's Tomb. So yeah, it's probably worth a trip :)

With so many attractions in the city itself, I'm sure it'll be worth your while to find some Paris Hôtels just so you don't lose so much valuable tour time going to and from your hotel.

Will blog if I find more info. Sure, I can email....but this is more fun! Hehehehe!

TTFN!

My November Trip

My November trip to the States may not push through any more. Sigh! I was thinking of going with Tita Belen and Roc when they go to Washington DC, but it looks like Mom wants to go....and we can't both go since they're going to be getting regular hotel rooms instead of timeshare units. Now I have NO excuse to go to the States!

But maybe.....with Dic and Lai and Rod and Zhar? Hmmmm......but nah....I don't want to look like a stupid 5th wheel since Japa doesn't want to go. On the other hand though, I don't mind being the 5th wheel! Hahahaahaha! Oh well. We'll see.

I don't think Randy and Stella can go along either, since they'll be honeymooning in Europe around that time. I'm not quite sure if they're going to Barcelona, as the Spanish Embassy was where they applied for their Schengen visa, but I know they're going to several cities in Switzerland. Paris is going to be a main stop for them as well, and I'm still trying to convince them to take the train via the Chunnel (I've never been on this one, as it was finished AFTER I had done Europe more than a decade ago, hehehe) to London. They've budgeted a doable $70 per day for food, and their hotels have been pre-booked, I think. So here's hoping they go on a stress-free honeymoon! :)

Ok....off to try and figure out how to wrangle a trip to the States somehow. I want to---NEED to---go off somewhere! Hehehehe.

Day and Night

What a day!

I got on the treadmill and did the second week program of Couch to 5K. Which meant that after a 5-minute warm up walk, I did 90 seconds of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. And after a totally sedentary weekend, I was huffin' and puffin'! At least I *did* get on it right? And yes, I still maintained the same speeds I was at last week (5 kph walk, 6.5 kph jog).

Went I got to the office, Dad was behind MY desk, having his lunch. So I did other non-computer stuff (which was about nothing, hehehe). I went down to the mall to Toys R' Us to get Riley his birthday gifts of some Pokemon fighting toys. For all their ugliness, Riley's face was a joy to watch, when he opened his gifts and found the Pokemon fighters in the gift bag :)

What a night!

We trooped to Makati to meet the family of Zhar before Zhar and Rod get married. Zhar's family was totally funny and uproariously funny, especially Zharro. We had a pleasant dinner care of Ponzo's, although the food could have been a lot warmer, according to most everyone. Dessert was YUMMY---the rich, sinful chocolate cake, and the calorific mango crepes. Aaaahhhhhh! And yes, the kids were there as well, because Elizza made sure to bring a birthday cake for Riley to blow on his special day. Stole a little bit of the show, but I don't think Rod would have traded it for anything.....he was trying to get away from all the attention focusing on him and Zhar.

In fact, we never talked about the wedding at all, which was the sole purpose of dinner! Sheesh! Hehehehe. Everyone was having too much fun, eating too much and getting to know each other to be serious about the night's purpose. Oh well. I guess it was understood? Hehehehe.

***

And now I am just pooped! Poor Rogan had an asthma attach while at school today, too! :( He missed only the last 2 classes but it was clear that he couldn't breathe very well. We made sure he drank some medicine, and got some nebulization done. At least the asthma didn't affect his appetite---he still ate a ton at dinner!

Not sure what triggered his asthma, but I'm guessing it's the changing seasons again, and the dust and pollution everywhere. Really gross, if you really think about the disgusting air we breathe in. How do I know it's in the air? Well whenever we're in the States, Rogan NEVER got an asthma attack. At all.

Maybe next time, we can vacation in Australia. I'm positive none of the kids'll have any asthma attacks AND we haven't been there as a family. Japa has never gone, either. I'd love to sightsee in Sydney and Melbourne again.

Look at how pretty it is! :) Of course, we'd have to travel on a strict budget! Sydney Hotels and Melbourne Hotels won't be all that cheap of course. But I'm always on the lookout for great bargains! Those two cities will most likely be more expensive than getting some Brisbane Hotels just because they're more well-known and people flock to them more. A great deal to me is free breakfast at the very least.

Inclusive tour prices would be awesome as well. The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour (I remember a great mall there, hehehe), and the kids are going to LOVE the Sydney Aquarium!

But until we get enough to travel as a family AND the kids are old enough to understand and appreciate the value of travel, Australia will simply be on our wish list :) Soon, hopefully. In the next 5 years maybe?

Good night! Gotta make sure Rogan sleeps well and is able to breathe well throughout the night.

Renovation: Lighting

Ok. On Wednesday this week, work will begin on the girls' room. Making a mental note to self that I have to withdraw some money to give a down payment to the contractor. He is going to be buying some paint --- I specified lead-free of course--- and he will start stripping the dang wallpaper from the girls' room. It's been 10 years or so, and I'm not afraid to rip it out.

Now, we're modernizing the walls a lot, but my dilemma is still changing the lighting fixtures. Our rooms still have the old-fashioned chandeliers, courtesy of Mom and Dad when Abada was still their home. You know, the crystal-type ones, those that you see in, er...museums maybe? Hehehehe. Exaggerating a little bit, but these chandeliers are at least a quarter of a century old, making me classify them with the fine arts lamps as the museums really have.

I was thinking maybe a recessed ceiling, and then have some side lighting with these wonderful, not-so modern looking george kovacs lamps:

__________

The 2 left most ones have matching table lamps as well, and I think these might fit nicely in the girls' room IF we decide to take out the existing chandelier.

Crossing my fingers that I remember to take before and after photos of the transformation! :)

To Travel or Not to Travel

Here we go again! Talk of traveling! hehehe. And yes, I just came back from a great trip from the East Coast with Japa where we had such a blast! A very educational trip that was, too, if we talk about American History. Definitely one we're going to have to do again, with the kids, I think.

Dic and Lai have been trying to convince me to go with them on almost the exact same trip this coming November. But with Lake Tahoe on their list, too. There has been talk about traveling to New York as well.

Hmmmm...makes the trip more enticing, you know? Now, we usually do RCI trades for trips to the East Coast. But I know from experience that it is impossible to get a trade for this busy city. So looking for New York Hotels are going to be a top priority. I want to be able to go see several Broadway shows of course, as well as just wandering around Times Square. Japa wants to take a photo of himself at the EXACT spot where Hiro Nakamura of Heroes fame stood; he'll say the exact same thing.....with me taking his photo of course! Hehehe. That will definitely be one to scrap about!!!

If the trip is in November, then the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center would be a treat to watch too. Then there's the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I've always wanted to go there.

Hmmm....decisions, decisions! To travel or not to travel? That is indeed the question.

It's Almost Christmas!

Yes..and that means.....time for shopping! I just saw this thread on either DST or MSA that asked if we had started Christmas shopping yet. Of course I have! Hehehehe. I did a lot of that when Japa and I were in the States last month.

So now I have to get my Christmas list out and actually start crossing out names! Then I start the process all over again for those whose names are still on the list. Luckily, I found this site, called mpire. It has pretty much ALL my fave stores listed on there. And I just go to ONE site! How cool is that? Am bookmarking this one so I can hit it on Thanksgiving Day weekend....by then I should be done with my shopping right? *wink*

The great thing about mpire (aside from the fact that it has links to most of my fave shops) is that it's also got a link to some great coupon deals!!! You all know how I love shopping with great deals on hand, hehehe! Hard to resist! One of the things I'm definitely going to be looking for deals for are the Wii video games for the kids. I'll be watching this link for sure to see if good deals turn up so I can snag those babies before they disappear!

Australia, Anyone?

Just a short plug for Melbourne Hotels. We've always wanted to go to Australia to have a change of scenery from the States, you know? And since the kids (and Japa) love being in the cold, vacation time of March-April-May months should put us in the Fall season in Australia. Cold, but not TOO cold, i.e., dead-of-winter cold.

Looking at this site for Melbourne Accommodation, I am delightfully pleased to see the not-so-expensive prices. Actually, some of them are downright C.H.E.A.P!!! A 5-star hotel will run for as low as AU$59, or roughly P4,500 if my currency exchanges are correct. That is SO not bad!!! And 3-star Cheap Melbourne Hotels for AU$50 = P1,500?!?? Ok fine, a little bit scary for something so cheap, but you know what I mean. This means we can easily take the kids! Of course, airfare is a different matter, hehehe.

Yes, I think it's high time the kids' horizons expand a little bit. Australia's second biggest city should do the trick, eh?

Another Swim Meet and Some Home Repairs

I don't know how many inter-club swim meets the kids have had this year, but today they swam for the very first time in a 50-meter pool. We had tried to mentally prepare them a few days before today just so they'd be ready for a much longer swim; double their usual training distance.

Although the kids were told to expect some muscle aches throughout their swim, they were semi-complaining about the actual thing. Hehehe. There were some kids at the pool who even shouted at the end of their race, "Coach, I can't breath!" Hehehehe. That was Franco. Totally funny, but kids are kids, and they coped wonderfully.

Raegan won all her races, as did Rogan. Raine came in second in freestyle but annihilated her competition in the other strokes. Rielle swam wonderfully in the breaststroke and came in first in her event as well. The only thing they lost was the head-to-head relays against the Celebrity Sports Rapids. But overall, the Ayala Heights Harpoons still came on top at the meet.

I've got some scrapping to do with the great pics Japa took! :) After I had taken a few pics using his Sony DSLR, I didn't like the pics I was taking with my point and shoot, hehehe. So I just told Japa to take loads of pictures and leave the editing to me :)

{Home Repairs}

Time to get the house in shape. Rogan's toilet started leaking in a major way and we had a couple of people from VWL take a look at it. Thank goodness they didn't have to destroy some bathroom tiles and the toilet to fix the leak. Apparently, some blockage in the drain or something.

Looking at renovating the boys' room a little bit, too. Taking out one entire wall of closets maybe, and having a TV cabinet made for more flexibility. I want a reading corner in there somewhere as well. A new headboard for sure, with NO carving on it. Roller blinds. No chandelier, but maybe ceiling fans are an option to save on electricity even though there is an air conditioning unit in the room. Now I need to find some modern ceiling fans that will go with a kid's room.

Let's see what else....still thinking whether to fit another bed in there or just be happy with one bed, since Raine will eventually have that room and the boys will be moving downstairs. Window frames need to be changed for sure, since they're really old. Oh oh oh! And the carpet will finally be taken out and wood floors put in. My dear asthmatic boys will be happy about that, especially Japa, hehehe.

The wooden floors will be done when Japa and I are away in July and the kids in either Apitong or La Vista. The repainting of the cabinets and the installation of shelves will hopefully be started this coming week. I need to look through magazines for a look that I like and to find a modern fan company, too.

Any ideas? Please feel free to list them in the comments section :) Thanks!

Now, off to scrap at least a page before I get really sleepy (while watching The Fantastic Four on Star Movies, too!)

TTFN!

Stressing about School!

Me that is, not the kids, hehehe. School starts Tuesday next week, and all I've done is set aside the kids' notebooks, binders, pencil cases, bookbags and PE uniforms. That's it. No labelling of their stuff, nothing! Ack!

Elizza's luckier in the sense that she has more time to prepare school stuff. Reese and Rielle don't start school until the 18th!!!! We figure it's because the sisters of the Assumption are all going to Rome for the canonization of Mother Marie Eugenie, the foundress of the Assumption.

Mom I think was supposed to go with Sr Luz and the other AC sisters, but with everything that's happening with Tita San and Randy and Stella's wedding, she can't. She probably wouldn't enjoy going to Roma, Italia (get those Rs rolling!) without us, hehehe. Besides, it's the start of summer in Europe and could get very very hot and humid.

I swear, if it weren't for the wedding, I'd be pushing Mom to go to Rome.....with me in tow, of course! Hehehe.

Now, back to labeling school stuff...ugh....

Online Games

Ever play online games? The kids always do, when they first started Club Penguin. Then there was Millsberry, where even Boydee played, hehehe. Very well, too. I have Millsberry person running around, too, but I got bored easily....the Sims was just more fun and more realistic. If I had the time :)

How about online games where you get free gifts? I know, nothing is free nowadays, but free is free IF the product does get around to being delivered to you right? Or how about if we play the lottery or other Sweepstake type of game? Pretty easy, huh? Just a game of chance, really. Kind of like playing in Vegas.

But if you're used to e-bay and other similar auction sites, then a "game" where your bid is the lowest should be pretty exciting. Different, I know, but if you could win a ton of electronic stuff, travel to exotic places, win a car, and of course win a Cash prize, it should be worth checking out!

*This is a sponsored post.

Firming Up Anniv/Vacation Plans

It's a few more weeks 'til July and our 10th wedding anniversary! Plans are firming up, and I've already booked Japa and moi on our flight from the West Coast to the East Coast.

To start us off, though, it looks like we're going to go with Mom and Dad to Hawaii! Alo-o-o-ha!!! Whoohooo!!! The usual 3-4 days of stopping over in Honolulu so that Dad can rest and break up the long haul from Manila to Los Angeles.

While in Hawaii, we usually stay in Honolulu. More often than not, Dad's fave place to check in is the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We've also stayed at the Marriott, which is very nice as well. For our next trip, we're going to have to convince Dad and Mom to go back to the beautiful island of Maui.

And really, we do need to try and get out of our "hotel-rut" and branch out into staying in alternative forms of hotels, such as condos or other Hawaiian vacation rentals. When we were planning Mom's suprise 60th birthday last year, we were looking at residential and other vacation villas as an option to staying at a hotel. With such a huge family like ours, it was just going to be more feasible, budget-wise, to stay at places such as these. Places that cater to families, and help highlight Hawaii as an eco-tourist spot that it is.

There are fabulous makena oceanfront condos that are such a great deal, it would be hard to pass them up, really! So, bookmarking this for future reference....maybe in a year's time we can go back and explore the state of Hawaii more.

{Update on Tita San}

A couple of emails from RJ. This one from this morning,

Just got back from the hospital and mom's surgery went well. The doctors removed all of the pus and will be administering antibiotic irrigation to the area that was just operated on for about a week (in addition to her intravenal antibiotics) . She'll be in the ICU during that time, but if everything goes well (and no further infection develops) the doctor said that she'll be ready to go back to manila na. Their only concern is that they found a small pinhole break in her brain membrane which the doctors sealed. They'll be monitoring that area during the daily(?) irrigation and they're hoping that no infection develops - mom's immunity is really low after all since she's had 5 surgeries as well as several radiation treatments, after all. But overall, I think this is good news. We just have to continue praying for her.

And this one from their evening visit:

Just came back from the hospital and things are looking really good. During our 30 minute visit, we were able to communicate with mom (the best we've seen her so far). She was able to look at whoever was speaking to her and was able to nod and shake her head in response to our questions. She was also able to slightly move both her arms and her legs, with mobility in her right arm being the most prominent. She even grimaced and shook her head when we suggested that we were going to cut her nails because they were getting too long. :)

She still has the respirator tube inserted in her mouth but it's no longer connected to the actual machine - just oxygen (from what I could see). The nurses said that it was still a precautionary measure and it'll still be a day or two before they remove the tube. All in all, I think she's making real good progress. We just need to keep praying that she doesn't get another infection. I'll update you all again tomorrow.

So hoping that all goes well for Tita San. Praying that she is able to get home soon, where she will be surrounded by family and friends, instead of being in Korea.

Please say a short prayer for her!

TTFN!

Elections, Poker, Scraps

It's elections time here in the Philippines. For most Filipinos, election day is just another excuse to not have work. For some, they take voting seriously. Still for others, they could care less what the results of the elections are. Many are disillusioned, and are cynical; these people tend to say that Philippine elections are full of violence, of cheating, of pathetic grandstanding in the case of most people running for office.

Sigh. A sad, but true plight of this country. Yes, pathetic, but nevertheless, I still say that elections ARE important. After all, whomever we vote for will have an effect on the future of the country. My future, our future.

When all was said and done though, I was NOT able to vote. The stupid registration system did NOT have my name on the voters' list, believe it or not. Dumb, stupid sytem, crafted by dumb, stupid people! Aaargh! Making a mental note to self now that the next time there is a call for registration, I will go and do it. Again. And NOT to rely on the arcane system of this country in keeping my name on the damn list! Sheesh! They have dead people's names on the lists but not MY name. Can any other country in the world top this feat? Grrrr.

In any case, I would have voted the following for a Senate seat (in no particular order):

1. Francis Escudero
2. Loren Legarda
3. Francis Pangilinan
4. Manuel Villar
5. Panfilo Lacson
6. Joker Arroyo
7. Sonia Roco
8. Zosimo Paredes
9. Adrian Sison
10. Martin Bautista

Technically, there should be 12 names on the ballot for senator, but the rest of the names are just blah......I'm not and NEVER will vote for someone who comes from a political family, an actor or actress, a person in jail, and a stupid person. :) I don't care about the political party of a person; in this country, that is a non-factor. Politicians will go with a party that will ensure that they are going to be elected, no matter what.

The last 3 people on my list are virtually unknowns. I've read up a bit on these 3, and I like how they're politically pure, unassuming, and best of all, they owe NO political party any favors. Which is how it should be in the first place.

Anyhoo, let's talk Poker.

Japa will be happy to know that there is a place in online-space for Mac Poker. Yes, he is a Macintosh user and has always been frustrated about the sites that cater specifically for Mac users. Even for a poker newbie such as moi, who knows only about Texas Hold 'Em (did I even type that up right?!), this Mac Poker site is a find.

There are TONS of links to explore! Most valuable, for a newbie like me --- and one who is willing to learn how to play this game---are the links on how the game is played online, how to bet, how the poker "rooms" are arranged, how you can even earn a Poker Bonus or two, or three or more. There are links for downloading "rooms" of poker games of all sorts. Even I get confused looking at all the available links from this site alone!

There are also a few links to articles and blogs that talk about the legality of gambling online and other online poker news. Love the GREEN background of the site, too....just like a poker table! Very appropro, I say!

Oh, and even for someone who thinks he or she knows a lot about the game, check out these Poker Strategy Tips for even more insider info. Again, a virtual plethora of links. You need more for your poker fix? Sign up for the poker newsletter. :) Hey Japs--if you're reading this....Happy playing!

{SCRAPS}

I've made some progress on The Sisterhood Challenge. I finished Raine's 1st month!

LEFT PAGE
Poem reads: Bonnets and ruffles and dreams with wings, little girls are made of the nicest things. (-unknown author)

Credits: kit - Momma Mia by Karah Fredricks, coming via the RAKS Newsletter; font - Joyful Juliana; layered template - Round and Round by Janet Phillips

RIGHT PAGE
Credits: kit - Momma Mia by Karah Fredricks, coming via the RAKS Newsletter; stork card - by Jen Wilson; ribbons - Sew Twisty by Karah Fredricks at Blue Flombingo; font - KGD Tiffany

Whoohoo!!! Three down, ONE more to go!!!

TTFN!