And Life Goes On for a Filipino Mom

In Training

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:29:00 +0000

D2, D3 and D4 joined the Ateneo aquathlon last weekend. It was a dual event of a 600 meter swim and a 6 kilometer run. D2 and D3 were partners with D2 doing the "swim" part and D3 doing the "run" part. D4 and Jan were partners with D4 doing the swim and Jan, the run. The initial duo was supposed to be D2 for the swim and yours truly for the run. D3 was supposed to be partners with my son with D3 doing the swim and my son, the run. Well, no can do as my son was hospitalized 3 days before the event.

It was a good swim for D2 and D4 though considering that as they have not been in training for the longest time. D2' time was at 12 minutes while D4 was at 11 minutes. Others in the event took as long as 35 minutes and they were supposed to be "in training". D3' run timed at 35 minutes while Jan finished at 33 minutes. Not bad. The girls said that the aquathlon is one great natural belly fat burner. I am glad my girls are swimming again. It's too bad that D1 can't find the time to train too.

The girls are looking into the possibilities of doing triathlons. Now, where did I store their tricycles?

Polar Shift

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:47:00 +0000

In just a week's time, school-year 2009-2010 will be officially over. Summer vacation will commence with Holy Week, a tradition that has been faithfully observed here in the Philippines. I am not really sure if it is all in the mind but Holy Week always seem to be the hottest week of the year. However, I am not so sure though if the 38 degree Celsius temperature that registered on March 6,2010 somewhere north of the Luzon island will be topped. 37 degree Celsius! That's as if the whole populace in Tuguegarao, Cagayan were running a fever. On that same day, Manila had its hottest day at 35.8 degree Celsius. If my memory (sometimes "failing") serves me right, that Saturday was freaking hot as all the air-conditioners in the house were on to the consternation of hubby.

My brother said it is still cold in New Jersey. As matter of fact, he said school is out today due to a snow storm. While we at Manila are melting, they are frozen back in NJ. I wonder how the weather is in Orlando? My friend is off for a vacation in Orlando and she cannot decide what clothes to bring. I said that that's the least of her problems as the greater problem is the possible shifting of the poles. I think I antagonized her. :D

Acute Viral Infection

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:58:00 +0000

Spending one's birthday at the parking lot of a hospital at 2:30 A.M. is bad enough. Spending two days in a hospital is worse. Yup! My son had to finally be confined in a hospital because his blood platelets were low, white blood cells low, and so was the hematocrit count. Ergo-Dengue fever.He was weak and dehydrated in spite of oral hydration.

Remember my post about my son being in Baler, Aurora when the earthquake in Chile happened? I advised (more like panicked and commanded) my son to come home then for fear of a possible tsunami on that eastern coastline town. He came home safe but it is now clear that this was not so. It seems like a Dengue mosquito was somewhere lurking about in Baler, found my son, then bit him. My son's fever started on March 5 and ended March 7. He went back to school on March 10 then came right back home that same night because of rashes that became evident.

He is fine now and I will take him back to his apartment later. I am tired. I guess the stress of everyday living gets to me at times.

Before I drive my son back to his apartment, I have yet to see to it that the air-conditioner in my son's bedroom gets to the repairman first. It conked-out. The blower stopped working. What irks me is the fact that I had some new window blinds installed two week ago and taking out the air-con for repair means the blinds have to be taken out too!

Most of the time, I feel like I am mother-father-driver-handyman-doctor-nurse-maid-tutor...and not necessarily in that order.

Homecoming

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:18:00 +0000

My brother and his family are coming home to visit this spring break. I have not seen my niece and nephew for quite some time now. I guess the two are all grown up. My nephew is 18 and my niece is 16. We are set to spend a vacation somewhere in the south. My girls already filed their vacation leave to coincide with my brother's homecoming. His decision to come home was a spur of the "airline-ticket-sale" moment. He and his family were set to spend spring break in North Carolina as bro already asked about Outer Banks vacation rentals as early as September of last year. However, the ticket sales offered by one airline company was just "irresistible"! I can't wait for them to come home. I wonder if he's halfway "buying" the stuff in my "bring-me-home- these" list.

Post Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Yesterday, March 11, was my birthday. I spent the first few hours of the day at the ER with my son. He had high grade fever last weekend and when it abated, he went back to school. The same night he called and told me that he has rashes all over.

At 2:35 A.M., on my birthday I was at the hospital parking lot contemplating on the past. When I was in my 30's I thought that when my kids are all grown up surely I'd be less stressed out being a mom. Well... no. It seems like motherhood is an evolving condition, phase or situation. One does not stop being a mom. That I am sure of.

My girls came home before dinner bearing gifts and cake. D3 said she was supposed to treat us to dinner but since "baby boy" is sick, she said she'll just order in. I said there's no need as I cooked dinner anyway. D4 brought home a mango torte (to die for) and D2 made her special Korean kimbap. Dinner was noisy as usual. We had fun trying to assemble D3's gift - a portable laptop desk. When it was done D4 brought out her portable lamp with an electric fan that is supposed to go with the portable desk. D1 was on duty.

When dinner and desserts were over, I helped in putting out the dishes by the kitchen sink. The pile of dishes and glasses was tall and it times like this, how I wish my kitchen has 2 stone sinks. I wrapped up my birthday in my bedroom, tap-tapping away on my laptop on my portable desk lighted by my portable lamp, as I responded to the many greetings I received through FB.

Presidentiables' Ditty

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:59:00 +0000

I am so saturated with the campaign jingles and celebrity spiels of candidate endorsers that I want to barf! A presidential candidate's jingle would probably be in the TOP 40 as every kid around the block(except Ethan) keeps on singing (or rapping?) the dang jingle. The campaign ditty starts with a question "Lumangoy ka na ba sa ilog ng basura?" of which the literal translation would be "Have you swam in a river full of trash?". You can take the question literally or figuratively, but if you ask me, both applies.

Another presidentiable's slogan or thrust in case he wins is that he will never ever steal from the public. So I say, haha. That's old news as that empty promise has been said a million times before. Then there's this presidentiable who claims that during his term (as president) nothing untoward had happened which is quite an insipid statement for it was during his term that EDSA 2 transpired!

What is really irritating is the municipality where I live in was able to source our (daugthers and I) mobile phone numbers from our provider. Since the town's incumbent is in his 2nd bid, his campaign strategy is to spam our mobile phones with his daily schedule.

I can turn off my new Samsung HDTV (the one I bought last month) and stop listening to all the national candidate's crap but I can't turn off my mobile phone just so I won't get a detailed daily sched of the town's mayor. I did the next best thing. I asked the texter if he/she could be my textmate. No answer.

Better Safe than Sorry

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:16:00 +0000

I was barely awake at 2:30 A.M. Saturday, February 27, when I had to drive my son to a bus station somewhere in New York, Cubao. He and his classmates together with some teachers are on their way to Baler, Aurora as their final outdoor recreation activity for a subject. They have been to Tagaytay,Banahaw and Subic on so many weekends as required by the subject. The class is all about outdoor stuff- survival and roughing it up - which I highly doubt they were doing for everyone have had spanking good times based on the pictures I saw in FB accounts that I had no business browsing. But that's another story.

So 2:30 A.M.on a Saturday is not really that traffic-free. There were a lot of cars (with some zigzagging about) and big delivery trucks plying EDSA. I was sleepy and grumpy for I told my son that I have bad vibes about this Baler, Aurora trip. My son said I am paranoid.

I dropped my son off the bus station and went home. It was past 4:00 A.M. and that meant I was up for 22 straight hours already. I decided to sleep. I woke up at 8:30 and went about my daily routine. I checked with my son every now and then but he never answered my call or texted back which was actually typical of my son.

At 12:30 P.M. an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 hit Chile. I didn't know about this until about 9:00 P.M when the meeting I hosted in my house was over. D2 was the one who told me about the earthquake and the possible tsunami at its wake.

"What body of water is Chile facing?" I asked.

"Pacific Ocean" said D2. " A tsunami alert has been raised and the Philippines is included."

The blood swelled up my face for I realized that my son was somewhere in the Philippine sea (Pacific Ocean side) snorkling or wakeboarding. I called my son up (he answered the mobile phone!) and told him to pack is bag up and proceed to the nearest bus station -which he can't do for there was no ride out of the beach front cottages where they were staying. I texted his teacher 3 times but he did not reply! Creep!

By 11:30 P.M. I knew that the expected tsunami will hit Philippine shore by 1:30 P.M., Sunday. I slept fitfully. I woke up 7:00 A.M. and immediately called up my son. The teacher was still dilly-dallying with his decision. The earth could have swallowed him up full and he still could no make the decision. I texted my son that it's not for his teacher to make the call regarding his safety. I ordered him to go home for even if the alert had passed, they still can't go in the water because of undertow. My son said another option was for them to go to higher ground (Ermita Hill) which is actually where the populace of Baler go in times of tsunami alerts. I texted "go" which meant "go on ahead to Ermita Hill" but he misunderstood it. The next time he texted he said some 13 of them including another teacher were on their way home.

My son reached his apartment safe and sound. He said those who remained in Baler were having a great time and that there was no tsunami. I told my son that in 1960, an earthquake hit Chile and the tsunami that radiated from the epicenter reached the Philippine soil killing 32 people.

"You can always go back to Baler." I told my son. In times like this, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Homecoming

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:30:00 +0000

It is final then. My brother and his family are coming over for a visit sometime soon. I have not seen my nephew and niece for almost 10 years now. They're all grown-up! My nephew is graduating from Senior high this June and has hopes of becoming a doctor too like his "Ate" D1. My niece is turning 16 and plans on celebrating it here, with us. There's a lot to prepare and a lot to organize but it's not a problem, really. My brother asked me if there's anything I want so I listed him all that items. He was flabbergasted and said that if he buys all those things for me, my girls will probably have to share a bottle of women's multivitamin for I'd run him dry. No problem then. A bottle of multivitamins will be "great" for the girls.... problem is, I don't think my girls will be thrilled with that.

Diet for Life

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:11:00 +0000

No one wants to be perpetually on a diet. I have had my share of dieting since I was in my teens. When I was 15, I decided I was too fat. Back in those days, dieting meant "not eating" so I starved myself to get thinner. A few years after, I learned more about calorie counting and that was sort of fun because I was able to compute the calories that I eat. Five kids later, I was 45 pounds overweight so I enrolled in a weight-loss program. The dieting and exercise from the program helped me lose 50 pounds. It wasn't that hard keeping the weight down as I taught myself how to limit my calorie intake. The problem with some commercialized diets today are that they don't have an option to eat "normal" food. I read a jenny craig review and the diet works fine but who the heck can eat "diet" food for the rest of his/her natural life?? The key to enjoy your food is moderation. Plus! Go slow on the salt and fat.

Block the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

I read that at the age of 20, the skin starts to grow "old". Minute lines are starting to form. Skin discoloration is about to fire up if proper skin care is not adapted at this age. I've repeatedly told my girls to use a day cream with at least an SPF 15 when they go out. They chuckle and tell me that they're not like me who's so afraid of the sun's UVB and UBA. I told them I wasn't "scared" of the sun before but when I turned 35, I did notice that my complexion wasn't so smooth and blemish-free. At 37, dark spots started to appear on my cheeks -melasma: the dark spots or discoloration due to exposure to the sun.

Since then I've been applying sunblock on my face every time I go out especially from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. when the sun's ray are potent. It took a while to take out the dark spots on my face.Moral of the post: use sunblock or sunscreen.

Happy Heart's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:20:00 +0000

I have never intentionally celebrated Valentine's Day. I used to give my parents Valentine school projects where I had to string paper hearts (and label each heart papa, mama, myself and my brother,) then tie the stringed hearts on my parents' bedroom door, wait for them to see my work of art, for them to say thank you and that's that. Valentine wasn't as exciting as Christmas where I get tons of gifts and loads of food. At the age of 8, Valentine was of no consequence to me.

I went to an all-girl's high school and yes, girls were not in the habit of giving out Valentine cards to their girl classmates too. I must have received my first Valentine card and a bunch of roses when I was 17, but I really can't remember. What stuck though was the fact that though I had a lot of "admirers" back when Guy and Pip were the nemesis of Vi and Bot, no one seemed to be keen Valentine gifters too. Maybe these experiences traumatized me and then genetically passed on to my girls for they too are not keen on celebrating Valentine. In truth, it's a pagan tradition that Christians have no obligation to observe.

Anyway, pagan or no pagan, I received three roses from one of the men in my life, Ethan. He unceremoniously dumped the three roses on me and said " Happy Valentine's Day mom!" When I told him that Valentine is tomorrow yet he just shrugged his shoulders and left. I don't know where he got the roses, probably from my son who I am not in speaking terms because of our differences in opinion about a certain long-haired mouse. But that's another story.

Tomorrow is Hearts Day. I guess there'd be a lot of guys out there who would need some form of testosterone booster to build up self-confidence in baring their hearts to the one. Puh-leeze!! Hahaha... am I bitter or what?!

36-hour duty

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:03:00 +0000

The toll of a 36-hour duty three times a week finally took its toll on D1. She is peppered with pimples that seem to be concentrated on her forehead and chin where the surgical cap and face mask are put respectively. The sweat and grime (and blood?) of the OR must have affected D1's naturally smooth complexion. She has consulted with a dermatologist several times now and though the pimples have somehow abated, the fact remains that she still has pimples! She needs the best acne medication now and I do mean now!

Go Green!

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:29:00 +0000

Do you know that every electrical appliance that you buy should have an Energy Guide label prominently displayed on the unit? The Energy Guide label should specify the capacity of the appliance unit; it's estimated yearly electrical consumption and its efficiency. Some appliances also have the Energy Star logo. Its the blue thingy that is pasted on the unit. When this logo is attached, then you're sure that the said appliance had passed the stringent standards of the U.S. Department of Energy. Better look for these two labels when buying a new electrical appliance.

In line with these, do you know that there is a a job relating to these energy efficiency stuff? There is a actually a certificate program for an energy auditor. This training would ensure that you become an energy efficiency expert. How cool is that? You'd be doing your part for a "greener" Earth.

Greener Pasture

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:13:00 +0000

D2 told me that a handful of her co-workers have plans of going abroad to look for better jobs. Another niece-in-law is set to leave tomorrow for the same goal - to look for a job abroad. They are all willing to leave their small kids so that they would have the opportunity to earn big bucks. What's not right is that they are leaving their present jobs and their families without the security of a "sure" employment abroad. They should have browsed the internet for job opportunities first. There are sites that have listings of job opportunites like the one under the state of Philadelphia. Any takers on phila pa jobs? There are openings for this type of job.Surely it's best to get an employer first before hopping over to the supposedly "greener pasture".

Oodles of Fat

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:50:00 +0000

D 1 to 4 and I are in a race (with time) to loose weight. The vacation to a paradise island is fast approaching and the island being an island means there is a body of water around it and when there's a body of water, what do you do? You don your swimsuit! How can one who has waves of fat rolling off her abdomen possibly wear a bikini or even a one-piece swimsuit? People wouldn't probably mind looking at oodles of rolling fat, but I would. I don't want to be traipsing around the beach worrying about the undulating fat below by breast bone. Does anyone know where I could get the best weight loss supplements? The time is ripe to take on some "help" in losing weight!

Bedroom Suite

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:14:00 +0000

My mattress is a year old. I read somewhere that a mattress' "life" is from 7 to 15 years and I guess my mattress is still in the accepted lifespan for mattresses. My mattress is made of 8 inches uratex foam. I have no problem with the product as it's a quite comfy mattress and very durable. The uratex foam mattresses of my girls are more than 15 years old but they are firm as the day I bought them. So what's my gist?

In my browsing I found that there is a mattress that is a combination pocket coil and memory foam. It promises of undisturbed sleep night after night. I want that mattress. And while I'm at it, I want a new bedroom suite. I am quite simple in my request as I am not asking for some heated mattress pads. Okay now. Who will gift me with my request?

Moment of Truth!

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:41:00 +0000

The moment of truth has come! The credit bill is here! I don't feel like opening it for I know I have tons to pay. I have the airline tickets that I got on sale to pay. Then I have the paylite payment for the refrigerator to tackle. Next I have to pay in full the TV that I got to replace the old one. It's good that the TV I got is not in the rank of plasma tvs. If it were, I'd be paying more now but then again, I would have had the wonderful and super hip TV! Yes it's true. Quality products cost more.

In Sync

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:58:00 +0000

Is the United States still in economic recession? There has been so many fluffs and hype on economic recovery the world over but, is it really happening? D2 has a couple of friends who are set to go over North Carolina sometime in May. The two teachers are sponsored by the VIF (Visiting International Faculty) to teach for two years in N. Carolina. If recession is still at its peak, why would these teachers get hired instead of qualified residents of the state. There are a lot of Outer banks foreclosures ongoing now which is not really in-sync with the alleged general economic situation in the US. What's the truth?

Flight to Nowhere

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:59:00 +0000

It's February already! Local airlines have been sending me emails informing me of ticket promos on local and international flights. There is no "piso" seat promo but there are PHP699 and PHP999 to wherever! The problem is it's so hard to book tickets online when there's an ongoing ticket sale. The magnitude of "would-be-vacationers" is just too much that online bookings becomes tedious. D2 has the tenacity for such ordeals. Me? Well,I did persevere but by the time I was able to enter the site, all seats to great places were sold out. I was left with a choice between Laoag and Kota Kinabalu! Where's Kota Kinabalu? Sigh. I was hoping I'd be browsing on some miami beach hotels now for rates.

No Sticker Yet

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:58:00 +0000

As 2009 was ending I was constantly reading auto insurance reviews to get me the best deal in auto insurance. My car was due for registration as its plate number ends in 1. Meaning, I have until January 29 to register my car. Funny how I was in a hurry to register my car. I hate late that's why I saw to it that my car was registered by the second week of January. And so it was. I have the official receipt for the registration, a copy of the auto insurance contract but not the 2010 sticker proving that my car is registered. Why? Well, what can you expect? LTO is fast in accepting payments but slow on the sticker.

Piece by Piece

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:09:00 +0000

The building that was lovingly and painstakingly constructed by my late father-in-law is being torn down piece by piece. The eldest among the siblings had decided to "reconstruct" the building for "more income". What's funny is hubby and I were not even consulted about the construction whereas we are both architects. Funny? Sly? Cunning? If I was given the project or consulted even, I could have provided the new requirements and designed it in such a way that would have preserved the old building.

The building was constructed in mid 70s and as buildings during those time go, the underground cement pipes and roof sheathing could have asbestos. I just hope that asbestos is not evident as where the heck will the company get a mesothelioma lawyer in case it got sued?

It breaks my heart to see the legacy of my father-in-law brought to ruins.

New Look

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:56:00 +0000

One thing about doing some form of renovation in the house is... once you revamp one area, there's no telling what could happen. In my case, the refrigerator that short-circuited and burnt part of the kitchen started it all. The re-painting that was done in the kitchen prompted me to repaint the utility room and basement. With the repainting and improvement comes the buying of new refrigerator for the kitchen. I was justified in buying a new ref because it was burnt.

Ethan said that I should buy a new television too. Truth be told my TV is archaic and you have to wait 5-10 minutes before the sound comes on. The only sound my TV makes in the first 5-10 minutes is a pulsating tok-tok-tok-tok-tok which increases in tempo if the sound is about to be heard. There was a time that the TV went on for an eternity making the tok-tok-tok sound. I had to turn the TV off but the tok-tok sound still went on so I had to unplug the TV for the irritating sound to stop. I bought a new TV.

As I sit in the dining area, I can see my 7 year old sofa. I am now seriously considering if I need contemporary sofas to change the ambiance of my living space.

Holy Smokes!

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:18:00 +0000

I used to smoke maybe from 1 to 1.5 packs a day. I started experimenting with cigarettes at the age of 9 or 10. My cousin and I stole a stick from a Pall Mall pack and we started puffing and later huffing. It wasn't until I was in college that I stated to smoke occasionally. I was staying at a campus dorm and the 70s was the decade of new liberties and expressions of angst. Smoking was an accepted norm. You can even smoke inside an elevator or while riding a public transport and no one would mind. I was more of a second-hand smoker though for I was "smoked-at" by my father when I ride in his car.

It wasn't until the late 70s that I was a confirmed smoker. My course in college demanded that I keep late hours (sometimes no sleep at all) and what better way to keep awake than drinking cups and cups of black coffee and stick after stick after stick of cigarettes. I tried cigars too but I didn't like the smell.

My affair with cigarettes lasted (on and off) for decades! Here I am, finally a quitter. I don't smoke anymore. I quit in 2007.

Of FB and other Social Networking Sites

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:57:00 +0000

I received another invitation through FB today. Last night, I learned that a niece was in the hospital due to hypertension. The other day, a very long thread in FB made me laugh for the entries were all rubbish and senseless which made the thread all the more funny. Now I am connected with a few high school classmates who, like me, learned to turn on the computer and do social networking. Some of my former classmates are so slow in responding to my requests to be added as one their contacts. A request I made a few months ago was finally confirmed yesterday.

The popularity of social networking sites is phenomenal. It has become a major means of communication in terms of personal and family news (i.e. weddings, baby announcements, invites). Social networking sites have become a means of expressing angst what with members' status updates. It has become s form of entertainment among online gamers who love to play games online- no matter how silly. How may contacts do I have who find lost cows and have joined Mafia wars?

Whoever owns FB is one dang rich dude!

Farmers!

noreply@blogger.com (desperateblogger) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Who has been giving out my house phone number? I have been receiving calls from "well-meaning" telemarketers offering me various things from credit card shield to home insurance quote. I know of one person who encodes directories of different professionals to be sold to companies who are on the lookout for such directories. Like there's a directory of doctors that could be bought at the right price by a "well-meaning" drug company or distributor. The question is "who the heck do they pay to get such information?" I heard that there are again, "well-meaning" bank tellers and other bank employees who have access to such information.

I usually settle my credit card bills in one particular bank. One time, I was asked by the teller to put in my contact number at the bottom of the deposit slip. I asked why and I was told that jusAt a precautionary measure in case something goes wrong with the payment. I said how can something go wrong with the payment as it's here and now. Anyway I put in my mobile phone number. As I was walking to my car, I received a spam text message about loans and stuff. The following week I did the same procedure in paying some bills in the same bank. Again I received a text message about loans. Could it be that the dang tellers are the culprits? I do not want to jump the gun so I did the same procedure two more times with the same results.

I stopped giving out the correct number of my mobile phone or landline when doing such transactions. The thing is, the credit card people are doing the "phone number-profession-name" farming too! Now that we have no control over for we need to put in the right information in out credit card file.
I heard such companies who are selling such information is earning big bucks!