The Journey. It’s Mine. [My personal take on love, life, parenting and blogging.]

(i am the least person you’ll like if i am matamlay!)

I only had one mug of black coffee when I woke up this morning. I’ve been having two mugs in the past week, daily.

Psst! Sa umaga lang yang 2 mugs ha? Hindi pa counted yung sa tanghali, sa hapon at sa gabi!

Plus, I didn’t take a bath right away and just stayed in bed most of the day. After lunch (around 1230nn), I went to sleep. I woke up a little past 4 pm. Where was my son?! He was just playing outside with other kids (my mother and brother, watching over them) and calling people using my cellphone!! Imagine. Watch out, you could be the next”victim”. Not a prank call though, Raine just wants to say Hi. Ha ha ha.
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It’s been almost two months since I got my hands on an Asus Eee PC and I am definitely loving it. The unit has definitely lived up to its name.

Easy to learn

Indeed it is so00o easy to learn. For somebody who has been using Windows OS for ages, the stripped-down (term borrowed from a friend of mine) Linux preloaded in the Eee is a delightful surprise. First of all, it boots up and shuts down at a very quick pace — favoring the uber-impatient me.

Easy to work

The “big thumbnails” of each application is almost idiot proof. Period. You’ll never gonna get lost! The size of the keyboard nicely fits my fingers. Besides, I have everything I need in there. When I brought it outside and hooked in an internet cafe, I just had to plug-in the LAN cable and I was automatically connected to the net. No configuration, settings necessary!

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What do we need to do to get into debt relief?

First rule of thumb is: spend only what your budget can afford.

Yeah right! Easier said than done.

Second rule of thumb is: leave your credit cards at home when going shopping or malling.

That is if you can bring enough cash with you!

Third rule of thumb:  if you do not have enough cash with you, don’t go out of your house!

Ha ha ha ha.

If there’s one thing I have stayed away from my life, it’s a fitness equipment. That — and a weight loss diet!

Though I never came close to stepping inside a gym, I came very close to adopting a weight loss diet — so many times!  In the end, I always change my mind. He he. Professional help or not.

Even pregnancy and C-section child delivery later, I’m still as far away as possible from a fitness equipment or a weight loss diet!

I want swing sets! One on the porch and one on our front yard…and maybe another one in the back yard?! He he.

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Of course, there is always a story behind every child’s name. Although others are more profound than the rest, including my child’s name. Ha ha ha.

If only we could name the kids B1, B2…B3, etc. That would have been easier. Easier for the child to write as well.

I knew a couple from college who named their kids Alpha-something, Beta-something and so on. That wasn’t so bad right? Kinda unique even.

Now…are you willing to name your next child CAT6, GAP7 or even AND8? LOL!

He he…that is something I wanna see happening!

Today should have been a holiday too. You know…the day after Easter! But I guess in some parts of the world, Easter Monday is an official holiday. Makes sense, doesn’t it?!

Besides, we all need a day of rest after all the “festivities” of easter — time to digest all those goodies that the easter bunny brought on your doorstep! He he.

Or time enough to rest from the 3-day weekend getaway. What to do? Sleep the whole day perhaps? Or pig out on your favorite merienda? Ping Golf or something?

Anything just to unwind and be ready to face the work week. Yeah right.

Happy Easter anyways!

Don’t we just wish that anything has a drug rehabilitation solution?! You know, including laziness, bumming around and all the stupid things that teenagers do for a living.

2 days more and the twins (my youngest brothers) turn 20. 20 whooping years and i still remember how they looked like right after my mother delivered them. They looked ET-ish, yes with wrinkled face and all. But cute little ETs…baby no. 1 and baby no. 2.

While my mother was inside the delivery room, my father and I was heavily pacing the hallway. Each of us, clutching a coffee mug in one hand. I cannot remember how much we drank. If alcoholic drinks were allowed, we would have been drunk. I was 3-months away from my 14th birthday, but I can remember that day (March 18, 1988) like it was yesterday!

There was a solar eclipse that day. At 12nn baby no.1 came out just as the sun came out of ‘hiding’. 30 minutes later, baby no. 2 followed suit! My mother was 40. years. old.

To our two pots! Nat-pot and Ye-potpot. Happy 20th birthday! I am just happy and proud, I didn’t send anyone of you to rehab. REALLY>

Uyy, they’re kind and thoughtful already. Just lazy. Cute. But lazy. Sometimes.

…usb flash drive!! At least you used to.

I spent a year here, scourging all the internet shops with only a usb flash drive in hand. Finally it gave in and went kaput. By that time, I already have my own PC.

It may be a laughing matter that I brought all my PC set to my friend’s internet shop. But that actually happened to me, no kidding. I was desperate then, electricity wasn’t restored at home. Desperate times called for desperate measures!  Then my favorite internet shop in Sorsogon closed down after the super typhoon…ay yay yay.

I have no more usb flash drives but I have an Eee PC already. But I don’t go out anymore, I can go online at home now, remember? What a journey to get here…who says working at home is easy-breezy?!

Bad trip. Why can’t the weekend just last forever? But then, if that happens eh it wouldn’t be a weekend anymore!

And I just went to sleep and sleep and sleep. Yeah, tinulugan ko ang Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match. I woke up on the 8th round, and both of their faces were gushing with blood. Time stops in the Philippines, each boxing match that involves Manny Pacquiao. And while time stood still, I was sleeping. He he he.

Hayy buhay!! Ilang Sundays na lang ba Glo? Trenta y singko ka na!! Waahh.

It’s Thursday night and the week is winding down. Heck, even the month, the year is winding down. If I were in LB and there wasn’t Raine, I’ll probably be drunk already at this time. Ha ha ha!

After Easter Sunday, it will be Christmas soon. Do you get that feeling too? That the year is already over before you even notice? I feel that all the time!

Also, I’m counting down to too many special things this year. Like my 35th birthday. Raine’s 6th birthday. And my mother’s 60th birthday!!

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I was burning the midnight candle and then everything fell apart in the weekend. I almost lost my modem (that is feeling the wear and tear of intensive use in the last year) and then Smart’s data network went unavailable the whole weekend. I first thought it was purely a technical problem, only to find out that I also overlooked a remaining balance from last month.

THEN, services wasn’t restored right after paying the bill. It was already late at night when the services went back (SMS, Internet, Voice Calls). I was already tired and just wanted to go sleep. Sleep and eat. Sleep and sleep. And SLEEP!

Maybe I need another vacation! But this time without Raine! Ha ha ha. THAT and some energy pills!

There’s only barely two weeks left in Raine’s school days. This afternoon was the open house in his school. Parents were invited to “observe” while the kids did their usual daily stuff.

I was amazed by how quiet the kids in there can be! Yes, including Raine. Each of them was working quietly in each of their little corners. Raine, quiet?! He must be sick.

But indeed, the school room was too quiet. And with the soft breeze coming in through the windows, I was nodding off! Really I was, it was really embarrassing. I bet some kids can’t help but fall asleep in that room! He he.

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My little boy first said the word car before he was able to say mama when starting to speak as a baby.

Buti na lang, I can’t afford to buy all the cars he wanted. Otherwise, he’ll be one spoiled little boy! He he he.

I don’t.

Well, except for bank accounts (with insignificant amount of money in it!), there’s nothing really I that I own myself. Whatever there is, it is only of fractional ownership that I automatically share with my three brothers.

Even that is not even official yet, because my parents remain the legal owners of the land they inherited. They each have properties out of inheritance and have not bought a thing as a married couple.

So, I’ve never really been fixated about getting my hands on those land titles. Between me and my older brother, we are not selling for life and the next generations should keep it too.

But then, I know the fact that when all of my three brothers got wives who will urge them to sell, I just wish I have enough money to buy them out when the time comes (just becuse of the sentimental value that this piece of land belonged to my father’s ancestors long before him.

That or buy something of my own and let them be.

I’ve been lazy usually other things to do (you know, like earning money!) so I’ve never found the time to teach Raine to read or write at home.

Not only because of that, but also because I want him to be independent in doing school work and I do not want to put pressure on him as he started going to preschool at age 2.5 years only. Little kids starting early at school are (I think) have the highest risk of being burned out, school-wise.

Regarding Raine’s handwriting, it is something that progressed from “chinese characters” to sticks and stones. Later he turned into a tracing, copycat and then into writing on his own (the whole alphabet and his whole name) from memory. Yeeha!

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This might be too early in the year for a full blown typhoon around here but heavy rains that cannot seem to leave us alone in the last weeks, are still here.

And then last night we felt the earthquake. As if that was the end of it!

This morning, it rained heavily again with some strong winds. In no time, the electric power was cut off — took them half a day to restore it back to full operation.

If you noticed the title and subtitles of this blog, you will notice I added the words wheelchair traveler. Why? Because I have traveled more sitting down than actually going to those places that interest me.

Simply because I just cannot afford it. That’s not being kuripot either! It’s just that, first things first. The basics and the really, really urgent stuff have to be spent on first.

The only thing I’ve seen good in my situation is that by the time I got myself on any soil, I have already read so much about the place. Like the hot spots, the must sees , the food and of course, the prices expected to be incurred. Once I decide to go somewhere, it’s either I have saved money way ahead or I have to re-adjust my budget afterwards. Ha ha ha.

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Who needs portable oxygen concentrators? Well, aside from people suffering from COPD, I think also those situated in Manila and in other places equally polluted or more.

Hmmm. That’s really interesting. Making me go back to the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle — the most reason I never really considered being based in Manila. People there might be immune to the ever-worsening air pollution, but I can never really take it. Every time I go there, it’s like my lungs have to work triple time. You easily get tired (almost passing out!) and maybe explains why people inside public transpos often can sleep right away upon sitting down. That’s carbon monoxide at work!

Not to mention the icky blackish dirt that makes a layer of your skin. I remember each time I made it home to LB before, I have to take a bath right away and fully scrub my skin as if I am going to surgery. He he he.

Well, we have green plants and trees around us here. Too many of them in fact. Thank God for plants and trees, indeed!

We are a family that enjoys home movies for entertainment. The influence, we got heavily from our father and something that my mother didn’t and still does not contest.

Before the satelite tv device that we now have, we used to have too many CDs of most of the movies we like, both old and new, and most especially our father’s favorites.

Each time one of us comes home, we bring at least 1 movie CD. My father loved it of course and we too enjoyed the exercise very much. Vacations we spent home, consists of 75% movie marathons on top of being just lazy. After all we are on vacation and even our friends will appreciate it.

However, whatever amount we spent before on our home entertainment showcase, we didn’t arrive ever at finding a discount home theater seating . The couch, the floor and the bed are - to our cheap taste - enough substitute for anything luxurious!

I remembered Ruth saying to me early this year that 2008 is a year of new opportunities.

Indeed this is a year of new opportunities for me: new stuff, new friendships, etc. This is only the first two months and it already trumps those lousiest years of my life — generally speaking at least.

New opportunities indeed. It’s just all up to me to either take it all or not. Choices, choices…who doesn’t want to be in the position to choose?!

There has been too many little things (that matter!) already, and then I got me (read: somebody gave me) this new baby: a Nokia 6233. You know… the one which remains Nokia’s cheapest 3G phone.

Since last year, Raine has been asking for a sister. Yes, a SISTER! Ha ha ha. Of course, I didn’t tell Raine that I need to find a husband first. But told him this: we will watch out for a SALE and then if we have money, we’ll buy a baby!

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Even if you are such a control freak, at some point you must realize that there is just no way you can control everything 100% of the time.

Like when I used to do lab work, even if I was working against an important deadline, there’s just no way I can be done when in the middle of analytical frenzy, the machine shuts down or the pipette goes out of calibration. When such things occur,you just have to stop, fix it if you can (as soon as possible!), before you can carry on with the task. Sometimes, that might even mean starting all over again, simply because you are working in vivo.

What else is out of control? Too many in life I think. Like when your cell phone signal turns off automatically in the middle of a very-important-matter-of-life-and-death-your-future-depends-on-it kind of phone call.

That just sucks right? Especially if you cannot do anything about it.

This is a good year, I think. For me and my family. We’ve reached a point where we have sorta accepted the fact that my father has really left us. But that doesn’t mean he is forgotten. We all will carry him in our hearts wherever/whatever each of us end up.

There were just too many turmoils since that sad day in October 2005 when ‘Pa left. Our lives (together and separately) are never the same again. Drastic adjustments needed to be made. Immediately. I do not regret that I ended up right here (and everywhere else on the net!).

Life will never be just a bliss, I was just raring to go home then, while now I have complaints. But that doesn’t mean I am not happy the way things turned out to be. I dealt with what I needed to do. I had to make huge changes. I had to do it, otherwise somebody’s gonna be crazy, in any medical sense possible. So I did. Decided to come home, I mean.

You know that old line that says some good things never last? That just once side of the coin. If you flip the other side towards you, you’ll realize that yeah, it could be true and also might mean just because most things do last.

some good things never last (not original, line from a song)

because most things do last (is this still part of the song I was referring to? if not, then that must be mine!)

They do really, if you just take care of the good things happening for them to last. You must know how to handle those too. Otherwise, some good stuff may poison you too.

All least, this much is true: when the good things start coming, they will continue coming. And more. Really all the good stuff you can handle!