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

Raine and I just got back from a another long weekend. No classes last Friday in Raine’s school as it was the high school students’ turn for the DAT (Division Achievement Test). We went home Thursday early evening and just got back in the city this afternoon. Done cleaning, grocery shopping and ironing Raine’s uniforms. Thankfully I didn’t have to look for joint pain relief.

It was another weekend of pigging out and oversleeping in the mornings. The weather was beach-ready and I was raring to hit the beach. But everyone was just so KJ that my plan didn’t pull through.  Anyways….better luck next time. There will be a lot of next times anyway.

Today is the last day of February and marks what remains of the school year — 3 weeks na lang. Then it’s summer time. He he he.

Finally, Raine’s Saturday classes are over. We have tomorrow free at last. Then Monday is a national holiday (people power revolution).

That means Raine and I get to go home this afternoon. Woo hoo!

Ready the entertainment centers honey coz we’ll be home. Ooops…I forgot you aren’t home either. He he he.

Anyways…I miss home. This time we get to stay 3 nights in a row. Bliss!

Needed: replacement batteries.

Coz I’m dead tired with all the ‘tune-up’ being done to my body.

I’m tired of going back and forth to the hospital for various tests, follow-up check-ups and medications.

But then it is for my benefit, so I shouldn’t complain. He he.

First of all, I should sue the EENT I consulted about my goiter. Mine is hyperthyroidism — the toxic type of goiter that should have been removed (by surgery or radiation therapy) already in the first place. Then he gave me a light dosage of thyroid problem meds.

5 months later and I’m having palpitations and persistent chest pains.  I was rushed to the ER because of this. A blessing in disguise really as I was forced to see an internist/cardiologist the following day. Then my health saga begins.

Abangan.

Speaking of summer vacation…this time I’m not going to resort to books (like I did during Christmas vacation).

This time we are going places. Raine and I will visit my sister-in-law in Meycauayan, Bulacan and then we will head on to Subic to visit Ninang Gemma.

For sure we will hit the beach and do more fun stuff that Raine will enjoy as well.

My mother will tag along too. So it’s going to be fun!

Blogging sometimes involve the review of promotional products. You will usually get a sample of the product for your own use. I’ve had my own share of such kind of blogging (in my problogs). PR people were kind enough to send me their products even though I am not based in the USA or Canada.

Always, I made sure I gave an honest review — whether or not I find the product favorable to my taste. Besides, I am always entitled to my own honest opinion, right?

However, when you do one? They all keep coming. One day your inbox will be flooded by these PR people. So I just took the liberty of picking out the really good ones that are related to my blogs. Sometimes the items don’t arrive in the mail. Then I’ll completely forget about it. Then I’ll get a follow-up email. Crap. Ha ha ha.

Because it has been raining really hard the whole weekend (parang may typhoon) Raine and I decided to stay in our city house the whole weekend. Saturday morning was Raine’s last day of 3rd quarter exam anyway. I figured we just stay on and rest the whole weekend away.

So Raine and I have been taking turns in the computer. To my own demise! Raine is using it 80% of the time. Anyways, I have the whole school week to go online to my heart’s content. (It’s not as if we are going cross country moving.)

While offline, I did the laundry and cleaned the CR. (Parts of the house too that Raine isn’t messing up with his toys.) Did some reading, overslept this morning and cooked brunch.

Hmmmm…I can get use to this.

Today is officially Raine’s last day of formal school this year. Tomorrow will all be merry making: Christmas parties and stuff. He doesn’t even have to wear a uniform tomorrow. Just one of his casual clothes.

While this blog don’t get updated in the next three weeks (classes resume January 11, 2010), that means we are having fun having a quiet holidays in the barrio.

So if I don’t get to greet you, I’ll do it already: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. All my best wishes through the coming new year.

That family day?

It turned out to be the most boring thing I’ve ever been into. Hayy.

(Inggit lang siguro ako sa may mga dalang asawa?!)

Hindi rin.

Boring talaga. By 11 am, I decided to go home. And so we did. Raine and I slept that Saturday afternoon off. A lot better, imho.

Raine’s last day of formal class falls on the 17th. The 18th is reserved for merry-making (read: Christmas party). Then I was told today that classes resume on 11th January 2010.

Wow. 3 long weeks of real vacation. I can’t wait!

I just wish I can whisk Raine away to some st thomas vacation packages. But staying at home would be swell too. He he.

This coming Saturday is family day at Raine’s school. It is a day of fun, games, food. Moms in Raine’s class decided to form groups and each group is tasked to prepare one dish. Food will be mostly for adults as we’re told to bring packed lunch for each kid. Bring your own rice too.

The late afternoon, till 7 pm is reserved for bingo socials.

Too bad I ran out of digital cameras. So it’ll be just my good old camera phone.

Raine’s class is on tour of Legazpi City today.

For the whole day they are visiting:

Daraga Church

Albay Dairy Plant

Cagsawa Ruins

Albay Park and Wildlife

Legazpi Museum

Airport

Embarcadero

Legazpi City Port

Take note: No parents included.

Though some group are in their cars tailing the buses. Pasaway talaga!

Belle de Jour is anonymous no longer.

Read here.

It’s just unbelievable!

When I was in LB, I know the place like the back of my hand. Well 18 years of staying there is no joke. So that when I need a pedicure, I go to my regular pedicure girl. She kept moving shop but I kept on finding her. When it’s my hair we’re talking about? I moved from Candy to Pia. Longer with Pia, may he rest in peace.

When I discovered the joys of foot spa, I go to this place called Metro Hair.

Here?

It took me ages to find a good pedicurist. Not until my toes have been murdered (and my in-growns not taken out) in many ways possible.

And let’s not take about foot spa here. There’s only one I found and it’s not good at all. I don’t know what chemicals they use because the skin of my feet dried up. As in cracked dry. Well I only wanted some relaxed me-time one afternoon, so I went in. But maybe their hair services are a lot better coz they have several new hair hot oil equipments.

Speaking of hair and hot oil…my hair haven’t had one in ages. Much less hair supplements. By the way, I found my new hair girl here and she’s really swell.

The original daragang magayon that is — mayon volcano.

From Manila Bulletin:

In an advisory released at 7am on November 11, 2009, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) declared that the status of the Mayon Volcano remains at Alert Level 2.

A three-minute explosion type earthquake ocurred at 1:58am and baranggays nearby were affected by traces of ashfall. There have also been 20 recorded volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

PHIVOLCS strongly recommends staying away from the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano and the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) on the southeast flank of the volcano due to the threat from sudden explosions and rockfall from the upper slope. Active river channels and lahar-prone areas in the southeast sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions.

Sana wag matigas ulo ng aking mga kabayan at sumunod sa sinasabi ng PHIVOLCS.

On December 1st, Raine’s class will have a tour of Legazpi City. But here’s the clincher: parents nor yayas not included.

I was fine with it at first and have actually signed ‘yes’ on the reply slip. But I haven’t paid yet though because I’ve started to hesitate. For Raine’s safety, that’s all.

I’m just not convinced that the class adviser and one sister can take good care of a bus-full of shrieking, hyperactive 7-year-olds for a whole day. To me it smells a lot of trouble. And accidents!

(For independence kuno kaya dai kaiba an mga parents. Simbag mi: anong independence dida?! Dai pa ngani kamo nakahurugas kan saindong mga lubot! If he can walk in tubs, of course yes, no hesitation at all.)