Goodbye, 2010!

I think I've had enough of lechon this season but tomorrow, we will still have lechon for our New Year family gettogether. I think I will just concentrate on my uncle's famous kaldereta.

I was thinking that I was able to eat practically all the food I love except kare-kare. Then, suddenly, last night, a family friend gave us kare-kare! She also sent us rellenong manok (stuffed chicken). It was still warm and oh how delicious!

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So, it's the last day of the year. I had only two new year's resolutions if I remember right:

1) To be as loving as I can
2) To do the will of God

I tried to do these two as much as I can but I failed sometimes. Sorry, Lord.

It has been a good year altogether, not great, but good.

...I had a number of marketing research projects which brought some money in. Not enough but still something to give to my mom for expenses.

...I had a relapse of my multiple myeloma but only by 1%.

...I finished reading the Bible.

...I completed a script for a short movie.

...I rekindled friendships.

...I became closer to my mom and son.

...I wrote a book.

...I drew nearer to the Lord.

...I discovered Scrabble in FB.

...I gained friends in FB.

...I watched only one movie outside (with my son) but was able to view several movies at home.

...I think I have improved my writing style.

I grew a year older, hopefully wiser...but always, corny.

Goodbye, 2010! Welcome, 2011!

Funny Movie Last Night, Good Deed Today

I had the good fortune of watching a funny movie last night, entitled "Major Movie Star", starring Jessica Simpson. She plays Megan Valentine, a movie star specializing in comedy who nobody takes seriously, not even her boyfriend (who turns out to be gay and sleeping with her manager). Her uncle spends all her money so she's broke.

So, she decides to join the US Army. But being used to being pampered, she brings her group to all sort of extra trouble. Her training officer hates her and so does most of the other recruits. Megan wants out but she has already signed a contract with the government.

As the movie progresses, Megan gets close to a few other girls. Just when things get cozy, Megan's agent comes to the "rescue", upon discovering that Megan was not given a physical and aptitude exam before signing the contract. She leaves, leaving her new friends bitter.

Megan, now grown up, decides to finish what she started. She does return and finishes with amazing flourish.

And oh, there's a romantic angle with a male training officer. He's cute.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Praise God for free good movies on television.
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Today, my mom's "masahista" (masseuse) came. She was saying that her children were begging her for macaroni salad and fruit salad. So, mom and I gave her several ingredients for both salads, plus spaghetti. There was mayonnaise, elbow macaroni, cheese, pickles, pineapple chunks/tidbits, raisins, fruit cocktail, all-purpose cream, condensed milk, spaghetti sauce, and spaghetti pasta. I'm sure her family will be very happy!

It feels good doing a good deed.

Done!

Don't you feel good inside when you have completed something you haven't done for a long time?

Well, yesterday, I finished my screenplay, "Lotto Ticket". It's the trilogy I've been blogging about. Hope my director-friend likes it.

Now, I am inspired to continue my "Mundo ni Minda" script.

Other ideas brewing in my mind are...

..."Inutil" - three abused boys grow up painfully remembering how their parents maltreated them. They are almost destined to failure. Until one of them, the most pathetic, decided to get away from his past and go for success and happiness in life. Of course, not without the encouragement of significant persons.

..."Mag-Ina" - a dramatic comedy of a 80 year old mother and her 50 year old daughter who is sick with a debilitating illness. Thus, instead of the daughter taking care of the mom, the reverse is true. But she makes up for it by making her mom laugh, smile, and help in any way she can.

..."Sinong Dakila?" - about OFWs in different parts of the world and their pains, sorrows as well as the joys and successes that come their way. There is also their family here in the country and their loneliness and sacrifices.

What do you think?
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I'm already in the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. After that, some short letters then finally, Revelation! Looks like I will be able to meet my Bible-reading deadline, after all. Hurrah!

Scriptwriting

It has been a while since I last wrote a script. The last one was when I joined the Palanca contest for stageplays. I lost. Sniff.

Now, I am writing my lotto trilogy. I was inspired yesterday, I was able to write two out of the three stories in the movie. Problem is, production wise, the movie might be costly because there is a lot of characters in it. Oh well, I will leave that to the director and producer. But as a writer, I try to minimize the cost as much as I can without affecting the impact of the movie.

Money came in today. It went straight to my mom. She was happy that she didn't have to go to the bank to withdraw cash.

My aunt visited us for lunch. We had prawns and lechon. And various desserts. I wasn't hungry and just ate one piece and some honeydew.

An old friend of theirs emailed me and he had a message for my mom and my aunt. They both read the letter and responded to it. I was their secretary.

I was able to contact a good friend of mom through FB. Another great reason for keeping an FB account!

Movies...They Make My Day

Recently, I was able to watch movies (or parts of).

One was "In My Life", starring Vilma Santos, Luis Manzano and John Lloyd Cruz. Ate Vi was spectacular. John Lloyd also performed very well. Luis could do better.

Then, part of "Anastasia", the animated version with Meg Ryan and John Cussack as voice talents. I've always loved Disney films, to this day.

I re-watched "Die Hard" starring Bruce Willis. It's action-packed with enough humor and tender moments.

Today, I viewed part of "Magkaibigan" led by Christopher de Leon and Jinggoy Estrada. The script was excellent, written by Jose Javier Reyes. (I am now inspired to write my script). The movie was a tribute to Rudy "Daboy" Fernandez, who died of cancer.

Which leads me to recall what my doctor said without looking at me. She was looking at my mom. "There is no cure for myeloma".

So, I am a dying person. But Lord knows how many days, months or years I have left. I wonder, what else does God want me to do? As of now, I feel worthless because I am barely earning enough to pay for my medicines. I do enjoy my job but my medical expenses are really so high!

By being on the receiving end, is the Lord teaching me humility? Is He touching people's hearts to reach out to me?

Maybe, before I go, there is some other mission that God wants me to fulfill. Write more books and scripts, perhaps?

Lord, please use me. I am Your willing servant.

Sick on Christmas Eve and Day

I'm sick with colds, cough, and fever.

So ironically, I wasn't able to attend our family Christmas get-together. Too bad!

I didn't want to spread my germs to my nieces and nephews.

Oh well, there is New Year's celebration.

Still Another Party

Last night, I attended yet another party. I didn't have a ride but was very lucky because the guard called a cab for me, and later when going home, I found a cab right away. (The guy I was supposed to hitch with did not join the party. He just came to give his gift to the CEO.)

The theme was Hawaiian. So many wore leis and grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts.

But since the venue was Kowloon, the food was typical Chinese - Nido soup, sweet and sour pork, fried rice, fried chicken, lumpiang shanghai, pancit canton, and buchi.

They made me one of the five judges. There were about 8 groups which performed. Four of which were very good.

There were raffle prizes and give-aways. I received a calendar, notepad, and a towel.

I ordered monggong siopao for mom, two pairs. Her favorite.

I was home before 12 midnight.

What fun!

Two Parties in a Day

Yesterday, I attended two parties.

For lunch, my cousin had a birthday party at his house. His mom spent for all the food including lechon, pancit canton, sinigang sa misu, KFC, ice cream. Later, there were sandwiches and chocolate roll.

My aunt gave me a Christmas card and a Pleasures perfume. My other aunt gave me P200. Yehey.

I brought my Sudoku and answered one puzzle. After lunch, I took a long nap. Before returning to the party, I prayed the rosary.

When we reached home, I opened my inbox and saw that I needed to revise a questionnaire. So I worked on it.

I got ready for another party, a company Christmas party, with Arabian nights as the theme. Mom lent me her long skirt and flat shoes, bangles and necklace.

I waited long for my ride so we were late.

The food was good especially the pasta, the fish fillet and the beef with mashed potatoes.

We were made judges to two contests: a group dance contest and a costume contest. Two contestants mispronounced the word "sequins" as "sequence". I wanted to correct them but held my tongue so as not to spoil the night.

There were give-aways and we received a bag of goodies, a mug and wine.

I was home before 12 midnight.

I had a great time!

Tonight, I have still another party. Another Christmas party of a marketing research agency. I have a ride going home already. Going there, I will just have to take a cab.

Exhausted!

For the second night in a row, I attended a party. This time, a birthday party.

I was fetched by a friend and there was no traffic, surprisingly.

The food was great - lasagna, lengua, chicken, shrimp, lechon, and lots of dessert. There was salad and crab but I didn't get any.

When the drizzle became stronger, we had to go for cover. They brought a table and we grabbed chairs.

Conversation was the usual "alaskahan" because we were with college friends. One of us was newly elected president of the Ateneo Alumni Association. So people are asking him for tickets to basketball games. We have another friend who is coming home for the holidays so we ought to plan what to do when he is around.

Someone who left early gave away stromboli as Christmas presents. We all texted him to say "Thanks for the s-tinapay".

We were among the last to leave, as usual.

I was so exhausted I slept practically the whole day today!

Fun Night

I attended a company Christmas party last night.

It was fun!

The theme was "Las Vegas". So instead of ordinary numbers, we had playing cards as our raffle ticket. Mine was the eight of diamonds. I won a basket of ingredients for salad. I was given red wine and queso de bola also, plus an anti-radiation patch for my celphone.

I was one of the three judges for the three contests.

Before dinner, there was a fashion show which we judged. The top three we had to ask to model again to break the tie.

Dinner consisted of lasagna, vegetable kare-kare, beef, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, mashed potatoes, roast beef, and lechon. Yummy! There was scramble the whole evening.

Two other contests were group dance and showtime (talent) contests. We were told to give our comments after each performance. We were brutally frank in our assessment.

A couple of professional dancers performed three dance numbers. They were good!

The CEO gave service awards and other annual awards like productivity award and quality conscious award.

There was picture-taking, of course.

The guy I was supposed to ride with had to go home early. It's a good thing, there was somebody who lives nearby and was taking a cab home, too. We immediately found a taxi so going home was not a problem after all.

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Today, I saw my hematologist. My lab results are all fine. She said that Thalidomide is running out. Scared, my mom asked me to order four boxes, good till February.

My doctor scolded me about dancing. I shouldn't do that anymore, she said, because my bones might break. Oh well, good-bye to dancing!

And I really have to lose weight! Not with these holidays...

Random Thoughts

I worked on a short report yesterday. A re-analysis, actually. Easy.
No matter how short or easy a project is, I welcome it. Rather than staring into space, doing nothing. He he.

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I finished reading the Old Testament. Finally! Tomorrow, I shall start reading the New Testament. I love the stories of the Old Testament. Some are funny. Others are romantic. Most speak of the need to be faithful to God.

I'm pretty familiar with the Gospels. So, I'm eager to re-read them and move on to the rest of the New Testament. By year-end, I would have finished reading the entire Bible. Yehey.

Then, I shall re-read it, including all the footnotes for greater understanding. After which, I will read other versions. Wow, I'm becoming a Bible fanatic!
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Tonight, I am attending the Christmas party of a marketing research agency. I attended their parties in the past. Last year, they made me judge in their contests. They might make me judge again tonight.

I have a ride going there. I was worried about how I would go home. Last night, I chatted with someone who used to be employed by the agency. He asked if I was going. I said yes and then said I needed help going home. He said he will bring me home. I don't think he has a car but I'm sure he will help me find a cab. Thank You, Lord!

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Even tomorrow, I thought I won't be able to attend another birthday party. But looks like I will have a ride, too.

God makes a way...always.

Friends from 27 Years Ago

What Facebook can do!

A friend from 27 years ago contacted me through FB recently and we became "friends". Another former officemate "be-friended" me.

And today, they and one other person dropped by the condo to visit me. They brought Pancit Malabon and brojas.

We ate and reminisced about those times. RSRI was my first job and they were my officemates. We laughed and exchanged jokes. There was picture-taking as well.

They said I still look pretty but I gained weight and lost height ha ha. So true! (especially the "pretty" part).

I gave away copies of my first book. They left, happy. I was glad to have been visited. What a joyful day!

Hangover

I didn't drink beer last Saturday but I still have a "hangover".

More pictures have come in.

Here are some of them...

Celebrating 50

Last night, I attended my friend's 50th birthday party.

It was a lot of fun! I saw old friends from way back college.

The food was delicious - fettucine carbonara, pastel de lengua, callos, fish fillet, two kinds of rice. Drinks were plentiful but I stuck to iced tea and water.

There was a funny video presentation of Felix through the years. It was prepared by his children.

Then, there was dancing for hours! Most of it, swing as in the 70's - 80's. I danced a little but I had to stop.

Have you ever experienced not being able to breathe? That's exactly how I felt after dancing for just a while. It's a good thing I didn't faint.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Here Come the Parties!

Yesterday, my mom and I had breakfast with a family friend. We had java rice, tapa, bangus, orange juice, and fruits. Wonderful! They were supposed to go to Shopwise or S&R but they changed their minds.

This week, I worked on a report, a questionnaire, and a proposal. For different clients.

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Starting tomorrow, I will be attending parties:

Dec. 11 - my friend's 50th birth party
Dec. 17 - an agency's Christmas party
Dec. 18 - a friend's annual Christmas party
Dec. 21 - my cousin's birthday party (lunch)
Dec. 21 - an agency's Christmas party (dinner)
Dec. 22 - an agency's Christmas party
Dec. 25 - family Christmas party

On Tuesday, some friends from way back (officemates at the very first company I worked for) will be visiting. Yehey!

Yes, it is the season to be jolly. I may not have the money to go shopping but it's great to see friends and have fun with other people.

Romantic Drama

Last night, I watched a romantic drama (for a change), entitled "Love Happens", starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart. There were funny moments. It was good, but not great. End of review.







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I spent the most part of today doing a questionnaire. I enjoyed working on it. It's nice to have a new project (and source of income).

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We had spaghetti for lunch today. My verdict? Could be better but I appreciate my mom's culinary efforts.

So for dinner, she improved on the spaghetti. Less sweet. More sour. Result? More delectable!
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Humor:

Last Thursday, mom and my son went to the grocery. I asked mom to buy me Rexona deodorant, any variant (kahit ano).

When they returned, she gave me the deodorant, same brand but of a different variant than the one I was using. She said she looked for "kahit ano" but couldn't find it. He he.

Don't you hate it when you're trying to recall a joke but cannot remember it?
Well, today (or was it yesterday?), mom cracked a joke. A pun, actually so I enjoyed it. But for some reason, I can't remember it! Oh well, as soon as I recall it, I will post it in this blog. Ha ha.

What If...

Sometimes crazy thoughts come to my mind.

Like, what if...I became both blind and deaf? Will I be able to face a world of darkness and silence?

A world of -

...no faces

...no voices

...no sunsets

...no flowers

...no music

...no Internet

...no television

...no movies

...no coloring books

...the list is verrrrrrrry long!

But then, I would still have the sense of taste, the sense of touch, and the sense of smell, such that I can savor and appreciate -

...the taste of all kinds of food

...the taste of various types of beverages

...the comforting touch of a friend or loved one

...the feel of soap on my skin

...the sweet smell of perfume

...the lovely fragrance of flowers

...the list is also verrrry long!

If I were both blind and deaf, I will try to learn braille so I can read and communicate through it. I will try to write more books to earn money since I can no longer work as a marketing research consultant.

Oh well, no use thinking of something that is not likely to happen anyway.

Thank You, Lord, for the gifts of sight and hearing!
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A flower for you:

Not Meant to Be

Someone won the P741+ million jackpot in the lotto. The winning number is 11, 16, 31, 42, 37, 47.
I have a number 2, 11, 18, 32, 41, 24 or 55 but I didn't actually buy a ticket. Ha ha. I was not meant to be the winner. Which is just good. I wouldn't be able to stand the pressure!

I have been busy these past three days writing my 4-group FGD report. The Client wanted it to be verbatim-heavy. So, I ended up with about 90 slides. I woke up at 4 this morning to start working. I asked Client what time their office hours end. She said, 5 pm. So, I submitted the report at 4:30 pm. Talk about photo finish! I've had to take three naps throughout the day. Now, I'm about to call it a day.

Tomorrow is rest day. Or, I can start my script on the lotto trilogy already. I'm asking for sample scripts from my friends.

I love roses. Here's one for you:

Busy, Busy

I have been super busy these past few days, I wasn't able to post in this blog.

I'm almost done with my long project. It's a nationwide study - I'm done with the Total Philippines, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao reports. All I have to do are the conclusions and recommendations. Requires much thinking. I wonder if I can still do it tonight.

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I have another report due this Wednesday. It is a four-group FGD study. The Client wants it to be detailed, full of verbatims. Oh no! That means, I have to listen to the tapes and take notes. The note-taker sent me her output but it may be lacking in verbatims. So, I will be busy again in the coming days.

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I hope to do the report for an FGD study on doctors. The groups have been convened. They just require an analyst. Hope I get the job.

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A client promised to give me two UAIs (Usage, Attitude, Image Studies) before the year ends. That should make up for the low fee he paid me for the nationwide project he gave me.

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I'm eager to write the script for the lotto trilogy. It has been ages since I last wrote a script!

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More flowers for you:

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving Day today in the US.

Well, everyday is thanksgiving day for me.

If I were to list all the things I am grateful for, this would have been a verrrry long post!

Most of all, I am thankful for...

...the gift of life

...my son, my mom, my siblings, and all my other loved ones

...all my friends

...the love I receive from everyone I meet each day

...nature

...my gifts and talents

...my work

...my dwelling place

...food I get to eat daily

...music

...movies

...books

...my trials (they have made me strong)

...computers and modern inventions

...and of course, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Such a short list!

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I emailed my lotto trilogy to my friend (a scriptwriter and director). She liked it so she asked me to write the script and she will direct the film. We will present it to Cinemalaya or Cinema One Original. Hope it gets accepted.

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Here's another lovely picture:

The Lord Giveth...

The Lord giveth, He taketh away...and He giveth again.

That's what happened just yesterday. A friend called up to say we have an FGD project. Then, later, she said it won't push through because she can't facilitate for four groups. She is going to Cebu on Friday. Later on in the day, she called again saying the project will go to us after all. I will do the analysis for four groups instead of just two. Yehey.

A small project came in today.

My ongoing project is still, well, ongoing. I had to revise the report so far. And new data came in.

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Humor for the day:

I was washing the dishes. Mom said to include the rice cooker and the kawali (frying pan).

She said, "Very easy. No grease. No Italy."

"No Spain." I added.

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I just love flowers! Don't you?

Praising God Through Songs

Last night, I listened/watched praise songs in YouTube. It's great to sing along, worshipping the Lord for all He has done.

Today, I listened to more CDs of worship songs.

God must be very pleased when we take time out to pray and sing praises to Him.

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I finished part 1 of my report. Three more parts to go. Whew!

I was supposed to analyze two FGD groups. But the project went to somebody else. Oh well, that's life.

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Today, mom's cysts in her kidney were removed. At long last. She kept postponing. Now, we don't have to worry about them.

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I've just finished the Book of Proverbs. Wise words indeed.

Romantic Comedy

Last night, I watched a wonderful romantic comedy entitled, "The Accidental Husband". It's about a love doctor and a man who wants to give her a dose of her own medicine. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Makes me want to write a romantic comedy movie myself. Ha ha.



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I worked on my project today. Was completely engrossed even if I played religious music while working. Oh, the joys of working at home!

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My mom told me that there was a lotto ticket that was never claimed. It was worth almost 200 million pesos. That got me thinking. Why not make a movie out of it? A trilogy perhaps. A teacher asks his class to come up with stories to explain the mystery behind the unclaimed lotto ticket. The three stories? In brief,

1) A man learns that he won. Sleeps but has a nightmare (hounded by everybody, kidnapped, etc.). He wakes up and tears the lotto ticket.

2) A lola keeps buying lotto tickets and her family totally ignores her. Then, when she learns that her number has won, she suffers a fatal heart attack clutching the winning ticket. The family members never learn what caused her attack.

3) A poor family beg for alms but they still manage to buy a lotto ticket. One day, a bunch of hoodlums grab their meagre belongings and money. A passerby comes to the rescue. Then, the mother faints from hypertension. The same passerby brings her to the hospital. Grateful, she gives the lotto ticket to the good Samaritan. The latter says goodbye. He actually is on his way to the US. Unfortunately, the airplane crashes.

What do you think? Has potential? Ha ha.

Miscellaneous Stuff

I have been working on my new project. I was eager to do it, I was able to finish the excel file already. Now, I am starting the report in powerpoint presentation.

I also finished my other short project for another client yesterday.

I've said it before, I say it again: I love being a marketing researcher/analyst!

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I just read a write-up about Pacquiao, a commentary on his fight against Margarito. I admire Manny for his humility and kindness of heart. What a hero!





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I'm already in the book of Psalms. Some of them, I am familiar with. I have finished reading the book of Job and was inspired by it.

Clearly, no book can compare with the Bible. It is full of wisdom and makes one have faith in God.

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Today, I ate mojos for breakfast.

For lunch, we had dinuguan, lumpiang togue and inihaw na liempo.

For merienda, we ate suman.

Thank God for food!

Small Projects

Two small projects came in today.

But both are interesting.

I do have an interesting and great job! It sometimes pays well, sometimes not so much. The important thing is that I enjoy being a marketing researcher and that I am of help to my clients.

I had a client meeting today. We ate steak and mussels at Slice N' Dice. Nice food. There was delicious soup, too.

I'm eager to start working already! There will be at least two more projects from the same client before the year ends. Yehey.

It's My Son's Birthday

That's right. My son turned 22 today.

We had a "simple" celebration. I ordered Shakey's delivery - two kinds of pizza (Manager's Choice and Pizza Blanca), 7-piece chicken, basket of mojos, two single-serve spaghetti, one Coke Zero and one Sprite in cans. Total bill? About P1,800 inclusive of the tip I gave the delivery boy.

There was too much food for mom, RR and I so it would stretch till tomorrow.

Mom even bought Selecta ice cream which of course, I am not allowed to eat.

Time flies so fast! It seems only yesterday when I first lay eyes on my son. Those were among the happiest moments of my life. He continues to be the joy of my life!

I remember the times we would go to the mall together and he would ask me to buy Pokemon toys. We would watch movies. We would eat at McDonald's, Jollibee, and later, our favorite restaurant was TGIF.

These days, we hardly go out anymore. But it's great to be living together. At least, I get to see him everyday.

I'm glad that my son has given up smoking and drinking. He reads the Bible regularly. I feel so blessed to have a son like RR.

Happy birthday, Ramon Rafael!

Unexpected Blessing

I have been waiting for my book royalties from my publishers for months now. Such that I have forgotten about them.

Suddenly, yesterday night, I got a call saying that the messenger will give me two checks. Yehey!

It is not much but equivalent to my income last month.

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I just love reading the Bible. I enjoyed reading the stories of Tobit and Judith. There is drama, romance, and even mystery.

If you haven't already, I suggest you get your Bible and start reading. It is very enlightening and inspiring.

Whole Day at the Hospital

Mom and I spent practically the whole day at the hospital.

We had to go early because I had to undergo lab tests which required fasting.

We ate breakfast at the canteen consisting of longganiza, fried egg, and rice.

I slept at the lobby.

After mom got the results, we went back to the canteen. We just ate french fries (Potato Corner) and fruit salad.

I wanted to hear mass but mom didn't bring me to the chapel.

We waited long for my internist because it was still early and he had a meeting. So, I slept again.
We were first in line. When he arrived and saw my lab results, he was pleased. The only thing "wrong" with me was that I gained 3 kilos and I have UTI.

While waiting for my next doctor, my hematologist, we ate cheesedog and softdrinks.

Although we were supposed to be no. 16, we were called first!

My BMT results showed a relapse of my multiple myeloma but only slightly from 5% to 6%. So, the doctor just said to continue my thalidomide. She was proposing another medicine which costs almost P300,000 a month! No way!

When we reached home, mom saw that there was listed beef lengua on the menu. But when I called the restaurant downstairs, it was no longer available. Oh well, I'm okay with Yakisoba.

It's good to be back home after a whole day at the hospital.

And the Real Winner Is...

No one won the P400+ million lotto jackpot. Wow! The amount itself is mind-boggling! Makes me think how "lucky" will the winner be.

But today, we have a real winner in the person of Congressman Manny Pacquiao. Poor Antonio Margarito, he didn't have much of a chance.

I did something terrible today. I was playing scrabble with somebody in FB. She was winning but taking too long to answer. I was tempted to force forfeit her and I gave in to the temptation. I feel so guilty!

Despite that, I kept winning so my average is now 48%.

And the Winner Is...

Everyone these days is talking about the Grand Lotto with its highest jackpot ever. Almost 400 million pesos!

I keep dreaming of what I will do if I win. (Which is impossible because I'm too poor to buy a lotto ticket.)

First, I will give 10% each to my four siblings and 20% to my mom. Then, 20% goes to charity including poor relatives and in-laws of my siblings. That leaves 20% to me and my son. I will buy my son a car and provide for his MBA studies. We will buy a three-bedroom condo unit and hire two maids.

I will spend each day, not shopping, but going to mass in each of the churches in Metro Manila.

Since this is an impossible dream, I just pray for the winner as follows:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for blessing this person abundantly. I know that You chose this person because he/she is truly deserving. Let his/her heart remain pure and not filled with pride. Protect him/her from jealousy from others and protect his/her family from evil men who are after their wealth. Guide this person to use the money wisely and for the good of as many people as possible.

These I ask, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

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My heart bleeds because I want to do acts of charity but I am not able to - physically and financially. So, I will just continue to carry out my ministry of prayer.

Bonding Time

I rode a taxi to my friend's house. The taxi driver was lucky enough to win 5 numbers in the lotto so he won P53,000. He used the money to have his house repaired.

I rode with my friend to another friend's house. There, we had lunch which consisted of kare-kare, patatim, lumpiang gulay, sago't gulaman, and bananas. Later, we had ice cream and lanzones.

We chatted, looked at facebook, watched YouTube, etc.

I brought home some patatim, lumpia, bananas and chichiria.

It's great to bond with old friends!

Work and Play

Work came in late today. So it's a working night for me!

On Friday, I will be meeting with a client on another project.

It's great to be working again!

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I have been playing scrabble in FB and my average is now 47%. Yehey. Slowly but surely I want to go beyond 50%.

Yesterday, I watched "Picture Perfect" starring Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Bacon. I like the romantic comedy because it's about honesty.

Tomorrow, I will be having lunch with some friends. It's bonding time.



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A little bit of humor:

On the day I gave birth, I went to the Delgado Clinic to choose a room. I just chose a small room to save on money.

I put under general anesthesia because I gave birth by Caesarian section. So, when I woke up, I was already inside my room but a much bigger one than the one I chose.

My first words? Instead of inquiring about my baby, I asked, "Magkano 'to?" (How much is this?)

Pain and Sweet Reward

I had my bone marrow test today. It was painful!...for less than two seconds.

Here is what a BMT is:

A bone marrow aspiration is a procedure to collect a small amount of bone marrow cells or tissue for testing by a hematologist. Here are the steps to a bone marrow aspiration.

The bone marrow test is usually done as an office procedure. The patient is usually asked to lie prone (on his abdomen) or to one side. The marrow sample is usually taken from the hip bone. The skin is cleansed with an antiseptic, and a local anesthetic is injected to make the skin numb.

For bone marrow aspiration, a thin needle is inserted into the bone and advanced inwards with a slow rotating movement till the marrow is reached. A small amount of liquid marrow is withdrawn.

The needle is removed and pressure is applied over the area to stop any bleeding. The area may be covered with a small antiseptic dressing. The patient is asked to keep lying down for 10-15 minutes. He or she is then free to leave.

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My mom heard me cry out in pain. For my "reward", she treated me to Sushi-Ya in Tomas Morato. We were the first and only customers at that time.

We ordered Bento Box consisting of soup, California Maki, hagedashi tofu, ebi tempura, and rice. I had Coke Zero, my mom had iced tea.

It's been a long time since we last ate out. It was a sweet reward indeed.

Thank God For Blessings

A couple of projects came in. Praise God!

My aunt is giving us her two-year-old 10 cubic ft. ref. Yehey! I'm asking my friend, Olan, to lend us their truck to transport the ref to our place.

The heirs of my dad's former employer decided to give us a token amount for past services. Enough to pay for my medicines for months.

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Tomorrow, I will undergo another bone marrow test. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hope my multiple myeloma has not worsened although I still feel pain.

I look forward each day to reading the Bible. I love the story of Saul and David.

Twice Blessed

I was twice blessed today. Because I heard two masses. Yes, two. One was "live", the other via Internet.

The live mass was the first Friday mass held at our condo. The priest was the same one who heard my confession a few weeks ago. In his sermon, he talked about the dishonest steward who was praised for being "mapamaraan". Of course, I felt joy in receiving Holy Communion since I don't get to do so weekly.

The Internet mass was a day late because it is held in the US. The priest talked about St. Charles Borromeo because it was his feastday yesterday.

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I'm continuing to read the Bible. I am about to read the Book of Ruth. I find the Bible really fascinating. Although one would think that God seems jealous and vindictive, He is actually true to all His promises. It is the Israelites who are a "stiff-necked" people. I like Moses, Joshua and Samson.

At the rate I'm going, I should be finished with the Bible by year-end. Then, I wouldn't mind reading it again maybe using another version. The one I'm reading now is the New American Bible.

Scary Movies

I watched two scary movies last October 31.

One was "Text", a local movie starring Angel Locsin, Dennis Trillo and Oyo Boy Sotto. I've seen parts of it before so I wasn't that scared when I watched it last Sunday.

The other one was "Halloween II". Gory! I prefer "Halloween" in terms of fear appeal simply because it was fresh material.

Another movie I failed to blog about was one I watched about two weeks ago. It is entitled, "Drag Me to Hell". Not a boring moment. But I didn't like the ending.

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More and more people are giving feedback on my book, "What I Think Heaven Is Like". Somebody give me a publisher, please?

Death Anniversary

Today is the ninth death anniversary of my dad.

The family had a get-together at our condo.

Food was lasagna, chicken inasal, and barbecue. There was chicharon, lanzones, bibingka, suman, and mais con hielo, too. Food trip!

I gave away some stuff to my nieces. My youngest niece no longer wants dolls so she didn't get mine. My brother got the leather case that my dad owned.

As usual, I kept quiet as everybody was busy talking. My Kuya took pictures.

I didn't go with them to my dad's crypt because I wasn't feeling well. My back hurt.

It's great to see my family!

Manna

Last night, my brother and his wife visited us. They brought Max's fried chicken and kare-kare. Yipee!

Today, my sister brought Causeway pancit canton.

What are siblings for?

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I've started reading the Bible. I'm done with Genesis. I love the stories of Noah and Joseph. I'm now reading Exodus. Interesting!

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I helped mom make chicken salad today. Yummy!

A God of Surprises

I was feeling down today. I had only two projects this October. Not enough even for my medicines.

And then late this afternoon, I saw my Client online. I asked her about our project. She said she will just finish it due to lack of time. I don't have to work on it anymore (I was supposed to clear the report). And yet, she is willing to pay me the balance next week! Praise God!

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Mom had a party today. She was supposed to take a cab. But then her classmate called up to say she will pick her up. So my mom was fetched early today. And somebody else brought her home. Not only that, they gave her fried rice and roasted chicken with garlic, which we had for dinner.

God is indeed a God of (pleasant) surprises!

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I saw this in my inbox:

"Greedy"

Does dreaming about winning the lotto make one greedy? I can only dream because I don't even have money to buy lotto tickets!

Anyway, I just watched a movie by Michael J. Fox and Kirk Douglas entitled "Greedy". About a rich uncle pursued by his greedy nephews and nieces. Nice one. Funny and I like the nice twist of an ending.

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Got to work today. I didn't expect the project although it's just a small one. I was able to finish in just a few hours. Every project counts. Thank You, Lord!

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I resolve to study the Bible more thoroughly alone and with my son. It could draw the two of us closer together and towards God.

More Movies

Yesterday, I watched three movies.

The first was "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" a comedy about two cash-strapped friends who live together. They decide to make a porno. It's not that bold a film. Good enough for me to finish it till end.

The second was my all-time favorite, "Sleepless in Seattle". I watched it in YouTube. Ten parts of about ten minutes each. One never gets tired of romantic comedies such as this.

The third was "The Uninvited", a horror movie. Very suspenseful. I like the ending.

Today, I watched two movies so far.

One was "Pasukob" starring Ai Ai de las Alas and Ruffa Mae Quinto. About two sisters, one was ill-fated while the other seemed always lucky. Funny in the typical Filipino way.

The other movie was "Someone Like You", a romantic comedy. It's about a heartbroken woman who comes up with a theory about men, comparing them to cows. Enjoyed the movie.

Movies...great time fillers.

Another Filipino Movie

I had time to watch another Filipino movie today, entitled, "April, May, June". It was written by Jose Javier Reyes and directed by Manny Castañeda. The leading roles were played by Agot Isidro, Chin Chin Guttierez and Alma Concepcion.

It's about three friends (named April, May and June) and their relationships with their husbands/boyfriend. I think I've seen the movie before but I didn't mind seeing it again. Some drama, but not too much. Enough funny moments. And a happy ending. My kind of movie.

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I look at pictures in FB and I just love those my friend posts about his trip in the US. It's autumn there so I found the colors of the trees so lovely!

Then, my niece posted pictures of food - cakes of different kinds! Yummy!

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October has been a very lean month. Despite that, I turned down a project I am not qualified for. I don't want to over-commit myself and not be able to deliver.

God will provide.

Another Really Nice Day

Today was a really nice day.

I woke up early because a family friend was coming over. She was asking help on her speech for the AVP presentation during her daughter's debut. I just corrected her grammatical errors and added humor to her speech. I also tried to shorten it because it was too long. Together we made finishing touches.

We ordered breakfast from McDo and she paid for it. I had Big Breakfast with garlic rice and orange juice. I ordered hot chocolate and hash browns for my son. My mom had egg mcmuffin and our friend had pancakes with sausage and coffee. Great breakfast!

After she left, I went back to a deep sleep.

After lunch, I slept again. When I woke up it was already past 4!

Then, my friend called me saying that her driver and car are available. I can be picked up so I can go to church.

At long last, I was able to go to Confession, hear part of the mass,
and receive Communion.

I was brought home.

For dinner, I had tocino, rice and gelatin with nata de coco.

What a day!

Song for God

Today I was inspired to write the lyrics of a song for the Lord, entitled, "Song for My Lord and King". Here it is...

All glory be to You, my King

Highest praises to You I sing

For You have been a faithful God

During trials, You were my rod

Refrain:

Thank You, for blessings big or small

Thank You for Your love above all

Who am I that You care for me so?

To whom but You, I always go?

With every deed, and every word

May my life give You honor, Lord

Forgive me for times I hurt You

You always welcome me back, true!

Finale:

When my life is over and done

I long to enter Your kingdom

Oh, to be with You without end

That is joy and bliss in heaven!

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May be crude, but comes from the heart.