A Nice Sunday

I woke up early today to watch Bo Sanchez in Kerygma TV, Channel 5. His topic was How to Live a Life of No Regrets. As usual, I was inspired by his talk.

Then, I went back to sleep. I woke up in time for the 9 am mass on TV.

My sister passed by to give food - adobong pusit, adobong buto-buto and lasagna. I tasted the lasagna right away. Good!

I re-read my books and listened to YouTube. I added to my story concepts. I continued writing my book, "I Love Humor and More".

My friend, Amy came with her maid. She brought her "pasalubong" from Taiwan. Mostly foodstuff. She wanted to pass on her project to me but I said that is up to the Client to decide. She was not feeling well because of legal problems and other problems which were nagging her.

Our neighbor, Tita Auring, gave me religious stuff to read. So nice of her.

YouTube, Mcdo, and Story Concepts

After my usual afternoon nap and checking my inbox, I visited YouTube. I listened to a few favorite songs. I watched the Susan Boyle story.

I ordered McDo - french fries, fillet o' fish, and Coke Zero.

I wrote some story concepts for short films. I have a friend who is a director. He might decide to direct/produce the concepts into actual films. Who knows?

Another 5oth Bday Celebration

Yesterday, I attended another 50th birthday celebration. That of Beda, a classmate in Maryknoll High School.

It was held in Red Roaster along Esteban Abada near Miriam College.

The food was great - caesar's salad, corn, chicken, liempo, fish fingers, fettucine, iced tea. I didn't eat the cake of course although it looked delicious. I just love the fish fingers with mayonnaise dip!

Other Maryknollers were Grace (who fetched me), Stella, Ces and Bernie. Bombit Fucio joined our table later in the night.

Conversation was about old times, getting old, and politics.

Joke and Inspiration

Joke for the Day: Nuns on the Highway

A cop pulls over a car full of nuns. The cop says, “Sister, the speed limit on this highway is 55 mph. Why are you going so slow?”

Sister replies, “I saw a lot of signs that said 41, not 55.”

The copy says, “Sister, that’s the name of the highway, not the speed limit.”

“Silly me,” the embarrassed nun says. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be more careful.”

But then the cop glances in the back seat where the other nuns are quaking with fear. He asks, “Excuse me, Sister, what’s wrong with your friends?”

Sister says, “Oh, we just got off Highway 101.”

Inspirational Thought:

A Daruma doll in Japanese Buddhist tradition has no arms or legs and is heavily weighted. Knock it over and it springs right back. You cannot keep it down. Nick Vujicic is a human Daruma Doll because he was born without arms and legs. Yet, he is happy and successful. He gives inspirational talks to children and adults. Everywhere he goes, he touches people's lives and inspires.

I wish I were a Daruma doll or a Nick Vujicic.

New Restaurant

There's a new restaurant on the ground floor of our condo named Cafe Denim.

At first I was excited because they had all sort of offerings including appetizers, soups and salads, all-day breakfast, pasta and noodles, vegetables and side orders, main entree, sandwiches, desserts, and beverages.

They are open from 7 am to 11 pm even on Sundays.

So, last Sunday we ordered halo-halo and mais con hielo. The halo-halo contained ingredients not usually included. The mais con hielo was nothing special, and they used kernel instead of cream corn.

Yesterday, I ordered pesto pasta. Yuck! It wasn't delicious at all.

But I will keep giving them a chance because there are other interesting items like cream of mushroom/asparagus/crab and corn, veggie salad fiesta, fresh garden salad, tapsilog, beef mami ala San Pablo, lumpia ni Nanay, and grilled orange salmon. I wonder, will they get it right next time?

Mah Jongg!

Last Saturday, Amy and Cel were supposed to drop by. They didn't make it because it was super traffic and they had a hard time finding a bed for Cel.

Yesterday, with nothing to do, Mom and I played mah jongg from early afternoon to 10:30 in the evening. It was fun even if I lost a whopping P27! We only played P1-P2. Ha ha.

Today, looks like we're playing again. Addicts!

Some Days are Better than Others

Yesterday was not a good day. For one, the afternoon FGD was postponed to June 8. So I had to wait long. I was hungry so I had to spend for merienda. Then, in the evening, the FGD among doctors did not go well. I did not do a good job at moderating the group. I feel bad.

But today, I saw my friend, Jobert. Although he was late in fetching me, it was worth the wait. We ate at Cafe Adriatico. I first ordered dinuguan. But I was still hungry so I ate pancit palabok.

We wrote a poem together, entitled "New Love".

You came into my life when I was still hurting
Searching and believing that true love is out there
I am eager to discover if you are really the one
Opening my soul for the heart that we could share

You and I, we have much in common
The joy that we have is the sunshine of our day
The laughter we share brings happy moments
Our beautiful love has so many things to say

I treasure each second that I am with you
A loving comfort that brings much affection to me
When we are apart, I feel an emptiness inside
But when we are together, then I feel so free

I am a better person because of you
You have encouraged me to be the best of who I can be
With you in my life, I am glad to be me
For you have taught me how to be true

I wonder, will this new love of ours last?
Because I pray that we shall always be together
I feel so blessed to have found you
A new love that has begun hoping this will last forever

Yes, some days are better than others. Today was one such.

p.s. Jobert said I look like a midget in this picture. Ha ha. True!

Back to Workshops

Today, I resumed giving a workshop on report-writing/analysis. First, I gave some overall pointers. Then, we had some hands-on analysis of a simple taste test. There were three participants only so I did not have a hard time handling the group. It was basically a grammar and "how to say it better" workshop.

They could stay only until lunch which was fine. I took a long nap.

Then, I worked on another project. Just a revision because two brands had to be regrouped under a different category.

I ate merienda of two lumpiang togue dipped in vinegar with onions. Delicious!

The Happiness Project

I heard about the book and the site/blog, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. The book was a December 2009 bestseller and I don't wonder why.

I have subscribed to their newsletter. No harm in making a happy person happier. Ha ha.

Which leads me to ask, am I really truly happy?

Well, I would be happier if I were healthier, richer and had a special someone. But all things considered, I would say I am happy because:

1) I am living and staying in a conveniently located condo with two persons I love - my mom and my son

2) I get to enjoy sunsets any day I want

3) I love my job as freelance marketing research consultant and writer

4) I have four regular clients and several "irregular" ones

5) I have lots and lots of friends who care for me

6) I belong to a large extended loving family

7) I am in remission from my multiple myeloma

8) I have a computer of my own

9) We have two aircons and two TVs in our small condo

10) God loves me unconditionally and immeasurably...and so does He love you!

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Humor of the Day:

Mom has the habit of turning on the aircon after she takes a bath in the evening. When she was in front of the mirror right beside the aircon, she went all the way to the bed to get the remote to turn on the aircon. I laughed because she could easily have turned on the aircon by switching it on without need of the remote. Force of habit, she says.

Just Last Year...

You wouldn't believe it but just last year...

...I had to rely on a wheelchair whenever I went out of the condo

...I was in constant pain, I would cry out loud

...I couldn't even go to the bathroom because I couldn't raise my feet to go over the "border" (sorry, I don't know what it's called)

...My mom had to give me sponge baths a few times a week

...I had to pee and poo on an "arinola" (and my mom or son would wash me up)

...When I could finally walk on my own, I walked so slowly I couldn't get to the bathroom on time (my mom and son had to clean up my mess a number of times)

...I could not sleep on a bed because lying down caused too much pain

...I was barely sleeping because it is difficult to sleep while seated and my legs placed on another chair

Oh, looking back to those times, I am super grateful for how I am today. I can now walk, with a limp and with a cane, yes, but I no longer need a wheelchair. There is still pain in my lower back but I can now sleep on a bed. It's amazing how we tend to take things for granted until trials come our way.

Thank You, Lord!

Not a Rest Day After All

What I thought to be a rest day, being Sunday, turned out to be a work day.

I had to do the analysis of two reports. Short ones, yes, but it took me a number of hours nevertheless to finish.

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It soooh hot these days. I keep turning on the aircon. I hope our electricity bill won't be too high.

Today, I started taking Glucobay. The medicine my doctor prescribed for me to take before meals. I'm more conscious now of my sugar intake.

My Tummy is Soooh Huge!

My tummy is super huge, I look like I'm pregnant. How I wish I had a flat tummy again. Me and my large appetite. Problem is, I cannot do any exercising. The only solution really is to eat less. Help!

I worked on two projects today for the same client. I was able to finish both so tomorrow is rest day. Yehey!

I'm Too Sweet

Since I had an FGD today, I wasn't able to see my doctors. My Internist said my blood sugar is too high. (I'm too sweet!) So he prescribed another medicine to be taken before meals three times a day! Oh no, another expense.

But as mentioned earlier, my bone marrow test results are favorable. Down to a single digit figure. Whatever that means.

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The FGD a while ago had five participants. But according to Client, two of the five are "bogus" respondents and are not real sufferers of the ailment we were studying. That means we have to remove the answers/comments of the "impostors" from the discussion. Quite a difficult task especially for the analyst, who is none other than me. Hu hu.

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More work came in. Continuation of two past projects. One of which is a translation job.

Then, I will resume my seminar on report-writing on Wednesday.

In sum, I have enough work to keep me busy but I have enough time to relax in between tasks.

Thank You, Lord!

A Day of Rest

I woke up early today because someone took my blood sample and I gave my urine. I was so sleepy I went back to sleep right after.

I slept again after breakfast and after lunch.

When I called the agency regarding the FGD tonight, I found out it will not push through.

So, I just played online scrabble.

A day of rest.

What to do the rest of the day? Read Kerygma magazine, read "Last Man Standing", pray the rosary.

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I texted my doctor to ask about my bone marrow test results. She said "very good result". Yehey! I hope that means lower dosage of my maintenance medicine.

A God of Perfect Timing

Today, new work came in the morning. Though I was soooh sleepy, I did it till about past 10 am. Then I had lunch. I was really sleepy so I took a long nap. Before I knew it, it was 1:15 pm. I washed my dishes and took a bath.

My friend-Client was waiting for me by 2 pm. We went to nearby Shakey's to discuss the UAI report that I wrote with another Client. No major problems. I don't think I am needed to join them tomorrow.

So, tomorrow, my only agenda is my 6 pm FGD among doctors. Plenty of time to prepare.

On Friday, I was supposed to have two doctors' visits. Mom will be the one to go instead of me. I have FGDs to conduct on that day.

God is a God of perfect timing indeed!
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So, it looks like we have a new president - Noynoy Aquino. I would have voted for him myself if only to be sure that he isn't and will not be corrupt.

The fight is tighter for the vice-president position. I'm still hoping that Mar Roxas will catch up with Jejomar Binay.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the first automated elections in the country. My only regret was that I was not able to participate in it.

Finished at Last

It's been a looong day. I finished my UAI report at last. More than a hundred slides. Hope Client will be pleased with it.

Tomorrow, I might have one, two or even three FGDs. So I must rest already.

My cousin from the States gave me a rosary. Yehey!

Didn't Vote

While most of the people I know went out to vote today, I stayed home. Reason? Physical difficulty because of my condition. That may be a shallow reason and I'm in a way ashamed. But you see in our precinct, I would have to go up to the third floor. I can barely go up one flight of stairs. Sorry.

Instead, I worked on my UAI report. I'm still not done but I hope to finish the detailed findings by end of day. Tomorrow I shall write the Conclusions and Recommendations.

Brownout/Mother's Day

Yesterday, we had a whole day of brownout. Soooh hot! I kept fanning myself with what else? a fan! I was not able to do any work. I just prayed my rosary and read Kerygma magazines.

We ordered Jollibee for lunch and ChowKing for dinner.

The electricity returned at 4:30 am already.

I wanted to work right away but I was too sleepy.

When I woke up, I had time for a quick breakfast and listened to TV mass.

I also worked on a project which was due yesterday but the Client moved the deadline to today. I finished whatever I could and emailed my output to client.

Today is Mother's Day. A lot of people greeted me.

We had a party in the condo. Food was plentiful - prawns, crabs, chicken, lasagna, pizza, mais con hielo, nachos, tacos, langka, lanzones, and more!

It's always great to see loved ones. RR was able to join us part of the time so the cousins were complete.

I still have another report to write. But I think I shall rest awhile.

A Day of Blessings

Today, I had my bone marrow test. It was a bit painful but only for a few seconds. At last, it's over!

Then, my mom and I went to Sushiya. We ate kani salad, sukiyaki, ebi tempura, hagedashi tofu, California Maki. I felt so full I didn't finish my tempura. RR ate the rest of our tempura and maki when we reached home.

It's a good thing my FGD today didn't push through. With all the miting de avance, there is sure to be traffic everywhere. Besides, I had much work to do.

I finished writing the analysis for presentation materials of a Client.

I also worked on a project (a difficult one) due tomorrow. Looks like I'm sleeping late tonight so I can be sure to meet my deadline.

Whew, what a day!

Swamped with Work

Instead of four groups, I had zero today. One is scheduled tomorrow, and the three were postponed for next week. What a relief!

A new project came in and it is due Saturday.

I am helping another Client with their presentation materials.

My UAI report is not yet done.

Whew! It feels great to be busy again.

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Today, I received a gift pack from Dove (2 Dove soaps and a body wash). It's their way of expressing gratitude for what I wrote about Dove...something like "I love Dove because it takes care of my skin like a mother...smoothens, not smothers." And they took a picture of me with the gift pack and they will post it in their site.

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Tomorrow, I will have another bone marrow test. Oh no! I hope it will be as painless as the last time.

A Bit Apprehensive

I helped an agency with their presentation on May 13. Just gave a few suggestions to shorten a very long report.

I also worked on my UAI report. A long way to go but I'm getting there.

I'm a bit apprehensive about tomorrow. I haven't been briefed yet. All I have are the first drafts of the discussion guides for the patients and the doctors. Four groups in one day! I hope I make it tomorrow.

Lord, please guide me in all my projects. May I always do a good job so that my clients will be pleased.

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I uploaded in YouTube my song, "Mama, Let Me Live". I want to put lyrics in it and change the pictures. I will ask help from other people or I will do my own experimenting.

Time for Work

Today is work day.

I helped a client on a new project. I read a 9-paged research brief and helped the agency decide on the methodology and sample size.

Also, data came in on a UAI project. So I immediately started writing the report. I also went through the data tables and asked the data processor to do some retabulation.

Still another client called up to ask me to facilitate four groups on Thursday. Two groups among patients, two groups among doctors.

When it rains, it pours.

No Work, All Play

The data I need for my report have not come in. So, it's all play and no work today.

I did some reading, checked my inbox, listened to online mass, watched/listened to YouTube, colored my coloring book.

For the first time, we ordered ChowKing for delivery. We had special halo-halo. Not bad. It's so hot these days, halo-halo is such a welcome treat.

But among the best halo-halo they say is that from Little Quiapo. I would tend to agree but it has been a long time since I last ate halo-halo from that restaurant. Last time I was there, I ordered mais con hielo instead.

I should watch my eating of sweets. My blood sugar is 7.0 this morning. There was a week when I ate 3 halo-halos and my blood sugar shot up to 10!

Oh well, in heaven, I can eat all the chocolates, ice cream, cakes, and halo-halo I want!

Another Dinner at Bellini's

Last night, I went to Bellini's with a friend. We had caesar salad, seafood pasta, and anchovies pizza. Delicious!

First, we engaged in small talk. But soon, she started revealing that her marriage is on the rocks. For hours, she talked of her marital woes. She also talked about the problems of other people.

Before we ended, I told her that each of us have our own trials. Here I am - financially poor (many times, I don't even have transportation money), afflicted with cancer and other illnesses, and with no special someone.

God does not play favorites. He just wants us to keep trusting in Him.