Wonderful Days Are These

Yesterday (Sunday), a friend (who is a pastor) visited me. She and her companion, prayed over me particularly for my healing. We were able to talk about the olds days [we were officemates before] and how she changed. She said that I was the prettiest in the company. Ha ha.

Too bad they forgot to bring the cake they were supposed to give me. It's okay. Calories and sugar...not good for my health.

I was able to continue working on my FGD report yesterday and today. I'm about halfway through. Yey.

Last night, I watched a beautiful, inspiring movie, entitled "Extraordinary Measures" - starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford. It's about a man who has 2 kids sick with a rare disease and a professor struggling to turn his "cure" from theory to reality. What makes it even more interesting is that the movie is based on a true story.

Today, we went early to the hospital so there were several wheelchairs available. After my blood test, we went to the canteen. I ate a plain donut, melon shake and kropek. Then we found the right path towards the new chemo room. We waited long so I was able to pray the rosary and solve several Sudoku puzzles.

Both my doctors were pleased with my lab results. The only thing was I have UTI for which antibiotics were prescribed. I will continue to receive Velcade for free and buy Recormon weekly.

We were home before 5 pm, the rush hour.

I immediately went to work.

LBM is part of the side effects of Velcade. No wonder I have been suffering from diarrhea these past weeks. Oh well, it's among the lesser of evils.

The Days Are Long

Yep, the days seem long because I have no work. I will be doing some tabulation of 150 questionnaires next week. Looking forward to it.

I watched "Everybody's Fine", starring Robert de Niro. Nice movie.

I finished reading "In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner" by Elizabeth George. Good book.

My sister is back from Australia but I haven't heard from her.

I might watch another movie tonight. Or, I could start reading another book - by Robert Ludlum.

I have cough and cold. I'm taking Solmux along with my other medicines. Hope I don't catch pneumonia again.

I asked mom to cook binagoongan for me. But I puked after the first bite. Then, I requested monggo with danggit. Was able to eat it without throwing up. Mom also bought Lapid's chicharon. Yey.

Mom went to a lunch party today. She brought home some churros with chocolate.

I need to see a priest for Confession. Sinful me.

My son's best friend is due home soon. He is finally through with his studies. I think they are planning to put up a business, maybe a farm. Not sure if that's a wise decision.

I have several pledges of visits from friends. Can't wait to see them.

The new Diagnostic Center at the hospital is due to open on Monday. I might go there for my Velcade treatment. But the blood tests will remain as they are, with the laboratory on the first floor.

I have been chatting with friends at FB. Good use of my time.

Discovered a singer on YouTube as recommended by a friend. Her name is Adele, an English. Great singing voice. One can easily overlook her being overweight.

I keep playing online scrabble at pogo.com. I win about 80% of the time. I play against robots or the computer. I have yet to come back to play scrabble against humans at FB.

The pain is so much less these days. I still use the swivel chair to go about but I can now stand up longer.

It is my father's birthday on July 24. I hope we will have a family gettogether.

Almost There

I am working on a two-part report. I am almost done with Part 1. Whew!

I am officially closing shop for the day.

It's dinner time. I will eat Chooks chicken again. (My sister and niece brought some for lunch and there was some leftover chicken. It tastes good! No need for sauce, as advertised.)

Later, I am looking forward to watching a movie on television. I hope there's something nice.

The family is planning a summer outing. Beach with swimming pool. I can't swim but I sure will enjoy the fresh air for a change. And the company, of course.

It's been ages since I last went to the beach. Yahoo!

Welcome, 2011!

I may have missed last Christmas' family gettogether, but I made sure that I went to today's party. I wasn't 100% well but I wanted to see everyone.

We went to our aunt's place in Parañaque. Except for a sister-in-law, we were complete.

I just ate pancit, kaldereta, lechon and siomai. Later, I ate sugar-free ice cream and kropek. There was a lot more other food like prawns, Pixie's bangus, lumpiang shanghai, macaroni, chicken salad, caesar's salad, cashew, chocolates, food for the gods...

We watched a concert by Lea Salonga on DVD.

I took a nap. Some played mah jongg.

We borrowed books from my aunt. I got four books - 3 by James Patterson and 1 by Dan Brown.

I begged my brother to take a picture of me for my FB profile but he said I'm not pretty enough. Haha.
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Last night, I watched a suspenseful movie entitled, "Taken", starring Liam Neeson. It's about a father who is a retired agent. His daughter is taken by a group of human traffickers and sold because she is a virgin. Father seeks daughter and of course, finds her in the end. Not without killing or hurting about 50 people.

Today, I got to watch part of the same movie. Nice!
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I've got a bum stomach. What a way to start the year. But thanks for Imodium, looks like I'll be okay.

Silence...Bagoong...and More

The other day I watched "Silence of the Lambs". My friend texted me with "Hello, Clarice". I texted back with "Huh?". He said "Famous line in the movie you're watching. Duh". Ha ha. Duh. I heard the line towards the end of the movie.

No wonder Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Academy awards for their performance. The movie won three other Oscars - best director, best writing, and best picture.

When I asked my son if he has seen the movie, he said "No". No wonder. It was produced way back in 1991 - he was only 3 years old!

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Last night, I went out with friends. It was Rica's birthday last Sunday and she treated us to Bagoong Club. Ronald, Noel, Kune and Adolf went. There also three co-workshoppers in a playwriting workshop under Nestor Torre in 2004.

Food was delicious as usual - adobo with kangkong, pinakbet, binagoongan, special bagoong club friend rice, sinigang, munggo with bulalo, etc. They ordered dessert but I refrained from eating because the leche flan and custard were both rich and sweet.

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I got into thinking...What if I reprint my first two books which did very well except that my publisher is rather "small time" they could not print many copies at a time? I shall ask for friends to be my co-publishers.

Also, I am already lining up my future books - "Turning Gold", "I Love Humor and More", "Fit for God" and maybe, just maybe "I Ain't Crazy (...Just a Little Cracked!) and "Mission: Possible!". Ha ha. Fickle minded me!

Am considering going into self-publishing. I have the time. I have friends. And I stand to earn more.

I want to be best-selling author in National Bookstore and other bookstores nationwide. I also want to sell my books abroad. Ambitious of me but I can dream, can't I?

Here's a beautiful quote:

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing."
—Benjamin Franklin

Why not both?

New Project

Last night, I watched "Deception" on Star Movies. Nice film. Enough to keep me awake till midnight. I love suspense movies and happy endings.

Today, a new project came in. It's pretty long so I did not finish it.

Facing the Giants

I did watched the DVD my son gave me, "Facing the Giants". I cried several times even if the story is quite predictable. I love inspiring stories showing God's power and faithfulness. I wish there were more movies like this.

I worked on my report today. I finished another category except for the conclusions.

From time to time, my former dreams come back. I dream of putting up a gift shop called Humor and More. A restaurant called Ha-Ha-Inan Res-Tawa-Rant. A movie production company. Ahh! Dreams...

"Proof"

Once in a rare while, one gets to watch an impactful movie. Last night, I had the wonderful privilege of watching "Proof" on DVD. It's a moving story of a woman whose genius of a father (a renowned mathematician) has just died. But this father was also mad in a crazy way and she herself was scared that she may have inherited her own father's insanity.

The movie stars the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow and the famous Anthony Hopkins. Perhaps, the reason I liked the movie so much is because I could relate to it. As a person afflicted with bi-polar mood disorder, I know how it is to be crazy. I am far from being a genius but they say there is a thin line between genius and insanity.

The other reason I liked "Proof" is that it is also a love story and I just love love stories! It's the romantic in me again!

Between "Elizabethtown" and "Proof", I enjoyed "Elizabethtown" more because it is more romantic and entertaining while I prefer watching "Proof" because it is deeper and more dramatic.

Two recently watched movies. Time well spent.