Romantic Comedies vs. Chick Flicks

I recently watched "27 Dresses", "The Ugly Truth" and "50 First Dates". I call all three romantic comedies (my favorite genre!). But some of my male friends call them "Yuk! Chick flicks!". They wouldn't be caught watching one [as if they would be less of a man! ha ha].

Well, as for me, I just love those so called chick flicks because I am a "chick" who happens to be an incurable romantic as well. I love to laugh and I enjoy vicariously experiencing romance by merely watching a film with a happy ending for two people in love.

Sad news. My doctor is charging us P1,000 a week retroactive to the time we started getting Velcade for free. We can no longer afford to buy Recormon for twice a week. Lord, please provide!

My friend is not coming today to pick up her payment for a project. She said tomorrow, she will pass by.

I have started reading "Beyond Disruption". Hmm, quite interesting. But I have yet to find out tomorrow evening what exactly is my assignment.

Massaging my mom's feet is a daily task for me. I really don't mind. I am able to pray the rosary while doing it.

I am raring to do more work so more money can come in. I claim an avalanche of projects! Thank You so much, Lord!

Small Blessings Ain't Small

Since my last blog, "small" blessings came my way -

...I continued playing word whomp and started listing words I was not able to get (hence, broadening my vocabulary...but I have to look them up in the dictionary he he)

...My sister called up and we talked for several minutes - about my niece's wake, her new job, her trip to the US, etc. (I have only one sister and it's great to get to talk with her once in a while. She is busy with her job and she has four children and a husband, you see.)

...My aunt fetched my mom. She brought seven new books. Yey.

...Mom attended a cousin's despedida (who will be going back to the US). The food was lechon, paella and braised beef. I got to eat the lechon...hmm, super yummy! The paella wasn't bad either.

...I had time to re-watch "The Accidental Husband" on DVD. I just love romantic comedies! It's a good thing the DVD was a clear copy.

...A friend, a sister in community, passed by. She tried to convince me to take food supplements but I'm not too keen on them. She got our lawyer-friend's contact number because she owes her some money. We scheduled a Biblirasal (Bibliya, aral, dasal) session on Saturday. She prayed for me and my family before leaving. I gave her a yellow green shirt because that is her favorite color.

...We were able to go to the hospital again but it took a while before mom was able to find a wheelchair. I ate chicharon and salad. I solved several sudoku puzzles while waiting. We didn't have a hard time getting a cab to and from the hospital.

...My friend texted me to say that she had just finished interviewing my friend and she was a good respondent. (I'm always glad to be of help, no matter how small the favor.)

...For three days now, I have been massaging my mom's feet while saying the rosary. I put lotion so that I could massage more easily.

...I was also able to wash the dishes a few times. (I haven't done this for a long time. Means I am really on my way to recovery.)

...For all these and more, thank You, Lord!

Everyday in Every Way...

I used to have a daily mantra which goes, "Every day in every way, I am getting better and better." It is now more true today than before. I can feel myself becoming better - health-wise, socially, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and so on. And I have the Lord to thank! (Praise You, Lord!)

It makes me sad to hear the news that so and so has died. One such person is my niece (daughter of my deaf and mute cousin). She had cancer, stage 4. My brother and sister are going to the wake today. I wish I could come.

I do enjoy playing word whomp at pogo. com. I have been playing for hours these past days! But when I recognized that it was getting to be too much, I willed myself to do something else.

Embarrassing to say, I poohed again on my underwear yesterday and today. It's one of the side effects of my medicine - diarrhea. Oh well, as my doctors says, it's the lesser of evils.

I've been listening to YouTube and I just love the song, "I Will Follow Him" from Sister Act. (Wish I could see the movie.) Also, I often listen to Fatima Soriano sing "Mahiwaga" - the theme song from "100 Days to Heaven". [The blind girl was the same one who sang my song, "Mama Let Me Live. And just to remind you, it's on YouTube entitled "Nimia Gamo song only".]

Mom got mad yesterday at me for agreeing to get a check under my name but part of it goes to other people. I don't have a bank account except a checking account. So she was furious that she would have to go through so much trouble just to get the money. She talked to the agency's staff and yelled at her. Poor girl! And so I thought of a solution. I asked my son to pick up the check last Thursday and on Friday he had it encashed (he couldn't do both on the same day because he will go on overbreak). So, problem solved.

Today, mom was able to pay her credit card bill.

I'm expecting more payment within the month. Hope all months were like this.

Yesterday, mom bought pancit palabok from Little Quiapo plus chicharon and suman. Yummy!

Today, she bought fresh lumpia from Goldilocks, plus other food (shrimp and fried fish). I was able to eat the lumpia without puking.

A client-friend is asking me to read two interesting books. But I have to get instructions first from her before I start reading.

God is good! (all the time!)

Mind Games

With reports done, I take my time engaging in "mind games" - specifically, sudoku, scrabble and word whomp (which I recently discovered in pogo.com). It's fun and addicting!It entails forming as many words as you can given six letters.

I can now walk although still not that fast. I no longer use my swivel chair as my "wheelchair". Clearly, I'm on the way to recovery!

Yesterday, there was a presentation of the three reports I made. Client said "The content was very good. Good job on the presentation material. We missed you today...Everyone was looking for you." Well, it's good to know that all that effort has not gone to waste. Yey.

Another Client said that my FGD report was "very good, ang bilis din (and fast, too)". Another yey.

I just looooove my work as analyst. I have other projects coming soon. Thank You, Lord!

Now, I think I will watch a DVD.

Life is good!

Ahhh! Done!

Whew! I am done with the three reports I was tasked to do on the same project. The presentation will push through on Wednesday but I won't be around physically. Yesterday, we (the two people who will be presenting and I) had a dry run. I gave tips on how to present the data/report. There will be 7 top executives who will be attending. (That's much fewer than the 30 who attended one of my presentations!)

I also edited two reports of a research agency. The analysis was good but grammar and choice of words needed improvement/correction.

Yesterday was hospital day. I woke up late so we left the house at about past 9. Good thing we found a lone wheelchair. Thank God! (My mom and I always pray that a wheelchair be made available for me.)

I drank avocado shake (without milk) and ate chicharon (with taba/fat) for morning merienda. While waiting, I solved Sudoku puzzles and prayed the rosary. We didn't wait long for a cab to get home.

I took a bite of the siopao mom bought for my lunch but again, I felt like throwing up (I had just been given my medicine which causes vomitting and diarrhea). So I just ate crackers for lunch.

When my visitors (the presentors) arrived, we went through the dry run. We ordered food from downstairs - turon, ginataang mais and pancit.

It feels so good to have accomplished so much! Now, I have time to watch DVDs to reward myself.

Busy, Busy as a Bee

Boy, have I been busy these past few days.

I finished a long FGD report - complete with pictures and diagrams, and verbatims (both oral and written). I've sent a copy to the facilitator for her inputs.

That's one down.

Then, a project came in today. Quite easy. Just some Internet search and I made inquiries over the phone. I also came up with a one-pager for the Client. It is for a parish church which is celebrating its fiesta soon.

Worst of all, a client asked for three separate reports based on a single study. The person in charge of data processing sent me only a few data tables. I am far, far from finishing at least one of the three reports. BIG problem!

The only good news is that the dry run tomorrow was cancelled. The presentation will push through next Wednesday but I won't be the one to do it. I will "train" another person and we will have our dry run this Monday (afternoon, since I will be in the hospital for about half a day).

Yes, buzz...I am busy as a bee. I was able to write in this blog only because I am still waiting for more data to come in.

Oh well, the night is long and looks like I will work till beyond midnight.

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.